The College of Wooster looks to carry over the momentum from the end of last season when it overcame arch-rival Wittenberg University in the second-to-last event for a fourth-place finish at the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, widely considered the top women's swim league across NCAA Div. III. Now, with 11 of their top-13 performers returning from that meet, the Fighting Scots are hoping to not only stay ahead of Wittenberg, but overtake Allegheny College for third.
"Third-place is definitely the goal," agreed seventh-year Wooster head coach Rob Harrington, who has directed the program to three such finishes during his tenure. "We'd also like to get a relay team, if not one or two individuals, to the national championships."
Expected to pace the Scots are sophomore triplets Melissa Haug, Priscilla Haug, and Rebecca Haug. Melissa broke school records and hit NCAA "B" cut times in both the 100 butterfly (57.58) and the 200 fly (2:07.45), and touched fourth in the 200 (2:08.61) and fifth in the 100 (57.73) at the conference meet. There, she also was 14th in the 200 IM (2:12.59). Priscilla set a new team record in the 200 backstroke (2:08.14) and placed seventh in that event (2:10.47) at the NCAC's as well as 11th in the 400 IM (4:44.20) and 17th in the 500 freestyle (5:15.14). Rebecca nearly reached an NCAC championship final (top-eight), too, winning the consolation for ninth-place in the 200 fly (2:10.23) and taking 14th in the 400 IM (4:48.65) and 15th in the 200 IM (2:14.52).
"If they can stay healthy, they're going to be the core of our program," Harrington confirmed.
Wooster also has a number of seniors who have played integral roles throughout their careers. Breaststroke specialist Syd Kelly possesses two NCAC championship heat appearances and was 11th in the 100 breast (1:09.85), 13th in the 200 breast (2:31.11), and 15th in the 400 IM (4:49.97) last year. Team co-captains Allie-Kibler-Campbell and Kristine Mann will pile up points in a variety of events. Kibler-Campbell was right with Kelly in the 100 breast, finishing 10th in the conference (1:09.04), and contributed 17th-place in a new event for her – the 200 IM (2:18.41) – and 20th in the 100 fly (1:02.74). Mann has been a distance specialist, but is expected to turn her focus to shorter races this winter, including the 200 fly and 200 free, in which she placed 16th (2:18.66) and 20th (2:00.72), respectively.
The emergence of Ashley Meyer as a top distance freestyler has allowed Harrington to tinker with the lineup. Meyer was 13th overall in the NCAC in the 1650 (18:25.11), 16th in the 500 (5:19.65), and 19th in the 200 (2:00.61), while fellow seniors Rachel Bennett and Lizzie Deringer studied abroad part of last season and are now back in shape to contribute in the backstroke and distance freestyle, resepectively.
In addition to the Haug triplets and the seniors, the Scots expect significant production from veterans Tamari Farquharson, Rachel Kassenbrock, Sarah Rudawsky, Sam Spencer, May Tobar, and Elizabeth Zucco. Tobar joined Priscilla Haug in last year's 200 back NCAC championship final, hitting eighth overall (2:13.18), to go with ninth in the 100 back (59.75) and 13th in the 50 free (25.01). Zucco will also provide support in the backstrokes after taking 13th in the 200 (2:19.28) and 17th in the 100 (1:03.74). If healthy, Farquharson has the potential to return to a top-10 performer in the conference in the breaststroke as well as challenge in the sprint freestyles, and rounding out the top juniors, Spencer aims to be a scorer in the butterfly events and distance frees once again.
Rudawsky was Wooster's leader in the 1650, recording an 18:24.08 time, good for 12th at the 2009 NCAC Championships, and fellow sophomore Kassenbrock developed into a pleasant surprise, capped by a 15th-place performance in the 200 back (2:22.63) at that meet.
A boost to the team will be the addition of divers Gabriella Benkovits and Alyse Marquinez, as the Scots did not have any scoring from that segment of the team a year ago.
Additionally, nine freshmen swimmers dot the roster, highlighted by the versatile Samira El-Adawy, distance specialist Caroline Hanson, and sprint freestyler Kate Hunt.