Yale University

Swimming and Diving

The 2001 - 2002 Season

  

 

Men's Record:  14 - 1              8 - 1 EISL   6 - 1 IVY

4 year Record:  44 - 7

 

1000th Dual Meet Victory  February 2, 2002                  177 - 176 vs Princeton

 

The Yale Men's Swimming and Diving Team added to the legacy and tradition that is "Yale Swimming" during the 2001 - 2002 season.  With a dramatic come from behind victory over Princeton (177 - 176) on February 2nd the Yale men became the first NCAA program to reach 1,000 dual meet victories. Six seniors will graduate this spring and take with them a lifetime of memories and accomplishments both in and out of the water.  Highlights over their 4 years include: 2 dual meet wins over Princeton, 4 third place finishes at Eastern's, 3 NCAA Qualifiers, including 1 All - America, a dual meet record of 44 - 7, 13 new University records, 24 All - Ivy performances, 5 Academic All - Ivy performers,  Team Academic All - America honors  and 2 Olympians.

 

The EISL Championship meet was held February 28 - March 2, 2002.  The Eli's traveled to Cambridge sporting a 14 - 1 dual meet record with the sole blemish coming against Harvard (194 - 159) at HYP's in New Haven.  Yale went on to finish third for the 4th consecutive year scoring 1201.50 points.  Princeton (1522) took the team title to New Jersey with an upset of 6 time defending champion Harvard (1494).  Brown (914) and Columbia (707) rounded out the top 5. 

 

The Eli's assault on the Yale record books continued this spring as Mike Schulte and Josh Gallant each established best Yale marks.  Mike broke Adam Vann's 1650 record of (15:13.19) at HYP's swimming (15:06.80) good enough for an invitation to the NCAA Championship hosted by the University of Georgia.  Josh twisted and spun his way into the record books not once, but twice this season.  He broke Scott Finneran's One Meter record of (310.80) by scoring (319.12) at the Yale/Penn/Dartmouth tri meet in New Haven on January 26, 2002.  At the Eastern's Josh bested Tom Stebbins 3 Meter record (505.40) scoring (514.50) which was good for 3rd place.  At the Eastern's Josh also captured the gold medal on the one-meter board (316.30) points. 

 

The Yale distance swimmers, once again, led the charge at the Eastern's.  Greg Palumbo brought home All -  Ivy honors with his runner-up finishes in the 1,000 (9:10.31) and 1,650 (15:25.42) freestyles.  He was followed closely by Schulte (6th & 8th), Matt Aldrich (8th & 6th) and Tim Carey (9th & 7th).  In the 400 IM  Seniors Atticus LeBlanc (3:57.58) Captain Pat Dennis (3:58.45) and freshman Scott Hartz (3:57.52) scored 6th, 7th and 8th for Yale, while Cole Heggi posted (3:59.89) in winning the consolation final. 

 

A strong showing by the sophomore class provides optimism for years to come.  Matt Bowman (7th, 200 IM), Jack Cooney (8th, 100 Back), Alex Nash (4th, 7th  100/200Back's, 6th 100 Fly) and Jimmy Veazey (6th, 200 Fly) all continue to improve and develop.  While newcomers Quinn Fitzgerald (6th & 11th, 200/500 Free's) and Ned Stainthorpe (9th & 10th, Backstrokes) each contributed mightly.

 

Divers Chris and Rich Birrer continued to develop and improve over their 4 year careers.  Rich scored 8th and 14th while Chirs finished 11th and 13th on the One and Three Meter Boards respectively.  Their contributions to Yale Diving will be missed. 

 

With 5 scorers lost to graduation and 8 freshman due to arrive in New Haven this September we look to continue making the push up the Eastern ladder.

 

NCAA Qualifiers

Mike Schulte   500/1,650 Freestyle

 

All IVY Performers

Josh Gallant                1 Meter Diving - 1st Team

Greg Palumbo             1,000 and 1,650 Freestyle - 2nd Team

 

College Swimming Coaches Association of America

Academic All - America Team Fall 2001                     3.14 cumulative g.p.a.

 

Academic All IVY

Atticus LeBlanc '02

Greg Palumbo '03

 

New Yale University Records

 

1650 Freestyle

Old:     Adam Vann '95           15:13.19          March 10, 1992 @ Easterns

New:   Mike Schulte '02         15:06.80          February 1, 2002 @ HYP

 

One Meter Diving

Old:     Scott Finneran '93       310.80             February 18, 1993

New:   Josh Gallant '04          319.12             January 26, 2002 vs. Penn/Dartmouth

 

Three Meter Diving

Old:     Tom Stebbins '96        505.40             March 5, 1994

New:   Josh Gallant '04          514.50             March 2, 2002 @ EISL

 

200 Freestyle Relay Kiphuth Exhibition Pool Record

Old:  Stacey, Martens, Okoniewski, Lupinski 1:22.26            Penn State       March 8, 1997

New: Cooney, Cocks, Veazey, Lange                        1:21.81            Yale                 Feb. 1, 2002  @ HYP                                       (21.08),(20.29), (20.42), (20.02)

 

Awards

Heaton High Point                  Josh Gallant                            Susan Cooke and Melanie Loftus

Jelliffe                                     Pat Dennis                               Emily Fain

MacLeish                                 Mike Schulte                           Linda Tivorsak

Mather                                     Alex Nash                               Kim Richardson and Erin Vanderberg

Burke                                      James Cocks                           Heidi Kraus

Moriarty/Dawson                    Chris and Rich Birrer              Bates Gregory

Davies                                     Atticus LeBlanc                       Susan Cooke