SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The Susquehanna University men's and women's swimming & diving teams enter their first season of competition under head coach Dan Phillips for the 2008–09 academic year.

Phillips comes to Susquehanna from The Ohio State University, where he was an assistant women's swimming coach from 2003 to 2008 for the NCAA Division I Buckeyes.

A world-class athlete, Phillips was a 2000 U.S. Olympic Team trials qualifier in the 50-, 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle races. From 1997 to 2000, he was a member of the USA Swimming National Resident Team that trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Phillips replaces the late G. Edward “Ged” Schweikert III , who died June 15, 2008, after succumbing to cancer. Schweikert was the only head coach in Susquehanna swimming & diving history, having served at the helm since 1977.

MEN

The Susquehanna men posted a perfect 11–0 record in dual meets in 2007–08 before placing second in the inaugural Landmark Conference championships at the United States Merchant Marine Academy from Feb. 15–17, 2008. Fourteen letterwinners from that team return for 2008–09.

Jeff Fornadley '08 finished his collegiate career with three individual championships and four relay titles at last season's Landmark championships—six in school-record time—to earn a co-Male Swimmer of the Year award.

Fornadley captured individual Landmark titles in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle races and relay crowns in the 400 medley and 200, 400 and 800 frees.

Derek Wolf '09 (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) (right), Jeff Kormanik '11 (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) and Joe Scheno '11 (Berwick, Pa./Central Columbia) were the other legs of the championship 200 free relay team, while Scheno, Kormanik and Alexander Thurstlic '08 were on the 400 relay team. Scheno, Thurstlic and Andrew Lyon '08 were on the 800 free team, and Wolf, Scheno and Thurstlic rounded out the 400 medley foursome.

Scheno was also the conference champion in the 100 butterfly on his way to earning Landmark Male Rookie of the Year honors.

Wolf was the 100 breaststroke winner, and Thurstlic took the 200 backstroke title.

Academics are a large part of the men's team's overall success. Fornadley was a 2008 Landmark winter all–academic team member, and 12 men's swimming & diving athletes garnered inclusion on the Landmark winter academic honor roll last season.

WOMEN

The Susquehanna women went 8–4 in dual meets last season before placing fourth in the inaugural Landmark championships at the USMMA. Ten letterwinners return this season from the 2007–08 squad that doubled the points total of the fifth-place Landmark finisher.

The future is very bright for the women's team. Four school records coming into this season belong in part or in whole to current Crusaders.

Lindsey Jankiewicz '11 (Easton, Pa./Freedom) (left) holds the school record in the 100 back. Jankiewicz was the Landmark runner-up at last season's championships meet in the same event, which earned her a second-team all–conference honor. She is also part of two school-record relay teams. Cristina Los '10 (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) is on both of those relays—the 200 and 400 medleys—as well.

Christie Savard '11 (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) owns school records in the 200 fly and 400 individual medley.

Melissa Gilpin '10 (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) was a second-team all–conference honoree with a runner-up performance in the 200 fly at last season's Landmarks. Abby Letterese '08 earned the same honor with a second-place finish in the 400 individual medley.