FIGHTING TIGER SWIMMING & DIVING READY TO MAKE SPLASH IN 2006-07

With the 2006-07 swimming & diving season just around the corner, the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers will be faced with a different set of challenges this year. With the departure of Morrisville State College the Mountain Valley Conference will no longer host a league championship in the sport making it impossible for the team’s streak of four consecutive conference men’s titles to continue. However according to Head Coach Mary Irving; the program will deal with its new circumstances and move forward.

“We’re now going to use the season to gear up for the regional championships and to meet national qualifying standards. It is going to be harder without the conference championships to use as a springboard into the regionals but we’ll adapt and we will do it,” said Irving.

The Fighting Tiger women will once again be led this season by returning NJCAA All-American Gabrielle Asay, Greenfield Center, NY, who earned All-American honors in the 200  Individual Medley, the 200 Butterfly and the 400 Individual Medley at the 2006 NJCAA National Championships in San Antonio, TX.

Asay will have plenty of help this season from senior transfer Ashley Arnold, Cortland, NY, Cortland High School, who has the ability to swim all strokes effectively, freshman Megan Holstead, Laurens, NY, Laurens Central High School, who is exceptionally strong in Freestyle and Breaststroke, freshman Ashley Richichi, Skaneateles, NY, Skaneateles High School, who will cover the Fighting Tigers in the distance races and anchor the relays and from freshman Kara Asberry, Gainesville, NY, Letchworth High School, who will be the team’s utility person because of her versatility.

Highlighting the Fighting Tiger men’s program will be senior first-year team member Matt Hatlee, Schoharie, NY, Schoharie High School, who has showed national qualifying ability: in the 50 Freestyle, the 100 Freestyle, the 100 Butterfly and the 100 Backstroke. He will be joined by senior distance swimmers Shawn Susice, Carthage, NY, Carthage High School, and senior Willie Cool, Canajoharie, NY, Canajoharie High School, and by versatile freshman Sam Adamoschek, Canajoharie, NY, Canajoharie High School, who will bring presence to the team in the Freestyle events and the relays. The team will get an additional boost in the second semester when senior D’arcy Shorthouse, Addison, NY, Addison High School, returns to give additional depth in the Freestyle events and the Breaststroke.

“We have high expectations for Gabby Asay this season but I think that Megan Holstead is very strong in the water and will be a quiet leader for us this year,” said Coach Irving. “Ashley Richichi is also going to help us because she is a distance swimmer with anchor leg speed.”  

When speaking about the men’s program the Fighting Tiger Head Coach also sees great potential.

“Matt Hatlee comes from our local Schoharie County Penguins Club program and has been taught by their outstanding Head Coach Jan Herrick who was a former head coach here. He has national qualifying potential in four events and will make us a factor in team relays. I think Willie Cool is going to be much improved because his finally healthy after swimming much of last season with shoulder problems. Sam Adamoschek is also going to help us out a lot in the Freestyle and potentially the Breaststroke.”

The Fighting Tigers will open the season on Tuesday November 14th when they host the third annual “Donald Macomber Starting Block Classic” at the Bouck Hall Natatorium beginning at 6:00 PM.