BLOOMSBURG – The Bloomsburg University women's swimming team celebrates its 40th anniversary this season after coming off a seventh place finish at last year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.  With eight seniors returning in addition to ten newcomers, the Huskies are optimistic of their chances of swimming their way to one of the conference's best.
 
Head coach Stu Marvin returns for his fifth season at the helm of the men's and women's programs.  He is excited about the depth his women's team presents this season and will work with a senior class that represents Marvin's first recruiting class at Bloomsburg.
 
“We have great potential to increase our point total at the conference meet this season due to a deep and talented group of swimmers,” Marvin said.  “It was tough to say goodbye to last year's seniors, but the group we have coming back has the potential to be really good.”
 
The depth on this year's team should result in a great improvement in BU's dual meet record.  Coming off a 6-2 campaign a season ago, look for the Huskies to take advantage of getting the best possible times out of its dual meets this season, which could send additional swimmers to the conference meet.
 
Nine of the 10 newcomers have conference qualifying times, five of which would be on the Bloomsburg top 10 list before even jumping in the pool for the first time.
 
“We have a lot of leadership on the team, and they've been doing a great job of mentoring our newer swimmers,” Marvin said.  “The girls are very good at reaching out and making sure everything is fine and getting the freshman used to the college swimming experience.”
 
The key will be the PSAC Championship meet at the end of February as well as the hope that Bloomsburg can once again send some swimmers to compete at the
national championships.
 
Distance Freestyle
Senior Bridget Hilferty (Royersford/Perkiomen Valley) is coming off an All-American campaign last season.  At the NCAA Championships, she recorded the second fastest time in school-history in the 1650-free (17:13.89) and also swam a personal best in the 200-free (1:55.10) on the national stage. 
 
A co-captain of this year's squad and the team MVP in 2011-12, Hilferty held BU's top times in the 500-(5:02.39), 1000-(10:18.14), and 1650-freestyle swims last season. She has proven to be able to swim in multiple events and is looking to set even more records in her senior campaign.
 
Sophomore Alison Bradway (Tabernacle, NJ/Seneca) returns for her second season in the maroon and gold after experiencing some success a season ago.  She set some personal bests at the Zippy Invitational at Akron University and gives Bloomsburg an experienced option in distance free.
 
Erin Cannaday (Medford, NJ/Bishop Eustace), a transfer from St. Bonaventure, is expected to make an impact in her sophomore season.  Joining the distance swimmers this season are freshmen Alicia Frey (Ellicot City, MD/Wilde Lake) and Kaci McIlmoyle (Landenberg/Avon Grove).  Frey comes to Bloomsburg from Wilde Lake high school in Maryland and is a USA Sectional Qualifier with five AAA times in five different events.  McIlmoyle is a graduate of Avon Grove high school and is primarily known for her talent in the 50-, 100-, 200-free.  She could also see time in the 500-free events throughout the season.
 
Sprint Freestyle
Julia DeVincent (Ambler/Upper Dublin) was one of Bloomsburg's top sprinters last season and returns for her senior season in hopes of improving on those marks.  She had the team's top 100 (52.81) and 200 (1:53.48) free times and ranks in the top six in school history in both, as well as the 50-free (24.66).  All of her top times came at the Zippy Invite. 
 
At the PSAC Championships, DeVincent finished 12th in the 100-free and was part of the Huskies 200-free relay team that took a ninth-place finish.
 
Senior Kayla Weisenbach (Lincoln University/Avon Grove) was part of Bloomsburg's 800-free relay team at last year's PSAC's that posted an NCAA “B” cut time of 7:43.04 to earn a fifth place finish. 

Joining DeVincent on the PSAC 200-free relay team was Jacquie Glaser (Easton/Easton).  Glaser primarily competed in the 500 and 100 individual swims last season.  Junior Mollie Dawson (Coatesville/Coatesville) swam in five different events last season and gives Bloomsburg great depth in freestyle.
 
Senior co-captain Ashley Bauer (Temple/Muhlenberg) is another one of Bloomsburg's top options in the 200-free.  She qualified for PSAC's last year on day two of the tri-meet at IUP with a 200 free time of 2:00.27, one of the lowest times of the season for the Huskies.
 
Five freshman sprinters join the team and all bring an array of previous success in the pool.  Kaci McIlmoyle (Landenberg/Avon Grove) (50-, 100-, and 200-free would rank on BU's top 10 list), Ashley Dix (Schwenksville/Perkiomen Valley) (Perkiomen Valley – top six finishes in two events at PIAA District's), Meghan Gallagher (Aston/Sun Valley) (Sun Valley – competed at YMCA Nationals), Kristina Halner (Chalfont/Archbishop Wood) (Archbishop Wood – three first-place finishes at PIAA District's), Chelsea Wysong (Flourtown/Springfield) (Springfield – three top-three finishes at PIAA District's), and Allison Coe (Whitehall/Whitehall) (Whitehall) all look to work their way into some significant swims this season.
 
Backstroke
Senior Madeline Barlow (Yardley/Pennsbury) remains the team record holder in the 200-back set in 2009 (2:05.82).  Primarily a butterfly swimmer, Barlow's success in the back gives the Huskies another solid option in the backstroke.
 
Fellow senior Kelsey Brooker (Stevens/Cocalico), a co-captain this season, swam a career-best at the PSAC Championships with a 100-back time of 59.29, the second best swim in BU history.  Also a record-holder in the 200 Individual Medley, Brooker brings a great deal of experience for the Huskies.
 
Junior Tori Hall (Newtown/Council Rock North) is coming off an injury last season and should be ready to go for the beginning of the season.  She ranked in the top two in the all three backstroke swims in the 2010-11 season.
 
Fellow juniors Megan Sandoe (Downingtown/Henderson) and Jena King (Ridley Park/Ridley) turned in top times in BU's Quad Meet with Kutztown, Edinboro, and Mansfield, as well as at the Zippy Invite.  Look for significant swims to come for both Sandoe and King.
 
Alex Wheatley (Dresher/Upper Dublin) joins the Huskies from Upper Dublin high school and brings an impressive resume in the backstroke.  Her top time in the 100-back (58.88) would be a school-record and has the potential to make an immediate impact in the pool this season.
 
Fly
Barlow and Brooker will also be highly featured in the butterfly this season.  Both swimmers turned in top-six races on the BU all-time leaderboard and have the potential to add more accomplishments in 2012-13. 
 
Barlow finished the PSAC Championships strong by posting an NCAA “B” cut time of 2:09.41 in the 200-fly.   She swam the second-best 100-fly at last year's PSAC's in 57.72 seconds.  Barlow also rates third in school history in the 200-fly with a 2:07.51 swim in 2011.
 
Brooker posted a 10th place finish at the PSAC Championships in the 100-fly with a time of 58.54 seconds.  She also took second place in the 100-fly at the Zippy Invitational with a time of 58.35, which was the sixth fastest time in school history.
 
Senior Mel Redican (Dresher/Upper Dublin) and junior Jenna Yohey (Berwick/Berwick) also look to stay active in the Bloomsburg group of butterfly swimmers, along with newcomers Cannaday and Frey.
 
Breaststroke
Junior Ali Luzik (Halifax/Halifax) was a PSAC consolation finalist last season.  Luzik swam a 1:08.69 in the 100 at the Zippy Invite, good for seventh all-time in BU history.
 
Junior Jess McGarry (Philadelphia/St. Hubert) played a significant role in last year's success.  Her 1:08.34 mark in the 100-breast at the PSAC Championships rates sixth all-time in school history.
 
Sophomore Emilee Carr (Coopersburg/Southern Lehigh), along with freshmen Morgan Johnston (Shippensburg/Shippensburg) and Jess Quitner also look to make strikes throughout the season in the breaststroke.  Carr turned in a 2:32.14 at the Crimson Hawk Dual to rate third-best on the team last year.  Johnston comes from Shippensburg high school and swam to a pair of top eight finishes at the PIAA District meet. Quitner comes to Bloomsburg from Owen J. Roberts and has some good experience in the 100-breast.
 
Individual Medley
Barlow's record-breaking career continues its way through to the Individual Medley.  Her 200-IM mark set in 2009 of 2:07.19 is the top time in school-history and she has continued to work hard to get back towards that mark.  Last year, she posted a season-best time of 4:37.21 in the 400-IM to take ninth place at the PSAC Championships.
 
Along with Barlow, Carr also returns as a previous competitor in the IM.  Freshmen Frey and McIlmoyle, whose best time would rank second all-time in BU history, give Bloomsburg some extra options behind Barlow in the IM.