United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Women's Swimming

The Bears will look to keep improving and moving upwards in the NEWMAC conference championship after scoring 120 more points at the 2008 NEWMAC championship than they did in 2007. This was a significant improvement, and was based on the individuals improving on past performances and a strong freshman class.

This year brings a new class of freshman which will shore up a good foundation of athletes returning. The Bears should be very strong in the freestyle events, with some good relays resulting from the depth in those events.

Serving as captains are senior Krystyna Vihonski and junior Kaitlin Godden. Vihonski is a two event NEWMAC conference finalist in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, nearly qualifying for NCAA championships in the latter event. She will lead a strong breaststroke and IM group that will attempt to place several swimmers in evening heats at the conference meet. Godden is a versatile swimmer coming off a strong sophomore season in which she competed in 11 different events in dual meet competition, and provided a great deal of flexibility and ability in of those events. She will likely focus on IM, butterfly and breaststroke as her specialties this season, and serve as only one of two juniors elected to a captain’s spot by her peers in the history of the program.

Joining Krystyna in the class of 2009 are some versatile athletes. Joyce Haynsworth returns as the mainstay in the backstroke and IM disciplines. She holds the Coast Guard school record in the 200 back, and has been a part of NEWMAC championship and consolation final heats in each of her first three years. Shea Winterberger returns to add depth in the distance events, and will continue to develop in the 400 IM, a new event for her in 2008. She recently completed an eight mile swim in the chilly waters of the Bering Sea this summer. Anais Greenley has made huge strides in three years as a breaststroke specialist, including swimming on the “A” 200 medley relay, and in the consolation heat of the 100 breaststroke. Greenley should continue her dramatic improvement in 2009.

Also returning is a strong group of conference finalists as well as NCAA qualifier and NEWMAC champion, Kim Shadwick. The incoming freshmen should also give a boost for an improving squad. The Bears will look to close the gap on some dual meet opponents, Wellesley College in January, and Wesleyan University in February. They will also look to continue to score more points at the conference meet, and place higher with improved relays across the board. The 2008-09 year should be a year in which the Bears have their most successful year since 2003.