Sept. 25, 2007

FAIRFAX, Va. - While George Mason's swimming and diving program enters its ninth year established among the top of the Colonial Athletic Association's ranks, the Patriots begin the 2007-08 campaign with challenges on both the men's and women's sides lying ahead.

For head coach Peter Ward, the process of recruiting new student-athletes to replace graduated seniors is a yearly occurrence. However, the challenge is magnified this season as three-time CAA Swimmer of the Year Tom Koucheravy will no longer don the Green and Gold.

"You don't necessarily try to replace him, but see who's going to step up, become a team leader, and score the points for you," Ward said. "I think we have a few guys on the team who can do that, and I look forward to seeing who that is."

Two seniors will swim for the Patriots in their final year of eligibility, and both will be counted on to help provide that leadership, both in and out of the pool. Andrew Day will look to improve upon his performances in both the freestyle and butterfly events, while Matthew Kane will be counted upon as the spark to lead the team to the league title.

"Last year, Matt decided to up his training and train more as a distance swimmer," Ward explained. "I think we'll see good things out of him as a senior."

Among the junior class, the tandem of Justin Mallette and Ryan Metzger provide national-level performance on the diving board. Both Mallette and Metzger have thrived under the tutelage of dive coach Roland McDonald, competing in last year's NCAA `Zone A' Diving Championships.

"It's nice to know that we have two very strong divers to rely on regularly," said Ward. "Both have done a phenomenal job of improving, and as they mature, they will only continue to get better and we will count on them heavily. I think that Roland does a phenomenal job."

Another junior standout for Mason is Eric Knight, who earned two bronze medals at the 2007 CAA Championships. After two years swimming in Fairfax, Ward notes "massive improvements" in his performance, and will look for Knight to stand up among the team's leadership.

Rounding out the veteran corps are six sophomores returning for their second year.

"We have some sophomores who really stepped up, specifically Steven Benecki and Tad Ogren," Ward elaborated. "They stepped up at the CAA Championships and have worked real hard over the summer, have come back in great shape, and will contribute that much more."

The youth movement continues on the men's squad with eight freshmen making their collegiate debuts, and all will have a chance to help lead the Patriots to their first-ever conference title after many years of falling just short.

"The men have been knocking on the door for several years and couldn't get over the hump," said Ward. "I think that, with a very young team it's going to take all those guys getting excited and rising to the occasion. I think we can surprise some people."

On the women's side, no such questions about leadership exist, as five seniors will comprise the backbone of a team hungry for its fifth CAA title in seven seasons.

"We have five seniors, led by Sarah Bizer in the sprint freestyles," said Ward. "Having five seniors shows the stability of our program; a large senior class means that they have committed to it."

Bizer, fresh off a strong showing at the CAA Championships, will be the anchor for the Patriots on both individual sprints as well as relays.

"Sarah's excited for her last year," said Ward. "She wants to put records in a place where they won't be broken for a long time."

Along with Bizer, seniors Amanda Fielding, Erica Locher, Mallory Pucci and Brittany Surkovich will look to bookend their Mason careers with conference championships.

Fielding has found great success as one of the top divers in the CAA. Working with McDonald, she took home two bronze medals last year at the conference championships and competed well at the NCAA `Zone A' Diving Championships. Though she has succeeded throughout her career, Ward advises to "look for her senior year to be her best yet."

Pucci had a unique experience in the off-season that will help her development, both in and out of the pool. She spent the summer working at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as an intern with the sport science training and performance program in the USA Swimming National Team Division. While the job training will certainly help her following graduation, her time in Colorado Springs will pay dividends this season.

"Mallory had an opportunity to train with some great coaches and athletes, and as she comes back, we look for her to have a great year," explained Ward.

Mason boasts a strong crop of veterans that can perform very well at all levels. Among them, Ward highlights junior Mary Beth Cheslock and sophomore Caitlin Impink as two student-athletes to watch.

"Caitlin set school records and I think she is just scratching the surface; she will be a huge factor for us," he said. "Mary Beth came out of nowhere as a sophomore and made huge drops. She is going to stand up and fill a role from our graduating seniors last year."

The Patriots welcome 10 newcomers to the roster in 2007-08, and while all are new to campus, two are intimately familiar with the Mason swim tradition.

"For the first time, we have two sets of siblings on our team," Ward explained. "With Jenny Kane (sister of senior Matthew Kane) and Chrystina Locher (sister of senior Erica Locher), it's a tribute to our program, that the older siblings have had great experiences here and the younger siblings are following."

Mason will once again face a challenging road to the 2007-08 CAA Championships, which it will host for the ninth straight year at the Aquatic and Fitness Center from February 27 to March 1. Opening with the Georgetown Relay Meet on October 5, the Patriots will travel to Seton Hall before hosting Delaware on October 20 in the two teams' conference openers.

Two weeks later, Mason will host the CAA Pod Meet, which is, according to Ward, "an exciting meet because all CAA teams are doing the same things on the same weekend."

The Green and Gold will host their signature event of the season on November 16-18, when nine teams will compete in the 2007 Patriot Invitational.

"The Patriot Invitational is a great competition for us," Ward explained. "From there, we put all of our emphasis on the CAA Championships. That is what we really key into, prepare and train for throughout the season. We want to do as best as we can in the duals but we aren't going to break training or do anything to change our preparation for February."

With an exciting mix of proven veterans and potential-laden newcomers, the George Mason Patriots will be looking to retake their place among the Colonial Athletic Association's elite in the 2007-08 season.