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News Release

UMBC Swimming and Diving Boasts Largest Incoming Class in School History

9/10/2007

The 2007 incoming swimming and diving class includes 15 men and nine women.

BALTIMORE—UMBC head swimming coach Chad Cradock recently announced the 2007-08 swimming and diving recruiting class, consisting of 24 athletes—15 men and nine women.

The group is the largest incoming class since 2004-05 when Cradock brought in 20 athletes.

“We are excited to have the largest freshman class that UMBC swimming and diving has ever seen,” said Cradock.  “They bring a lot of diversity and strength to our team.”

The incoming women’s class will have big holes to fill after Cradock graduated six seniors in 2007, including nine-time America East Champion, 2003 America East Swimmer of the Meet, and 2007 Coaches’ Award recipient Agnes Stanislawska as well as two-time America East Diver of the Year Ashley Houghton.

“The women’s class has brought some more speed to our program,” said the coach.  “This will help our relays, which are critical parts of both dual meets and conference championships.”

The women’s class of 2011 consists of five out-of-state student-athletes, including one international student.  Crystal Gall, a native of Balgonie, Saskatchewan, will, along with Amanda Shinholser (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) be counted on to fill the holes left by Houghton and America East top-three diver Kate Sponholz.  

UMBC will also welcome Julie Cantwell, sister of current swimming and diving junior Tina Cantwell (Reading, Pa./Wilson), Gabby Johnston (Windsor, Conn./Loomis Chaffee), Sarah Ryan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Oceanside), and Erin Wohlers (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) as the remaining out-of-state student-athletes. 

Cantwell, who will provide much needed depth in the backstroke events for UMBC, qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state championships three out of her four years while at Wilson, and was part of the third place 200-yard medley relay team for Wilson at the 2007 championships.  She was also part of the 10^th place 400-yard freestyle relay team at the state championships and finished third in the 200-yard individual medley at the District III Championships.

Johnston, an All-American for Loomis Chaffee School will make an impact in the butterfly and freestyle events.  Johnston was part of the 2007 New England Championship-winning swim team and also competed in water polo where she helped Loomis Chaffee to New England Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Ryan will also compete in the butterfly and freestyle events and was a three-time All-County and All-Conference honoree, as well as being inducted into the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame.

Wohlers, who swam for just one year at Charles W. Baker, will help add depth to UMBC’s sprint freestyle group. In her only year of high school swimming, Wohlers set school records in the 100 butterfly and as part of the 200 medley relay.

The women’s class of 2011 also includes three more athletes from the state of Maryland, including two from UMBC’s USA swimming counterpart, the Retriever Aquatic Club.

Danielle Cruz (Catonsville, Md./Western Tech) and Rebecca Godwin (Catonsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) both come to UMBC after swimming under Cradock and UMBC assistant coach Chris Gibeau and will look to make their marks in the sprint freestyle (Cruz) and distance freestyle and IM (Godwin) events.

Cassie Dobrzanski (Maugansville, Md./North Hagerstown) is the final athlete of the incoming women’s class and will be counted on to compete in the distance free and IM events. 

The incoming men’s class is composed of 14 swimmers and will need to fill the holes left by the departure of seven seniors after the 2006-2007 season.

The men’s class of 2011 consists of nine out-of-state athletes, five Maryland natives, and one transfer student.

“The men’s class will add critical depth to all events,” Cradock said.  “I feel our program will be strong with the addition of our freshmen and transfer student and combined with the returners we should have no holes in our lineup.”

Sven Schneider (Tallinn, Estonia/LSU/Tallinn German Gymnasium) is the only incoming athlete that will not be a freshman, as Schneider is transferring from LSU and will enter UMBC as a junior.  Schneider will add depth to the sprint freestyle events and is a two-time All-Academic selection for the SEC.

Chris Cheng (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe), Daniel Grippi (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern), Greg Guseman (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands), Seth McNew (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) and Mike Morabito (Owego, N.Y./Owego Free Academy) will help form the largest diving squad in school history and will account for the loss of 2007 America East Diver of the Year Jeff Salgado.

“The diving squad is the largest we have ever had,” Cradock said.  “It is truly exciting
to see eight divers working hard for the team.  They bring a bright future to the boards.”

Matt Carson (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute) and Keilan Freeman (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Argyll Centre) both hail from the frozen north and will make contributions in distance free and IM (Carson), as well as IM, backstroke, and mid freestyle (Freeman).

Philip Novotny (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) and Dan Weston-Dawkes (Ellicott City, Md./Wilde Lake) will also add depth in the IM events, with Novotny also competing in the breaststroke and Weston-Dawkes in the mid freestyle events.

Weston-Dawkes, along with Mitchell Donovan (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) and Brad Reitz (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) come to UMBC after swimming for the Retriever Aquatic Club and Reitz is the brother of current UMBC junior Freddie Reitz, the 500 freestyle school record holder.

Donovan will contribute to the Retrievers’ sprint freestyle group, while Reitz will help with the mid free and butterfly events.

Kregg Deery (Ormond, Fla./Spruce Creek) is the last remaining out-of-state athlete and will compete in the breaststroke events, while Maryland natives Eric Jones (Gambrills, Md./Arundel) and Danny Gray (New Market, Md./Linganore) will help the Retrievers in the freestyle and butterfly (Jones) and distance free (Gray) events.