Bulldogs announce 2011-12 captains
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sixth-year head coach and reigning Northeast Conference Coach of the Year Katie Cameron is pleased to announce the 2011-12 men's and women's swim team captains. On the men's side Brendan Heller (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Alex Kosenki (Lavallette, N.J.) have been chosen as co-captains while Amy D'Olympia (Mattapoisett, Mass.), Casey Ostrander (Yarmouthport, Mass.) and Katie Unger (Orangeburg, N.Y.) represent the trio of captains on the women's side.
Bryant swimming is coming off its most successful campaign on the Division I level, having won two gold medals at the 2011 ECAC Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa. and producing seven All-NEC selections. In total, the women's team won six head-to-head meets, living up to the prediction by the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll of finishing fourth overall in the league. Bryant picked up signature wins over Providence, Fairfield, Wagner and Holy Cross and also recorded solid showings at the Dartmouth Invitational (5th place).
The men's team, winners of six head-to-head meets in 2010-11, turned heads at the Harold Anderson Invitational with a second-place finish. Despite not competing it any diving events, the Bulldogs outscored first-place Providence 697.5-635 in the swimming events.
Kosenski, a gold medalist in the 100-yard freestyle at the ECAC Championships in 2011, set pool and school records in the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyle events while playing a key role on the school-record holding 400-yard medley lineup and 800-yard medley team.
Heller returns to the waters in 2011-12 after recording season-best times in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle and 1000-yard freestyle at the Dartmouth Invitational.
Third-year swimmer Ostrander was named NEC Swimmer of the Week twice during the regular season before picking up her second-straight NEC Swimmer of the Meet honor at the conference meet. Ostrander etched her name in the Bryant record books this season with five individual program records (50-free, 100-free, 50-back, 100-back and 200-back), making her the most decorated Bryant swimmer in program history. An All-NEC First Team Selection, Ostrander played a vital role on the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay all-conference lineups.
D'Olympia, the only senior captain on the women's team, recorded 2010-11 All-NEC First Team honors in the 200-yard freestyle relay after shattering the previous league record at the conference meet. Individually, D'Olympia put forth her best outing this season at the University of Rhode Island's Harold Anderson Invitational with personal-best times in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle and produced a solid performance at the conference meet.
New York native Unger enters her third go-around for the Black and Gold after orchestrating her best campaign since coming to Smithfield. A key contributor in both the short and distance events, Unger registered two of her best performances against NEC contenders in Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut and put forth a remarkable showing at the NEC Championships.
The Bulldogs will head into its fourth go around in DI and will look to build off a solid 2010-11 campaign that saw both school and pool records fall both in conference and in regional competitions.