After a program best second place finish at the SUNYAC Championships meet in 2008, which bettered the previous season’s fourth place, the returning New Paltz Hawks hope to maintain their standing under the tutelage of first year head coach Scott Whitbeck (Kalamazzo, ’04). It won’t be easy after the loss of four contributors due to graduation, especially filling the void left by 2007 National Champion Michelle Coombs.
Senior Erica Ellis (Barneveld/Holland Patent) and sophomores Becky Baker (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) and Christine Rieth (North Penfield/Webster) return to the pool for the Hawks and enter the season after a trip to the NCAA Division III Championships in 2008. All three were named All-Americans and earned second team-all conference honors. At SUNYACs, Ellis broke her own varsity record in the 100 fly with a second place finish in 1:00.35, Baker set a school record of 1:07.42 to place third in the 100 breast and Rieth took fourth in the 100 free.
Whitbeck is looking to senior Joelle Hopf (Vestal) and sophomores Marissa Morris (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) and Jessica Lester (Long Beach) to be big point contributors. Hopf joins Baker in the breaststroke events, after finishing sixth in the 200 breast at SUNYACs. Morris returns to the pool after a second place finish in the 500 free and a third place finish in the 200 at the conference championships. Lester will lead the distance swimmers after taking second in the mile and third in the 500. Junior Melinda Pullen (New City/Clarkstown Nouth) finished fifth in the mile event and senior Nicole Moss (Williamsville/Williamsville South) adds depth amongst the distance group.
Chrissy Corrigan (Buffalo/ City Honors), Eryka Eikeseth (Staten Island/Tottenville), Samantha Graham (West Islip), Tiffany Sorrell (Plattsburg/Beekmantown)and Allison Wells (Shelton, CT) all return after finishing in the top sixteen at the SUNYAC’s in their events, including a seventh place finish by Graham in the 100 back.
Other returning veterans looking to provide depth and experience in the water include Lori Brown (Hauppauge), Kate Genovese (Wantagh), and Megan Gordon (Smithtown), while Kathryn Butare (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) returns after taking the 2007-08 season off.
Seven new faces have been added to the mix. Whitbeck is looking for good things out of junior transfer Lauren Doolittle (Blauvelt, NY/Tappen Zee) who joins the squad from Rockland Community College and will add support for New Paltz in the freestyle and backstroke events. First year Amanda Cloer (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) will look to add depth to the butterfly events, while Taylor Henshaw (Norwood, NJ/Northern Valley Old Tappen), and Allie Moorhead (Marcy, NY/Holland Patent) will provide support in the freestyle. Emily Kenny (Putnam Valley) and Gabby Mancuso (Long Beach) complete the roster.
New Paltz opens their season on Friday, October 31st at Hartwick with the home meet slated for Friday, November 7th.
