About The Team
Both the men and women's swimming teams have grown and improved,
thanks to intensified recruiting and innovative training techniques
incorporated by fourth-year coach Bill Tyler. In
the last three seasons, they have combined to set and reset an
astounding 233 new Elms College records. Eighty-four of those
school records were set last year in the 2006-07 season, including
27 at the season-ending New England Intercollegiate Swimming and
Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships.
Liz Walker (Holyoke, MA) became the first women's swimmer in Elms College history to win a New England title as she was victorious in the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke at last year's NEISDA Championship. She was also named Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Swimmer of the Year after winning individual titles in both the 50 and 100-yard breaststrokes at the conference championship.
Marie Waterhouse (East Longmeadow, MA) was named GNAC Rookie of the Year as she set a GNAC meet record with her victory in the finals of the 50-yard backstroke. At the NEISDA Championship, Waterhouse placed fourth in both the 50 and 100-yard backstroke.
Walker and Waterhouse, who combined for 44 individual school records, joined Kaity Jo Bryll (East Hartland, CT) and Kate Orefice (Southington, CT) to set 11 relay records for the women's team, which earned a program-record 11th place finish at the NEISDA Championship.
For the men, who also finished 11th at the NEISDA
Championship, Mark Pirruccio (Brewster, MA),
Jason DiMauro (New Hartford, CT), Ted
Manley (Monson, MA) and Mike Starke (Chicopee,
MA) combined to clock four new relay records.
Both teams will combine to host 10 meets at Partyka Natatorium in 2007-08, and will once again conclude the season at the prestigious NEISDA Championship, which annually attracts many of the region's best Division II and III programs.
"My general coaching philosophy centers around individual improvement," Coach Tyler said. "With individual improvement will come team improvement, so I anticipate that this year's swimmers will continue to rewrite the Blazers' record books."