FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State's 2019-20 winter sports season begins Saturday when the swimming & diving teams visit Ithaca College.
The Blue Devils and host Bombers will be part of a quadrangular meet which will also include SUNYAC schools Buffalo State and Brockport.Â
New on the deck this season is Head Coach
Astrid Escobar, whose past college coaching experience includes stops at Hamilton College and Wisconsin-LaCrosse. She inherits a squad consisting of 28 student-athletes -- 16 men and 12 women -- of which four received all-conference honors last season.
Among the men, the trio of senior
Cameron Criss, junior
Drew Page, and sophomore
Robert Atwood were 2019 Third Team All SUNYAC. They earned that distinction, combined with then-senior
Jacob Favret, with a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle at last year's conference championship meet.
As for the returners, Escobar said Atwood, Page and
Aaron Gonzalez have looked impressive in practice. "I'm looking for them," she said, "to have some impressive swims. Also,
Charlie May is going to be a good backstroker for us." Meanwhile, freshman
Kyle Copper has been the most impressive newcomer among the men. "He's going to be a force," she said, "in the free and butterfly."
The fourth all-conference performer was
McKayla Polowy, whose freshmen season was highlighted by three school records and the distinction of Fredonia State Female Rookie of the Year -- an award which encompasses all sports. She earned Third Team All SUNYAC for her third-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
"Polowy is going to be a strong distance swimmer for us," Escobar said. "
Alyson Baumann is proving to be versatile. Lydia Gaughan is going to be a great butterflyer for us.
Sierra Parsons is going to lead us in breast stroke and I'm very excited about
Erin Kalsman, another impressive swimmer in practice."
Lauren Ditchey, a freshman, has impressed her coach with her work in the individual medley. The women also have two divers on the roster -- the men none -- in junior
Jess Schimek and freshman
Tess Smith.
"I think that the team is in a great place and committed to working hard," Escobar said. "We are going to be ready for SUNYACs. The team has earned my respect and I know they are capable of so much."Â
