Youth Nation - 2010-11 Season Preview
10/21/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 21, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A young and talented Maryland men's swimming and diving team is poised to make a jump in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings this season with the help of returning standouts Mitch Challacombe and Andrew Relihan.
Challacombe and Relihan, who will serve as captains for head coach Sean Schimmel in his third season, are prepped to lead a team that is comprised of four seniors, two juniors, eight sophomores and 12 freshmen.
"We have a young team with almost the majority of the team being freshmen," Schimmel said. "It's exciting in one aspect and when you combine them with our leadership and talent up top leadership with our seniors and juniors, I think it's going well."
Maryland lost several key seniors from a year ago, including distance specialists Chris Rouchard and Brian Honore and utility swimmer Aleksander Damjanic, but Schimmel sees promise in this year's squad and their willingness to gel with a winning culture.
"I am more excited this season than the previous two because of how they've come around and taken steps to being the team they want to be and doing the work to back it up, especially these first six weeks of the season," Schimmel said. "It has definitely shown. We are very excited about their attitudes and how they are on the same page with each other and coaching staff."
Challacombe and Relihan are Maryland's top point scorers from last season and the duo own or are part of nine current school records. Individually, Challacombe owns the 100 backstroke record while Relihan boasts top marks in the 200 back and 200 and 400 IM.
"Mitch and Andrew are real scorers and have been impactful for us at the conference championships," Schimmel said. "They've developed nicely over the years and now have the opportunity to be true leaders and fill those roles as captains to help lead and guide these underclassmen."
While the main focus will weigh heavily on the month of February, the Terps look to make strides during dual meet season as well, along with a striving for a repeat title at November's Terrapin Cup.
"At our dual meets we need to execute and perform up to our capabilities and we'll start getting some conference wins under our belt," Schimmel said. "We can then take that confidence and roll into February with ACCs and really shoot to be in the top half of the league. And that's what we are going for."
Once again, Schimmel and his accomplished staff have brought a loaded recruiting class to College Park. This group not only boasts speed and strength, but character and leadership ability as well.
"When we recruit, we look for a combination of great character and being able to mesh with the dynamic and the culture that we are building," Schimmel said. "Then we are looking for the fastest, best athletes that have that character to come in and be a part of what we are doing. The average height of our freshman class is very good. It's not just what's on paper but it's what they bring to the team and their desire to take this team to the top of the conference."
Schimmel's group begins the 2010-11 journey when it visits NC State Friday for a dual meet at 2 p.m.
