A message from Head Coach Paul Phillips
Dear Clark Swimming & Diving Family,
Welcome to our first online edition of the pre-season newsletter. The Athletic Department is fortunate to have a new full-time Sports Information Director, Dalya Qualls, who has made an immediate impact on our ability to get information out in a professional manner. There are more meet stories, announcements and news items to help promote the team and more importantly keep you all informed. Please visit the links below and put our home page in your favorites for all of the latest! Also, if you would like to receive regular updates about the team, or find a former teammate or coach, I would be happy to help. Please email me at pephillips@clarku.edu
Over the past three years, I have enjoyed hearing from you and making the connection between families, friends, former teammates, and coaches. These newsletters are a great way to keep families involved, especially those of you who cannot get to a meet in person. For alums, linking the present with the past has been an important feat, so we hope to see some of you at meets this season. As always, I look forward to hearing from you…
Take care,
Paul Phillips, Head Coach
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2006-07 Men's Season Preview
After a comeback year for the Clark University Men’s Swim and Dive program, the team looks only to improve upon last season’s success. Led by a strong 2005 recruiting class that had 18 out of 21 top performances, the Cougars upped their overall record (7-5) and garnered a sixth place finish at the NEWMAC Championship Meet last year. The club’s ascending record marked their best campaign since the 2001 season.
“Two years ago, we only had five guys on the team” said head coach Paul E. Phillips, entering his fourth season with the program. “Last year we had 13 freshmen alone. We established our first winning record in five years, and did it against legitimate teams. The men’s team at Clark is back.”
The up-and-coming squad had its share of notable accomplishments during the 2005-06 season. In addition to their markedly improved record, the Cougars set a pair of new school marks, posted the third-best 800-freestyle relay time in Clark history, and placed five first-years on the all-time top-five list in their respective individual events.
The 2006 edition of Clark men’s swim and dive hopes to continue that trend. While the Cougars will miss graduating seniors Jesse Bausell, a NEWMAC Academic All-Conference swimmer, and Mike Viotti, a member of Clark’s coaching staff this season, Coach Phillips is confident that the team’s line-up will be submerged with depth and experience this season.
“We have a core group of swimmers and divers returning this winter,” Phillips said. “The guys who were here last year are much improved from where they were at the beginning of last season.”
“I expect we’ll still battle for the same positions in the conference, but now we’ll be doing it with more experience, and an eye towards moving up as we continue to build” he added.
Leading the list of returnees are Cougar backstroke record-holders Drew Jackson and Dave Critchlow. Jackson posted a new school mark in the 50-back (26.41) and placed third in the 200 (2:00.42) at the NEWMAC Championship last season, the highest individual finish for a Clark swimmer since 2002, while Critchlow broke the record in the 100 (56.38). Joshua Chartier and top recruit Timmy French will also be in the backstroke mix. Sophomore Mike Smith, who just missed the NEWMAC finals in both the 100 and 200-breastroke last winter, will look to improve his times this season, while Jon Penney is also expected to make a contribution. Second-year swimmers Tim O’Keefe and Brian Walsh will lead the Cougars in the distance freestyle events. With the transfer of Steven Ratner to the University of Connecticut, Sal Pezzella and Dave Carnevale will step up to give Clark a strong diving tandem. Pezella placed fifth in both the 1-meter (350.95) and 3-meter (363.10) diving events at NEWMAC’s last season.
Joe Page, the team’s lone senior and only member left from Coach Phillips’ inaugural class, returns after a one-year hiatus. Page will add depth to the butterfly and freestyle events.
“Our sophomore class makes up the majority of the team,” said Phillips. “Their talent and dedication is impressive, but that’s a lot on their shoulders in terms of carrying the team at a young stage.”
“They need to remember that it’s bigger than what happens now; it’s the foundation they lay for their future and the future of the program.”
Competing in a schedule that includes a tough non-conference slate, Clark will head to Puerto Rico in January for a week of training to prepare for the NEWMAC Championships. The training session is vital to the team’s success, providing both intensive skill practice and team unity. “That trip is really when it all comes together,” said Phillips.
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2006-07 Women's Season Preview
After completing its most successful season in four years, the Clark University women’s swim and dive team does not intend to rest on its laurels. With 19 returnees, including seven seniors, and several talented newcomers, the Cougars hope to build on last season’s 7-6 dual meet mark and battle for a higher finish at the highly-competitive New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship meet.
Last year’s team placed 10th at the conference championship on the way to their highest point total since the 2002-03 season. Not only did the Cougars’ 400-medley relay team finish with the second-best time in Clark history, but four first-years placed among the school’s all-time top five in their respective individual events. With experience and leadership abound, fourth year head coach Paul E. Phillips feels the squad is ready to make its move.
“Last year we reached the point where we were on the cusp of moving up in the conference,” said Phillips. “We had four women reach the finals which put us in the competitive mix. In each of the previous three years we might have had one swimmer competing individually at night, so you take the relay points but it is tough to feel like you are part of things. We hope to continue the upward trend this year, but most importantly my hope is that our team continues to develop a solid foundation of togetherness and support for each other both in and out of the pool. This is vital to the success of any program at the college level.”
Although freshmen combined for 15 top performances out of 21 events last winter, Coach Phillips will look to his veterans to lead the way. “The seniors are my first four-year class,” he said. “Their dedication, work ethic, and enthusiasm have provided the continuity that has been so important to the growth of this program. They’ve made a four-year commitment that has created the foundation to allow Clark to compete at a higher level. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of them and how lucky we are to have them leading our group this year.”
Sophomore Jessica Cullen returns to anchor an already imposing backstroke group that includes junior Caitlin Hanson and top recruit Dana Akerfelds, who will also have an immediate impact in the middle-distance and distance freestyle events. Cullen earned the Cougars’ highest individual finish in the 100-back (7th), while Hanson, a transfer from UMass-Amherst, scored points in both the 100 and 200 at last year’s conference championships. Newcomer Corri Stewart is also expected to contribute. Phillips will look to sophomore butterflyer Kayleigh Lagasse to build on a fine freshman campaign, where she became the first Cougar swimmer since 2003 to score points in three individual events at the conference meet, including a ninth place finish in the 200 butterfly, just .55 off the school mark. Junior Jessica Moise and first-year Alicia Roman will also be looked upon to score points in the event.
Returnee Lindsey Stone will be the Cougars’ top sprinter this season, while Cassie Crawford will add another speedy stroke to the squad. Tri-captains Mackenzie Kamm (mid-distance), Jessica Clements (distance freestyle), and Sara Stephenson (individual medley), and senior Kate Lied (breaststroke) will also shine in their respective events.
The trio of Jessica Baker, Lauren Gesner, and Hannah Perlmutter will lead Clark’s diving contingent. Baker and Gesner, both former gymnasts, achieved top-five status on the 3-meter board at the NEWMAC Championships last season.
While the schedule remains the same, Phillips believes the goal has certainly changed. “Last year, we turned the tables on some teams that had beaten us in the past,” he said. “If we can duplicate what we did in our dual meet schedule last year that would be great. But our efforts are more towards the end of the year and the conference championships.”
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Cougar Swim Teams Participate in Community Service Project
 The Clark University men’s and women’s swim and dive team volunteered at the Brigham Hill Community Farm in North Grafton, Mass. on Tuesday, October 10. The farm is part of an organization called the Community Harvest Project, which grows vast quantities of vegetables and healthy foods for donation to the Worcester Community Food Bank (WCFB). The team spent the afternoon harvesting, washing, and packaging green peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes to be picked up by WCFB, where upon its arrival, they had accumulated 2,500 pounds of vegetables. The Cougars also loaded the veggies onto the truck for delivery to end their day.
“After searching for a fall community service project that the team could participate in, senior captain Mackenzie Kamm mentioned her volunteer work at the farm and was able to set it up,” said head coach Paul E. Phillips. “I’m glad we got the opportunity to service the community as a team.”
The Community Harvest Project needs volunteers year-round to plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables for local food banks. For more information please visit http://www.fftn.org
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Swim and Dive Team Announces Coaching Staff
11/2/06 - Mike Viotti ’06 has been named an assistant coach with the Clark University men’s and women’s swim and dive program. He joins Roy Barnum ’04 as an assistant, and Laura O’Tell ’03 and Jeffrey Rivkin ’05 as diving head coach and diving assistant, respectively.
Viotti, a native of Wilmington, Del., joins the Cougars coaching staff after a standout four-year career at Clark.
“We are very excited to have Mike this year,” said head coach Paul E. Phillips. “He was one of our better butterfly competitors, and is very knowledgeable when it comes to the technical aspects of swimming.”
Viotti, a former co-captain and member of last year’s squad that posted their best season (7-5/6th NEWMAC) since 2001, will be involved in all aspects of the program. Currently enrolled in Clark’s five-year accelerated masters program, he looks to graduate with a degree in Physics next spring.
Originally from Hyde Park, N.Y., Barnum returns for his third season on the Cougars pool deck. A three-year transfer swimmer from Hartwick College, Barnum left his mark on the Clark program as a school record holder in the 100-yard individual medley (56.28) and set new marks as a member of the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams.
“Roy is an extremely accomplished competitor,” said Phillips. “In addition to his career at Clark, he also swam at one of the most competitive high schools in the country at The Peddie School in New Jersey.”
“He brings a tremendous amount of experience to our group,” Phillips added.
Barnum will be responsible for Sunday practices and help out in the areas of recruiting. In addition to coaching, he teaches Mathematics at the Bridge Program for behavioral and disaffected children in Cambridge, Mass.
O’Tell, from Wallingford, Conn., and Rivkin, a native of Agawam, MA, rejoin the Cougars for their fourth and second seasons, respectively. O’Tell owns the school record in 1-meter-10 dives (334.68) and ranks among the top-five in 1- and 3-meter (6, 11), while Rivkin holds the mark in the 1-meter-six dive event with 234.65 points.
“We are fortunate that Laura and Jeff are returning” said Phillips. “It’s difficult for most programs to find one diving coach, and we have two. That really shows our commitment to diving and explains why we have a solid group of divers on our team.”
O’Tell works in the Key Program, a teenage residential support group in Worcester, and performs in-home family therapy, while Rivkin is completing his nursing degree at Worcester State College.
“Our entire staff is comprised of Clark graduates,” Phillips said. “I love the fact that these individuals care about the program enough to want to continue contributing. They are extremely dedicated, forward thinking, and they bring a great perspective to the team.”
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Alumni Meet
 The Annual Alumni Meet was held on Sept 16th. In attendance were: Charlie Desourdy ’86, Rob Carr ’88, Doug Denny-Brown ’87, Mike Wegerbauer ’87, Karen (Maxcy) Pearson ’98, Shannon Krista ’01, Jamie Clark ’03, Ken Dolabany ’03, Laura O’Tell ’03, Roy Barnum ’04, Nora Sullivan ’05, Kate Guilbault ’05, Sam Swartwout ’05, Brendan Johnson ’05, and Mike Viotti ’06. The Alums beat a split Clark squad with 159 points. Three undergrad teams scored 109, 68, and 66 points, respectively.
In other alumni news, Andrew “Bull” Miller ’91 and his family hosted the team at their home in Norton, MA after our meet at Wheaton College. Andrew and his wife Jill have invited Clark teams to their home every other year for the past eight years or so. This has become a tradition that we always look forward to and are very grateful for their hospitality each year!
(Image: Mike Wegerbauer ’87 shows his son and daughter where “daddy used to swim”)
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Red/Black Intersquad Meet
The swim and dive teams held their 15th Annual Red vs. Black Intersquad Meet this fall, where the Black team prevailed, 425-401. With the victory, the Black squad owns a 9-6 series advantage over the Red. The intersquad session had its share of highlights, as the Cougars set nine new meet marks. Freshman Dana Akerfelds (RED) broke three records, including the 10-year old record set by Sarah Barabani ’99 in the 100 back (1:04.72), Suzanne Messinger’s ‘02 eight-year old mark in the 200 back (2:19.68), and a 50 back record (30:33) set by teammate Jess Cullen ’09. Lindsey Stone ’09 (RED) broke teammate Sara Stephenson’s GR (BLACK) meet record in the 100 IM (1:07.92), while on the men’s side Drew Jackson ’09 (RED) broke his own record in the 50 back (27.87) and Doug Shea’s ’00 record in the 200 back (2:09.86). The Black team also set three new relay marks in the 200 yd Kickboard, 200 yd Feet First, and 200 yd T-Shirt Relay.
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Clark Returns to Brandeis Relay Meet for the second straight year
Extending all the way back to the late 1980’s, the Brandeis Relay Invitational has always been a popular meet for Clark. Although we did not win this year, we did defend our Feet First relay title from last season. Clark still holds several meet records including
300 Back (1996) Heneghan, Barabani, Shea, Naevdal
300 Breast (1999) Deforge, Camaylust, Lebron, Farley
100 yd Feet First (1995) Takeuchi, Gibson, Trautner, Skinner
250 Freestyle (1989) Abbenante, Gradowski, Davey, Smith, Miller, Zinkand, MacDonald, Belkin, Dudley, Fisher
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2006-07 Schedule
Home Meets in Bold
| 11/22 |
Zarilli Invitational Relays
at Brandeis |
2:30 pm
|
| 11/28 |
at Wheaton w/Gordon |
1 pm |
| 11/4 |
at Bryant |
2:30 pm |
| 11/11 |
vs Bridgewater State |
1 pm
|
| 12/2 |
at Babson |
1 pm |
| 12/9 |
at Mount Holyoke (wome only) |
1 pm |
| 1/13 |
vs UMass Dartmouth |
1 pm |
| 1/17 |
at Brandeis |
6:30 pm |
| 1/20 |
at Connecticut College w/Wesleyan & Colby-Sawyer |
1 pm |
| 1/26 |
Worcester City Championships
at Holy Cross |
6 pm |
| 1/27 |
Worcester City Championships at Holy Cross |
10 am |
| 1/31 |
vs WPI |
6:30 pm |
| 2/16-2/18 |
Women's NEWMAC Championship |
TBA |
| 2/23-2/25 |
Men's NEWMAC Championship |
TBA |
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Men's & Women's Swimming Office
Paul E. Phillips, Head Coach, 508-793-7170
Email: pephillips@clarku.edu
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A Message From Head Coach Paul Phillips
