"We’ve addressed our need for divers at the conference level," says swim coach Keith Crawford whose squad featured no divers last season. "Jack Clifford (Rantoul, Ill.), Nina Hart (Des Plaines, Ill.) and Kayce DeRoo (Elgin, Ill.) will be diving for us, which will help, but we’re still a couple short of where we need to be.

"It’s tough at the conference level to make up the 100 points we’re losing in the diving well."

With the addition of diving, the Scots hope to close the gap on perennial power Grinnell.

With the absence of a diving well in the Pepper Natatorium, the Scots have been using the pools at the Warren County YMCA and at nearby Western Illinois University.

"We’re fortunate that the Y and Western have allowed us to use their facilities for our dive training," says Crawford. "I can’t say enough good things about the job Al McGuire and Dave Yez are doing with our divers."

The Scots should also be improved in every event, returning 15 swimmers on the men’s side and six women, plus four high-caliber women who took a year off but return to the pool for 2007-08.

The men feature a strong nucleus of seniors Dan Campione (Blue Island, Ill.) and Kurt Niemeier (Orland Park, Ill.), junior Jim Travnik (New Lenox, Ill.) and sophomores Josh Van Swol (Frankfort, Ill.), John Kaiser (Hanover Park, Ill.), Harrison Heilman (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Jon Peterson (Burlington, Iowa). Crawford is high on newcomers Kevin Raske (Algonquin, Ill.), Brant Furr (Crawfordsville, Ind.), Tom Pederson (Chicago, Ill.), Chad Rowland (Olathe, Kan.) and Kevin Satler (Marseilles, Ill.), a Flight A finalist at last season’s JUCO national meet.

"Raske will be a big boost for us," says Crawford. "Rowland will have a huge impact in the distance events and Pederson has the potential to really help us in the sprint freestyle and fly."

Senior Ryan Bowman (Lansing, Ill.) and sophomores Joe Moran (Naperville, Ill.), Ed Novak (Schaumburg, Ill.), Matt O’Rourke (Evergreen Park, Ill.), Joe Schwinger (Woodridge, Ill.) and Stephen Whittle (Galesburg, Ill.) will be counted on to add depth and much-needed scoring in the team’s chase for a conference title.

Crawford’s stable doesn’t weaken when it comes to the women’s team which returns sophomore captain Anne Lane (St. Louis, Mo.), who placed in the top three in multiple events at last spring’s MWC meet. Lane is joined by captains, seniors Jessica DeMink (Silvis, Ill.), Heather Plum (Freeport, Ill.) and Megan Wentzlaff (Mokena, Ill).

When you add sophomore Lauren Nelson (Mundelein, Ill.) and freshman Lauren Kelley (Pekin, Ill.) into the mix, Crawford thinks his women will be "awfully good" at some events.

"We’re seeing some really good things from Lauren (Nelson)," notes Crawford. "She has great potential and we’ll see that surface later in the season."

Crawford notes his freestyle relay team could be a force with Lane, Kelley, Plum, Wentzlaff, Nelson, DeMink and sophomore Meaghan Gritzenbach (Evergreen Park, Ill.) all battling for a spot on the relay.

"We want to move up from fourth at the conference meet," says the fourth year coach. "I think we have the potential for some individual champions at conference."

Some of those expected to gain points are junior Andrea Dorscheid (Janesville, Wis.) and freshmen Sally Thomas (New Lenox, Ill.) and Danielle Shaller (Quincy, Ill.).

Senior Inna Lonchyna (Hinsdale, Ill.), sophomore Jessica Houser (Naperville, Ill.) and freshmen Lindsay Duvick (Northbrook, Ill.), Jessica Holbrook (Elburn,Ill.) and Maggie Julcher (Northbrook, Ill.) round out the women’s squad.

With the largest contingent of swimmers and divers in recent history (19 men, 17 women), the stage is set for the Scots men’s and women’s teams to continue their improved showings at the conference meet and perhaps leave a few teams in their wake.

Men's Swimming  |  Women's Swimming