BLOOMSBURG – The Bloomsburg University men's swimming team has put together the pieces for possibly one of its best seasons in school-history in 2012-13.  Coming off a fifth-place finish at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, the Huskies feel they have what it takes to work their way to the top.
 
With three seniors and eight newcomers highlighting the 2012-13 bunch, there is no doubt that the Huskies will witness some record-breaking swims early on this season.
 
Head coach Stu Marvin returns for his fifth season at the helm of the men's and women's programs.  He likes the outlook of his team this season and foresees some impressive finishes down the stretch.
 
“Our depth this year is one of our greatest improvements from last year's team,” Marvin said.  “Now that we have a solid, healthy group of returners, we're going to have so many more combinations to throw out there.”
 
The newcomers joining the program this year give Bloomsburg an added advantage, especially in dual meets.  Look for a significantly improved dual meet record this year with some close matches with top schools in the conference.
 
“Looking down the road, this incoming class is really going to help dictate our success this season and in the future,” Marvin said.  “This group has times that would not only get them to PSAC's, but would also rank on our top 10 list.”
 
Distance Freestyle
Brandon Sherbo (Etters/Red Land) wasted no time making an impact on the men's swimming program in his freshman season last year.  The team's MVP last season broke John King (Ridley Park/Ridley)'s previous records in the 1000 and 1650 free at the PSAC Championships.  The all-conference swimmer finished third in the 1650 with a mark of 16:16.84, and third in the 1000 at 9:35.60.  Sherbo finished sixth in the 500 free at 4:41.24, good for second all-time in BU history.
 
Junior Brendan Malone (Horsham/Hatboro-Horsham) wasn't too far behind Sherbo.   He swam the second best 1000 and 1650-free times on the team last season including a 15th place finish at PSAC's in the 1000-free with a time of 10:10.40.  That mark was good for ninth on the BU all-time list.  He also rates sixth in school-history in the 1650 with a mark of 17:07.61 in 2011.
 
Cole Underwood (Collegeville/Perkiomen Valley), a sophomore transfer from Stony Brook, is expected to see time in the 500-and 1000-free events.  Freshman Jake Marker (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) comes to Bloomsburg from Archbishop Ryan high school and could also work his way into the rotation in distance freestyle.
 
Sprint Freestyle
Senior co-captains Jack Eichenlaub (Ambler/Upper Dublin) and Nick Ortlieb (North Wales/North Penn) will be two of the Huskies options in sprint freestyle this season.  Both swimmers competed at PSAC Championships last season and look to impress again with improved times in 2012-13.
 
Eichenlaub rated in the top five for the Huskies in both the 50-and 200-free last season.  Ortlieb notched a 15th-place finish on the final day of the PSAC Championships by recording a 100-free time of 47.98.  Ortlieb was also part of the Huskies 200-free relay team at the PSAC Championships that earned a seventh-place finish in a time of 1:26.92.
 
Junior Bryan Masilotti (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) returns as Bloomsburg's record holder in the 100-free (46.10).  He turned in the team's top time last season in the 50-free (21.60) and worked his way to No. 5 all-time in the 200-free in 1:44.61.
 
Mark DiLemmo (Doylestown/Central Bucks East) will play a crucial role in the 200-and 500-free this season.  He notched an 11th-place finish at the PSAC Championships in the 500-free with a time of 4:46.54.  His top time of 4:44.58 is a personal-best and ranks seventh all-time in school history.
 
Junior Adam Varvaro (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J./Egg Harbor Twp.) and sophomore Joe Kotinsly (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg) will look to make an impact in sprint free after turning in solid times at the Zippy Invitational at Akron University last season. 
 
Along with Underwood, freshmen Bill Urban (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan), Alex Otero (Allentown/Parkland), and Ian Boyd (Whitehall/Whitehall) join the Huskies and bring great depth to an already talented cast of sprinters.  Urban comes from Archbishop Ryan high school with PIAA State experience, Otero is from Parkland high school with some top three finishes at PIAA District's, as Boyd joins the club from Whitehall high school.
 
Backstroke
Senior co-captain Jeremy Frey (Pipersville/Central Bucks East) is the team's record-holder in the 200-back at 1:54.25.  He is a three-time All-PSAC candidate and has truly made his mark on the program.  Frey also placed third in the 200-back at the PSAC Championships.  Also an Individual Medley competitor, Frey brings a versatile background to the Huskies this season.

Sophomore Aaron Cancro (Limerick/Spring-Ford) turned in the team's top time in the 100 last season at 53.48 seconds.  It rates as the fourth-best time in school history, as most of his top times came at the Zippy Invite.  Cancro also posted two PSAC qualifying times in a meet against Clarion in both the 100 and 200-backstroke.
 
Along with freestyle, Urban, and Nick Angeny (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) is also expected to see time in the backstroke.
 
Fly
DiLemmo has become BU's top option in the butterfly after two successful seasons in the maroon and gold. After bring named the team's MVP his freshman year, DiLemmo re-set the school-record in the 200-fly last season with a 1:53.75 time at the PSAC Championships.  DiLemmo also swam the team's best time in the 100 in 51.92, good for third in BU history.
 
Junior Tom Malloy (Lancaster/Lancaster Catholic) swam the second-best time in school-history in the 200 on the final day of the PSAC Championships.  He notched a sixth-place finish in the 200 with a time of 1:54.52.
 
Malone had a time of 2:00.35 at the Zippy Invitational in the 200-fly, good enough to mark the 10th best time in school history.  Sophomore Matt Ortlieb (North Wales/North Penn) worked his way to some impressive times last season and will be an important role in the team's success this season as well.  Marker will race in the butterfly event as well this season.
 
Breaststroke
The Huskies are loaded with numerous impressive swimmers in the breaststroke, both returners and newcomers.  Nick Ortlieb (North Wales/North Penn) was one of BU's top swimmers in the breaststroke last season and returns with a chance of setting more records.  He swam the third-best time in school history two years ago at 59.79 and placed 11th overall at the PSAC's in 2010-11.  The senior will see numerous swims in the 100 and 200 this season.
 
Junior Tyler Washington (Doylestown/Central Bucks West) swam at the 2010-11 Zippy Invitational and is expected to see competition in the spring.
 
Freshmen Angeny, Tyler Gross (Pottstown/Pottsgrove), and Jake Harner (Philadelphia/Father Judge) have excellent times entering their first season at Bloomsburg that would run under the current BU team record.  Angeny comes from Archbishop Ryan high school and swam a third-place finish at the 2011 PIAA States.  Gross was fourth at PIAA States in the 100 and is from Pottsgrove High School.  Harner is from Father Judge High School and was third in the 100 at 2012 PIAA States.  His lifetime best time in the 100-breast is a full two seconds under the current Bloomsburg record.
 
Fellow freshmen Otero and Junk will also see time in the breaststroke.
 
Individual Medley
Frey set the Bloomsburg records in the 200-and 400-IM last season at the PSAC Championships.  He posted a 400 time of 4:08.21 to earn second place at PSAC's, and earned All-PSAC honors and an NCAA “B” cut time in the 200 with a time of 1:54.06. 
 
Malloy's time of 1:58.38 sits two behind Frey for third in the 200.  He also posted a 13th place finish at the PSAC Championships in the 200.
 
Washington and Cancro also return to compete in IM events later this season.
 
Freshmen Angeny, Harner, and Gross give BU a solid group of competitors this season.  All three join the Huskies with times that would rank in the top-10 in school history.