The University of Mary Washington enters the 2013 Capital Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Swimming Championships again as a favorite to repeat.  The Eagles have been dominant ever since the conference was created in 1991 and look to continue their streak of conference champions in 2013.

The Eagles will have some strong competition as St. Mary’s looks to dethrone the champs after finishing second in the women’s standings last year.  York, a top 3 finisher for seven straight years, will also be making a run at UMW impressive win streak. 

Mary Washington has a strong senior class led by Andrew Cole, Nick Eckhoff, Andrew Garofolo, Andrew Hogan, Dan McGuire, Peter Slattery and Jack McHugh who look to finish out their careers by winning 4 straight conference championships.  St. Mary’s will put up a fight with All-CAC performers Billy DeBoissiere and Cameron Hedquist in the pool.

On the women’s side, Kelly Heyde of St. Mary’s hopes to complete the sweep in the 200 and 400 individual medley as well as in the 200 butterfly as Heyde enters as the three-time defending champion in all three events.

She will have some strong competition though as she swims against Mary Washington seniors Lindsay Ancellotti and Erin Price who look to finish off their impressive careers by winning the Eagles 23^rd straight CAC title.

Here is a brief look at each team heading into the championship:

FROSTBURG STATE

A pair of seniors headline a Frostburg State men’s swimming roster as the team heads for the CAC Championships. Senior Caleb Stair has posted 20 top-five individual finishes with 10 wins, including four victories in the last three conference meets. Classmate Jeffrey Lewis has 16 top-five individual finishes, including a win against York. Together the duo has helped both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams to a combined 19 top-five finishes with six wins.

Third year head coach Jun Yamaguchi is optimistic about his Frostburg State swimmers as the team heads into the CAC Championships. Sophomore Kaitlyn Donch has 30 top-five individual finishes this season with 12 wins, including four wins in the last three league meets. The 200 freestyle relay team of sophomores Sara King, Meredith Johnson, Jaclyn Franzak and Elizabeth Jarrell have finished either first or second in five meets this season.

MARYMOUNT

Marymount looks to improve on its sixth place finish at the CAC Championships from a year ago.  Led by seniors Tom Baroz and Greg Shumaker, the Saints aim to return to the upper echelon of the CAC after a solid 2012-13 regular season.  Sophomore Joseph Gardner has swam the sixth fastest CAC time in the 400 IM this season and the 10^th best time in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events.  Baroz owns the ninth fastest time in the 200 butterfly and Matt Ward is 11th fastest in the 1650 freestyle.

Marymount is poised to build on a successful 2012-13 campaign with an eye on improving its third-place finish at the CAC Championships a year ago.  The Saints field five All-Conference performers from a year ago led by Katie Moran, a five-event honoree in 2012.  Also back are three All-CAC performers from last year in senior Emily Wagner and sophomores Casey Thomas and Bridget Wunderly.  Another senior, Kim Rizzo, is a multiple All-CAC swimmer in past seasons.  Six MU swimmers have posted several top-10 best times in numerous CAC events and four of them have recorded top-5 times as well.  Moran has swam the second best time in the 50 freestyle and the third best in the 100 freestyle, Katie Scott claims the fourth best time in the 1650 freestyle and both Rizzo and Wunderly own the fifth best times in the 400 IM and 200 butterfly, respectively.

MARY WASHINGTON

Mary Washington will look to maintain its dominance of the CAC Men’s Swimming Championships with a veteran squad with vast championship history. Leading the way is reigning CAC Rookie of the Year and All-American Alex Anderson, who has already punched his ticket for the NCAA Championships next month. A strong senior class, led by Andrew Cole, Nick Eckhoff, Andrew Garofolo, Andrew Hogan, Dan McGuire, Peter Slattery and Jack McHugh will look to claim their fourth consecutive CAC crown in as many years. Underclassmen such as Zach Eisig, Vance Solseth, Matt Garstka, and Vince Dunn will look to make a splash in their first conference championships.

One of the most dominant programs at the conference level in all CAC sports, Mary Washington's women will look to add another in a long line of CAC titles and send multiple athletes to the NCAA Championships again this winter. Seniors Lindsay Ancellotti and Erin Price headline a young squad that has seen multiple times this season challenge conference records. Junior Jessica Singer, sophomore Amber Kerico, and freshmen Stephanie Hallock, Katie Fago, and Abby Cox will look to thrive as the Eagles look for the program's 23rd straight CAC Championship.

SALISBURY

The Salisbury men’s team enters the 2013 Capital Athletic Conference championship weekend looking to improve upon last year’s finish.  The team is led by senior Paul Zoli and junior James Gough.  Gough has finished first in eight different individual races this season. He posted his best time in the 200-meter backstroke (2:03.85) in the Golden Bear Invitational at Kutztown University. Gough led the Gulls in their meet against Marymount with first-place finishes in the 200-meter freestyle (2:07.32) and 100-meter backstroke (1:05.85).  Zoli saw his best meets against Ursinus and St. Mary’s.  In both meets, he place second in the 200-meter and 100-meter freestyle.  His best time in the 100-meter free is 49.57 against York, and his best time in the 200-meter free is 2:03.29 against Washington College.

The Salisbury women’s team enters the 2013 Capital Athletic Conference championship weekend looking to improve upon last year’s finish.  The Gulls are led by senior Sarah Ault and freshman Nikki Schult.  Ault has placed first in the 100-meter butterfly three times, with her best time, 1:09.51 against Washington College.   Overall, she has placed first in five events.  Schult has placed first in seven events, including twice in the 200-meter individual medley.  Her best time in the event came against Washington College (2:39.48).  Senior Staci Carbone has also been a big contributor for the Sea Gulls, in the distance events.  In the Gulls’ meet against Frostburg State, she finished first in the event with a time of 10:40.76.   Carbone has placed second in the event two other times.

ST. MARY’S

Last season, St. Mary's snapped its three-year long streak of third-place men’s swimming finishes at the CAC Championships with its first second-place finish since 2002. All-CAC performers Billy DeBoissiere and Cameron Hedquist, the defending champion in the 200 IM, will lead the charge for the Seahawks as the seniors look to end their careers on a high note.

St. Mary's women’s swimming will look to dethrone Mary Washington at this year's CAC Championships after five consecutive years of second-place finishes. Kelly Heyde hopes to complete the sweep in the 200 and 400 individual medley as well as in the 200 butterfly as Heyde enters as the three-time defending champion in all three events.

YORK

York enters the 2013 CAC Championships looking to continue a seven-year run of finishing in the top three at the annual men’s swimming championship meet. The Spartans are led by senior Andy Woods, sophomores Shane Bonner and Cody Latchford, and freshmen Kyle Walthall and David Altobelli. The Spartans finished the regular season with a mark of 6-7-1 which included conference wins over Frostburg, Salisbury, and Marymount.

York looks to break into the top three in the CAC women’s swimming standings after spending the last five years in either fourth or fifth place in the conference championship. The Spartans are paced by senior Chelsea Ross, juniors Jenny Hinkle and Anna Schuster, and sophomores Lindsey Buglino, Casenya Stone, and Courtney Dacheux. The Spartans finished the regular season with a mark of 6-8 including conference wins over Salisbury and Frostburg State.