Men's Swimming and Diving Headlines

Trio Picks Up Weekly NEWMAC Honors After Successful Week In the Pool

11/24/2008

Springfield, Mass. - November 24, 2008 - Three members of the Springfield College swimming and diving teams were honored for the outstanding performances this week in the pool as they were tabbed New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Performers of the Week. Brian Sobel was named the NEWMAC Men's Diver of the week for the second time this season, while Aimee Doe and Meghan Kijanka were selected as the Female Swimmer and Diver of the week, respectively. Read More.

About The Team

After finishing 14th at the NCAA Championships in 2008, the Springfield College men's swimming and diving team continued to prove it was one of the top programs in the country.

The Pride, which finished third in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in 2008, have a handful of returning national qualifiers upon which to build for the upcoming year.

Senior Greg Pearsall and junior Matt Manoni return after achieving national qualifying standards a year ago, and will lead the Pride this year along with senior Anthony Bruno, junior Ryan Mackstutis, and sophomore Andrew Blakesley . The emergence of sophomore Brian Sobol last year on the diving boards proved that the Pride will be strong on both ends of the pool once again this year.

The 2008-09 men’s swimming and diving team at Springfield College is headed by Coach John Taffe who enters his 20th season directing the Pride. Nine Pride squads have finished among the top 20 teams in Division III over the past 11 years, as Taffe guided the Pride to its first-ever NEWMAC championship in 2005. That earned him NEWMAC Coach of the Year honors that year. Taffe feels that this year's squad will maintain its high level of performance, thanks in part to one of his strongest freshman classes in years. Looking to make an impact in their first year in the pool at Springfield are Brian Way,Joshua Ernst, John MacDonald, Scott Mackstutis, and Gary York.

The diving team is led by Coach Peter Avdoulos in his 24th season. The 1985 graduate of SC was named the 2005 NCAA Division III Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. He was also named the NEWMAC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year in ’05, ’06, and '08.

Team Links

• 2008-2009 Schedule
• 2008-2009 Roster
• Varsity Records
• NCAA Top Times
• Photo Gallery
• 2008 Recruiting Brochure (.pdf)
• Recruit Me!
• Team Archive

Head Coach John Taffe

John Taffe enters his 20th season as the head coach of the men's and women's swimming teams at Springfield College. Under Taffe’s leadership, the Pride has returned to its status as one of the best collegiate swimming and diving programs in Division III. Read more.

Diving Coach Peter Avdoulos

Peter Avdoulos is regarded as one of the top diving coaches in the nation, and is in his 24th season as the diving coach for both the men's and women's programs. Avdoulos has coached countless All-New England and All-American divers, as well as several National Champions. Read more.

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