Lehigh Set To Defend Its PL Men's Swimming & Diving Title

AU's Liscinsky, The 2002 Swimmer Of The Meet, And CU's Ellis, The 2002 Diver Of The Meet , Both Return

Feb. 18, 2003

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- The Lehigh men's swimming & diving team, which has won two Patriot League Men's Swimming & Diving titles in the last four years, will defend its crown at the 2003 Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships, taking place at Bucknell's Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium, Thursday, Feb. 20 through Saturday, Feb. 22.

The Mountain Hawks were the pre-season choice of the League's coaches and sports information directors to win the 2003 championship. LU will depend on three-time All-League selections Bing Padmassankha (Bangkok, Thailand) and Ian Gillen (Bethlehem, Pa.) and two-time all-star Brian Golebiewski (Norristown, Pa.).

Padmassankha become Lehigh's all-time leading points scorer earlier this season with a pair of first-place finishes at the Delaware Invitational. At last year's championship, the senior won the 100 freestyle race and came in second in the 200 freestyle. Gillen collected three Top 5 finishes in 2002 en route to all-star status, while Golebiewski took home the gold medal in the 1,650 freestyle.

Last year's runner-up American has a League-best six All-League performers back in the fold, including 2002 Men's Swimmer of the Meet Mark Liscinsky (Olney, Md.). Liscinsky, who broke three Patriot League meet and overall records at last year's championship, continued to re-write the League record book this season. The senior, who was a two-time PL Men's Swimmer of the Week this year, set PL records for the 200 individual medley (1:48.46), 200 freestyle (1:36.79) and 200 backstroke (1:45.85).

AU junior Dominick Szabo (North Wales, Pa.) broke an 11-year old League record in the 100 breaststroke and made the NCAA "A" cut in that event with a time of 54.14 at the Princeton Invitational earlier this season. Szabo earned weekly honors from the League for his efforts at Princeton. He also set the PL record for the 200 breaststroke with a 2:01.00 mark at Princeton.

Also earning Patriot League weekly honors this season were juniors Ethan Bassett (Potomac, Md.) and Adam Schryver (Harrington Park, N.J.). Bassett was the Men's Swimmer of the Week Nov. 19, while Schryver took home League and ECAC Diver of the Week accolades Jan. 21.

Army is led by senior Dan Downs (Albuquerque, N.M.), sophomores Sebastian Rodriguez (Deer Park, Texas) and Steve Miller (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and freshmen John Wall (Hoover, Ala.) and Doug Klein (Red Wing, Minn.). Rodriguez, who won the 200 butterfly at the 2002 championship, is the lone returning Black Knight that earned All-League honors a year ago. Downs, Miller and Wall each claimed Men's Swimmer of the Week honors once this season, while Klein is a two-time Men's Diver of the Week selection.

The host Bison completed the 2003 campaign with a 4-2 record in dual meets and are in search of their first Patriot League title. Headlining the list of Bucknell participants are sophomore diver Adam Freeman (Barrington, Ill.) and freshman Mark Kretzer (Northport, N.Y.). Freeman collected weekly honors from the League five times to go along with three Diver of the Week selections from the ECAC. The sophomore owns the highest marks in the League in both diving events this season. Kretzer has the fifth-fastest time in the PL in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:55.87.

Colgate will depend heavily on 2002 Patriot League Diver of the Meet Lane Ellis (Warwick, N.Y.) and senior Matt Vuturo (Libertyville, Ill.). Ellis, who was the League's Diver of the Week Oct. 29, was victorious in the one-meter event at last year's championship and claimed the silver medal in the three-meter dive. Vuturo, who has the third-best time in the League this season in the 100 breaststroke, touched the wall first in the 100 butterfly and was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke a year ago.

Lafayette's Chris Grabowski (Port Carbon, Pa.) won the final Men's Swimmer of the Week award and also garnered ECAC weekly accolades Feb. 4. The junior ranks among the best times in the 500 freestyle (4:40.72), 400 individual medley (4:03.80) and 200 backstroke (1:54.36). Sophomore Jakub Pritz (Holmes, Pa.) collected All-League status as a freshman when he won the 50 freestyle. This year, Pritz owns the second-best time in the PL in the 50 (21.13) and is 10th quickest in the 100 freestyle (47.66).

Holy Cross seniors Mike Emmons (Middleboro, Mass.) and Tim Tuck (Arlington, Va.) earned weekly honors from the League during the 2003 campaign. Emmons was the Jan. 28 Men's Swimmer of the Week, while Tuck was the Nov. 26 Men's Diver of the Week.