Gardner-Webb Men's Team Prepares For Program's First Meet
October 08, 2007 | Swimming
The 2007-08 men's swimming season will be a record-breaking season, to say the least. This season will be the first-ever for the Gardner-Webb men's swimming team.
Just like the women's team, the men's squad will be going up against tough competition throughout the season. The team will get improve by competing against the best, and the Bulldogs will do just that this year.
With six home meets, GWU will be competing in front of a home crowd often, including a February 1 match-up with the Clemson Tigers. The support of the Dawg Pound will be coveted throughout the season as GWU takes on the likes of NC State, Duke, and Virginia.
"Our main focus is to work together as a group and to continually improve," said head coach Mike Simpson said. "Wherever that takes us, it takes us.
"We have a very demanding schedule, particularly for a first-year team," Simpson. "We want to compete against solid competition, so we have to step up and race to see what we are made of.
"Since almost the entire team is comprised of freshmen, we will be looking for our young guys to step up and provide leadership," Simpson said. "This group doesn't have a core of upperclassmen to lead the way, so we are going to have fun and learn as we go."
SPRINT FREE
The sprint free squad will be comprised of Ryan Cermely (Wooster, Ohio), Travis Gibson (Murphy, N.C.), George Partin (Stone Mountain, Ga.), Denaj Seymour (Nassau, Bahamas) and Jack Zimmerman (Coral Springs, Fla.).
Gibson, a redshirt-freshman, was a two-time All-state selection
in high school. He earned All-state honors in multiple strokes.
Partin twice garnered All-state honors in high school. For two
seasons, he was the anchor leg on the team's state championship
winning 200 free relay.
Seymour's international experience will help the team. Seymour has a strong background, having been a part of 12 National swim teams in his native country of the Bahamas.
Zimmerman has had success with his former club team, while Cermely has competed in various sprint free events. Each should help the squad by earning points at the conference meet.
"We don't have a lot of depth, but we have guys capable of jumping in various events and scoring at the CCSA meet," Simpson said.
DISTANCE FREE
The distance free group features Eric Kegley (Abingdon, Va.), Abram Miller (Maryville, Tenn.), Michael Roka (Ft. Myers, Fla.) and Adam Suggs (Concord, N.C.).
Kegley was a three-time Region and District winner in multiple events and finaled in the 200 and 500 free at three Regional meets. He earned All-state honors as a junior.
Miller reached the state meet during all four high school seasons.
Roka took 15th place at the state championship in the 500 free, and made the meet three times. He is already very familiar with the Bulldog program, as his sister, Heather, also swims for Gardner-Webb.
Suggs placed second in the 1,500 free at the state meet on two occasions.
"This area is one where our guys are going to improve a lot over the course of the year and be really competitive at the end of the year," Simpson said. "They have the talent to do good things."
BREAST
Because of its depth, the breaststroke squad has a chance to be one of the team's most successful groups.
Leading the way is redshirt-sophomore Patrick Elerding (Prosser, Wash.), who transferred from Southern Methodist University. Casey Brutus (Wauchula, Fla.), Saxon Simpson (Boiling Springs, N.C.), Craig South (Goose Creek, S.C.), Patrick Williams (Talladega, Ala.) and Jay Winn (Decatur, Ga.) will also compete in the breast events.
Elerding was a three-time high school All-American. He will bring tremendous experience and leadership to the group.
Brutus earned All-District honors in high school. During his senior season, he qualified for the state meet in the 100 breast.
Simpson was a two-time state qualifier in North Carolina. He was
a four-year regional qualifier and was the MVP his senior
season.
South was a two-time state champion in South Carolina. He was a
three-time All-state selection and shattered the state record in
the 100 breast his senior season.
Williams was a four-time participant at the Southeast Championships short course and a three-time participant in the long course meet. There, he was a two-time finalist in the breast events.
Winn was a four-time All-state selection. While swimming for his club team, he earned all-state and All-American honors.
"This is the deepest group and deepest stroke we have on the team," Simpson said. "All year long they will push each other, which is great. They will all really improve a lot if they continue to push one another."
BACK
There are two main swimmers that will compete in the backstroke events– Kyle Hooley (Apple Creek, Ohio) and South.
Hooley was a premiere backstroker for his high school and club team.
South will switch from the breast to the backstroke at times to help provide depth for the Bulldogs.
Gibson will compete in the shorter backstroke events. Others will be asked to help out in this stroke as the season continues.
"This is a stroke where our depth is certainly an issue," Simpson said. "We will work to find a few other guys who can step in, help out and make a difference."
FLY
Another area that will be a strength for GWU – and one where the Bulldogs can score a lot of points at the conference meet - is butterfly.
Steven Caudill (State Road, N.C.), Gibson, Erin Lewis (Oakcliff, Texas), Adam Middleton (Opelika, Ala.), Roka and Seymour will all compete for the Bulldogs in the fly events.
Caudill is a four-time state champion in the 100 butterfly. He also earned All-American consideration for his time in this event.
Gibson should also be one of the front runners in the shorter fly events, having been a two-time state finalist in the 100 fly.
Lewis was a first-team all-state selection in the 100 fly his senior season after posting second team all-state honors his junior year.
Middleton, a transfer from the University of South Carolina, will compete in both fly events for GWU. After racing in the Southeastern Conference last year, Middleton brings a wealth of experience to the table for GWU.
Roka and Seymour, both freestylers, will also swim butterfly for the Bulldogs.
"We have good quality and good depth," Simpson said. "It's another area of top-notch strength in our program."
IM
The Bulldog team will rely on its versatile swimmers to lead the charge in the Individual Medley events this season.
Caudill, Elerding, Middleton, Simpson, South, Williams and Winn will all compete in the IM events. This pair of events, at the moment, will provide a challenge this season, but Simpson is confident that the men will step up and score points.
"This group is one where we have people that are very well
rounded," said Simpson.
