UMaine swim teams eager to compete in URI Invitational

The University of Maine swim team will race in the University of Rhode Island Invitational Friday through Sunday.
“I like how it is set up. The format is championship like. There are a lot of opportunities for us to race, ” said UMaine coach Susan Lizzotte.
Also competing at URI will be Holy Cross, Providence, Assumption, and Bryant University.
“We have more depth than in past years. We can move people around. It is a very, very good group. Their racing is sharp and their training is intense. I am very happy with where we are,” Lizzotte added.
First-year swimmers for the Black Bears are having an impact. Cameron Dwyer, who swam at Orono High a year ago, and Matt England, a Bangor High swimmer last year, are two who have Lizzotte’s attention.
“Cam can go in any stroke and any distance. Matt is such a hard worker. Both have been impressive thus far,”  she said.
Another young swimmer, Sergio Terrio from Oakland, already has raced a sub two-minute 200- yard butterfly.
For the women, two Canadian swimmers, Taylor Sharp, a flyer from Ontario, and Courtney Newman, a middle distance freestyler from Quebec, have raced with the sharpness and intensity required to be competitive in the America East Conference.

Husson to compete in GNAC meet

Husson University will compete this weekend in the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference swimming and diving championship hosted by Simmons.
Coach Bruce Babin’s Eagles, 2-1 in dual meets, will swim in the trials beginning at 10:30 a.m. on both days to race for entries in the evening finals.
Senior breaststroker Megan Call, sophomore backstroker Erin Benner, frosh Katrina Amen, a distance freestyler, and junior diver Martina Bosse from Brewer have all recorded quality performances during the Eagles’ dual meets.

Phelps, Franklin honored

Olympian gold medalists Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps were named the 2012 Golden Goggles Athletes of the Year in a USA Swimming event in New York. For Phelps, this year’s award was his fourth. Phelps won 22 medals during his Olympic career. Franklin, who earlier this fall indicated she will swim at Cal-Berkeley, won four medals at the 2012 Games.

Michigan ranked No. 1

The University of Michigan men were voted the number one team in NCAA DIvision I in a poll released recently by the College Swimming Coaches Association. Stanford received votes for second and California  for third. Ian Carbone and his Texas Longhorns  teammates are ranked fourth while James Wells and the Indiana Hoosiers were voted seventh. Carbone swam for Mount Desert Island High School and Wells raced for Morse High of Bath.