SEATTLE — After an extended delay to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Seattle U men's swimming is champing at the bit for a return to meaningful competition since the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships last February.
"It's been a crazy few months, but the guys are excited to get back," said head coach Craig Nisgor. "We've definitely had some good stuff going in practices so far, and the positive attitudes they've come back with are really nice as things get going for us."
Expectations for the team will be unclear in the early as there is quite a bit unknown for Nisgor. However, the overall objective to compete each time out and get ready for the conference meet will remain the same.
"Our first goal is to compete again," said Nisgor. "It's been tough early. Everyone has been swimming at different places based on where they were during the offseason or what was available to them. Even in the fall, although we've been able to practice, we were spread out much more than usual as we tried to be safe and follow social distancing. I don't think it'd be fair to have expectations beside competing and seeing what happens from there."
Nisgor returns 15 members from last season's lineup including nine upperclassmen for the 2020-21 campaign. As a result, the Redhawks will have plenty of depth across the broad and will be able to compete for points in every event. The returning names will provide experience and leadership to help develop the younger members, while team chemistry remains the bedrock for success.
The Redhawks regular season slate will be in flux and is subject to change. Thus far, Seattle U is scheduled to open the 2020-21 campaign on Jan. 9 when it hosts Whitworth at the Redhawk Center. Additional dates may be announced in the future. During to safety concerns fans will not be allowed at any home events, further details to follow.
Senior Experience
The smallest class this season for the Redhawks, will however be their most experienced as the 2020-21 lineup features four seniors. Jake Goguen and Taj Mercer will serve as team captains, while Jack Neton and Isaac Parker will provide added support and leadership.
Goguen had a solid junior campaign finishing second in the 100 freestyle (45:50) and third in the 200 freestyle (1:40.87). Mercer was among the team's top 10 in six events, which was highlighted by performances in the 200 butterfly (5th, 1:56.41) and 400 individual medley (5th, 4:11.58).
Neton finished last season as team leader in the 100 breaststroke (57.15) and 200 breaststroke (2:01.85). He even qualified for the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, where he registered a career-best in the 200 individual medley (1:52.89) and posted the ninth-best all-time performance in program history. Neton has continued to thrive early setting a Redhawk Center pool reward in the 200 breast (2:02.58) during an intrasquad meet.
Parker meanwhile pieced together a season that saw him record top times in five events such as the 100 freestyle (t-4th, 46.08) and the 50 freestyle (2nd, 20.74), which was a personal best and tied for the program's sixth best performance all-time.
Junior Contributors
Added experience and leadership will come from the junior class which features Ryan Ascencio, Kyle Bailey, Tyler Goodspeed, Chang He, Milan Saric and Juan Varela.
Ascencio and Bailey quietly put together solid sophomore seasons, with Ascensio finishing the year second among team leaders in 500 freestyle (4:37.52) and third-overall in the 200 butterfly (1:52.57), while Bailey was third among team leaders in the 400 individual medley (4:09.11) and 200 breaststroke (2:04.39) and fourth in the 200 individual medley (1:54.65) with top 10 rankings in the 100 breaststroke (6th),100 backstroke (7th) and 200 freestyle (9th).
Goodspeed also had a strong sophomore campaign which saw him qualify for the CSCAA Nationals in the 50 freestyle. He also finished the season listed fourth among team leaders in the 50 freestyle (21.09), fifth in the 100 backstroke (54.34) and 100 butterfly (51.09).
At the 2019-20 season, He and Saric were among team leaders in three events each. He was listed in the 100 breaststroke (4th, 58.69), 200 breaststroke (5th, 2:07.98) and 200 individual medley (8th, 2:00.00), while Saric found himself on the 50 freestyle (8th, 21.88), 100 freestyle (46.59) and the 100 butterfly (49.67) lists.
Varela set a personal record last season during the conference meet in the 1000 freestyle (9:35.10), the performance earned him sixth on the program's all-time list. In addition to the 1000 freestyle, Varela was as the team leader in the 500 freestyle (4:35.85) and 1650 freestyle (15:55.07).
Super Sophomores
The current sophomore corp tasted success early, as they accounted for eight of the team's 12 individual top 10 performances last season, and will look to continue their development is year two.
Headlining the group is Will Corona, who placed 10th in the 200 individual medley (1:49.39) at the CSCAA Nationals last season, posting the second-best performance in program history. He also made the individual all-time performance list in the 400 individual medley (4th, 3:58.71), 100 freestyle (6th, 45.60) and 200 breaststroke (9th, 2:04.05). Corona finished the season listed first or second among team leaders in three events (1st, 200 IM; 1st, 400 IM; 2nd, 200 breaststroke) and was third-overall in three more (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke).
Connor Barringer put together a solid freshman year as he finished the season listed seventh all-time in the 200 freestyle (1:40.42), while being among the team's top five for the season in the 200 freestyle (2nd), 200 individual medley (3rd, 1:54.16), and 100 freestyle (t-4th, 46.08).
Distance freestylers Max Chesno and Justin Kalugin also etched their names among the program's top 10 performances, with Chesno earning eighth all-time in the 1000 freestyle (9:42.52) and 1650 freestyle (16:10.29), while Kalugin was ninth in the 1000 freestyle (9:42.94) and seventh in the 1650 freestyle (16:09.74). Each finished the season among team leaders top five in four events. Chenso was listed in the 1000 freestyle (2nd), 1650 freestyle (3rd), 400 individual medley (4th, 4:11.33) and 400 freestyle (5th, 4:42.43). Kalugin found himself listed in the 1000 freestyle (2nd), 1650 freestyle (3rd), 500 freestyle (4th, 4:40.15) and the 200 freestyle (5th, 1:43.40).
Meanwhile Emmett Moore and George Thiss each quietly pieced together strong freshman seasons. Moore finished the year ranked ninth all-time in the 100 butterfly (49.57) and among the season team leaders in the 100 butterfly (2nd), 200 butterfly (4th, 1:53.22) and 50 freestyle (5th, 21.25). Thiss was second among team leaders in the 100 breaststroke (58.27) and 400 individual medley (4:07.02), with the 400 IM time listed 10th on the all-time performance chart.
Fresh Faces
The Redhawks welcomed five freshman this season. For Nisgor, their attitudes and work ethic have been a big positive during the fall and he believes the each have the ability to make an immediate contribution this season.
The quintet is comprised of Washington natives Ryan Reid and Parker Wichelmann as well as Michael Luna from Nevada, Hawaiian Noa Copp and Blaise Achecar from Georgia.