The William & Mary men's swimming team is ready to open the 2018-19 season this weekend, hosting East Carolina on Saturday. Action in the Rec Center Pool begins at 12 p.m., and can be followed online via live results on TribeAthletics.com.
Scouting the Tribe
W&M won its fourth-straight Colonial Athletic Association Championships last spring, capping off an outstanding season overall. During the regular season, the Tribe went 10-1 overall, with its only loss a two-point setback on the road at East Carolina. W&M returns its top nine scorers from a year ago, including three CAA individual champions in
Colin Wright (Williamsburg, Va.),
Carter Kale (Williamsburg, Va.), and
Ben Skopic (Marriottsville, Md.), as well as 16 of 20 championship-winning relay legs. The Tribe also brings back 2018 CAA Rookie of the Year
Jake Kealy (Wilton, Conn.), as well as redshirt-senior
Evan Baker (Chantilly, Va.) who was the 2015 CAA Rookie of the Year and 2016 champion in the 100 fly.
Scouting the Pirates
East Carolina began the season last weekend with a loss to North Carolina, after going 6-5 a year ago and finishing second in the American Athletic Conference. Freshman Marek Osina won all three of his events against the Tar Heels and also swam on the winning 200 medley relay, earning AAC Swimmer of the Week honors. Osina won the 200 fly in 1:51.91, the 200 back in 1:48.16, and the 200 IM in 1:51.67.
The Series
- Former conference rivals in both the Southern Conference and the CAA, W&M and East Carolina are meeting for the 33rd time dating back to 1957. The Pirates lead 30-2, with Tribe wins coming in 1998 and in 2015, both at home.
Notes
- W&M returns 81.4% of its scoring from a year ago, including each of the top-9 points scorers from last year. Added to that is Baker, who has averaged over 200 points a year before sitting out 2017-18.
- The Tribe has won five of the last seven CAA Rookie of the Year awards, and has a class of six who will aim to continue that tradition this year.
- W&M is on an eight-meet home winning streak, dating back to November of 2014. That's the third-longest streak in school history. Since the start of the 2012-13 season, the Tribe is 16-2 at the Rec Center, with losses only to East Carolina (Nov. 10, 2012) and to Duke (Nov. 7, 2014).
- Head Coach
Matt Crispino '02 begins his 12th season at the helm of alma mater. Crispino is 65-41 (.613) with the men's team and 82-48 (.631) with the women, for a combined record of 147-89 (.623) and six CAA Team Championships.
