M. Swimming Season Preview: Penn's best ever? We just want fifth place

Coach Mike Schnur says this could be fastest Penn men's swimming team ever to enter a pool.

So why would Schnur only set a goal for finishing within the top five of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League?

Those familiar with EISL swimming should know about powerhouses Princeton and Harvard.

They finished first and second, respectively, in the EISL last year. One of the two has won at least a share of the Ivy crown every year since 1971.

While Penn has gotten stronger, the entire conference has improved, according to Schnur. The league now has top international swimmers and Olympic hopefuls, and Schnur reckons that the EISL has become the fourth-best conference in collegiate swimming.

"It is an honor to be a part of the EISL," he said. "To get in the top five would be a fantastic year. That would almost guarantee a spot in the top 30 in the country."

And despite last year's eighth-place finish out of nine teams, Schnur thinks it's a good possibility.

"Last year we finished eighth and we are better than last year," he said.

As expected, though, questions still linger with the season opener looming this Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa.

The Quakers are going to rely heavily on their sizable group of freshmen and sophomore swimmers.

An average recruiting class usually consists of around seven swimmers, according to Schnur.

But Penn has 11 freshmen this year and just four seniors, including team captains Devon Carr and Patrick Gallagher.

And those untested freshmen are going to have to step up.

But the team does have some bright spots going into the season.

Last year's relay teams broke four out of five program records and all but one of those swimmers is returning this season.

Junior Chaz Maul will take over the breaststroke leg of the medley relay, the only record the team did not break last season.

Schnur thinks Maul could become one of the best breaststrokers the Quakers have seen.

It may not be an unreasonable notion to think that this season's relay teams could break and set all five school records.

In individual competition, Pat Gallagher might have the best shot at qualifying for one of the estimated 12 American spots at the NCAA championships.

Seniors Alex Keeney and Chris Weitekamp are expected to have strong seasons in the butterfly and backstroke, respectively.

And they just might have to, if they want to meet their coach's bold claims.

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