Swimming, diving teams excited about season

FILE PHOTO / Brian Coker Members of the women's swim team dive in during an event at the Dukes' Purple & Gold meet last Friday. The women's team will look to find success under new coach Nancy Bercaw. The swimming and diving team will open its season Oct. 19 against the College of William & Mary.

Returning veteran swimmers and new leadership are the key factors for the men's and women's swimming teams heading into the 2002 season. The men's team returns 12 swimmers, while the women boasts six key veterans and will be led by new head coach Nancy Bercaw. The men's dive team consists of three members and the women's team is comprised of five members under coach Rhonda Kaletz.

The men's team looks to regain the Colonial Athletic Association regional title after finishing as a runner-up in the 2002 season.

"We have a tradition of winning championships," men's coach Matt Barany said. "We have won nine and obviously 10 is a nice round number. They are focused and motivated and we would like to go for it."

According to Barany, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, George Mason University and Old Dominion University will present the greatest challenges for JMU en route to winning the championship. The team is led by a triumvirate of senior captains, Ryan Hegna, Brody Reid and Patrick Stockton.

"The swim team, at least on the JMU campus, is tighter than most teams that I see visually," Reid said. "It is almost like a family — we eat together, we play together and we work together."

Bercaw embarks on her inaugural season as the women's swimming coach. She comes from Stevens Institute of Technology where she coached the women's team to the Skyline Conference Championship in Division III. JMU is led by three senior captains — Amanda Coyle, Rebecca Guy and Marie Hansbrough.

"We are very excited about having a new coach and an awesome season," Guy said. "I have nothing but great thoughts for the season."

The men's dive team is comprised of freshmen Will Waite, sophomore Drew Jordan and senior Dan Rotach. According to Rotach, the team will face its toughest competition at the Maryland Invitational where, among others, it will meet North Carolina State University and the University of Maryland.

The women's dive team is led by juniors Brooke Carroll and AJ Kass, both of whom placed last year at the CAA Championship. Its toughest competition will be George Mason and UNC-Wilmington.

"Besides being strong and talented, this is a team with a lot of character," Bercaw said. "They want to work harder than ever. And they want to send a message to our conference: Scholarships don't make a team faster, determination and desire do. It makes me think of that MasterCard commercial. Cap and goggles: $10. New Speedo: $50. Swimming for James Madison: Priceless."

Both teams open their seasons Oct. 19 with a meet against the College of William & Mary before returning home to face George Washington University the following weekend.