PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2021-22 New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s swimming and diving title, based on a poll of the league’s five head coaches.
The Lions picked up all five first-place votes. Rowan was picked second and was also voted the conference’s dark horse. Montclair State was picked third, and the preseason poll is rounded out by Ramapo in fourth and William Paterson in fifth.
The 2021-22 season kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 16, when Montclair State heads to Ewing for an early key NJAC matchup at TCNJ.
TCNJ Head Coach Dave Dow expects his 2021-22 Lions to make a strong run through both the NJAC as well as the Mets, with potentially several A-finalists in every event at the Met Championships. Leading the talented and deep roster are reigning NJAC Swimmer of the Year Andrew Thompson and NJAC Rookie of the Year James McChesney. Thompson earned All-America honors as a junior in the 200 individual medley, 200 medley relay, and 200 free relay events. He is also a two-time NJAC champion in both the 100 fly and 200 individual medley, and has led the Lions 400 and 800 free relays to back-to-back conference titles. McChesney returns as the reigning NJAC champion in both the 100 and 200 freestyle, and led all three Lions free relays to conference titles last season. The Lions look to incorporate a very large and talented class of 15 freshmen as well as a sophomore class which has not yet competed in in-person collegiate races after last year’s virtual meets.
Rowan, this year’s dark horse selection, looks to be as strong as ever despite not competing in last year’s modified spring season. The Profs welcome back Kevin Gillooly, who has earned All-America honors in 11 events in his decorated career. The two-time NJAC Swimmer of the Year and 2017-18 NJAC Rookie of the Year, Gillooly earned All-America honors in the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 and 400 medley relays in his last season in the pool in 2019-20. All-American Dylan Regan also returns. Regan, a First Team All-NJAC selection, led three Rowan relays to All-America honors in the 2019-20 season. 2018-19 NJAC Rookie of the Year and two-time First Team All-NJAC honoree Kevin Yanagisawa is also back; he was the NJAC champion in the 200 fly and 500 freestyle two seasons ago and has also earned NCAA ‘B’ cuts in two events in his career. In breast stroke, Greg Cann looks to lead the Profs. Cann is two-time All-Conference in the 100 and 200 breast stroke events. The Profs also welcome a handful of newcomers looking to contribute right away.
Montclair State returns a solid group of swimmers along with a talented freshman class. Head Coach Brian McLaughlin is excited by the consistent off-season training that he expects to help avenge some close losses two seasons ago. Among the key returners are sophomores Spenser Dubois and Ryan Kappes, who gained valuable experience in the shortened spring virtual season. Dubois was First Team All-NJAC in the 200 breast stroke and Second Team in the 100 breast. Kappes, who earned NJAC Rookie of the Week, was all-conference in the distance freestyle including both the 500 and 1650 events. Also returning to the pool is Tyler Dorsett, who earned all-conference in the 200 fly and led four different Red Hawk relays to all-conference honors. Alex Pallen, who earned all-conference honors in the one-meter event, returns to lead the Red Hawk divers.
Ramapo will field a small and young squad this year, with each Roadrunner likely gaining valuable experience in multiple events. Emile Eeckhout and Josh Templeton, who have been the backbone of the program over the last few seasons, are both back for this year. Eeckhout has earned all-conference honors in three different events throughout his career, including the 100 breast stroke, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay. Templeton led four Roadrunner relays to all-conference honors in 2019-20 and also earned all-conference in the 200 free relay in Ramapo’s one meet last season. Spenser Hughes, another top returner to the pool for Ramapo, was also on that all-conference 200 free relay last season.
William Paterson looks to the strength of its freestylers to lead the Pioneers into 2021-22. That includes Tom Haughey, who posted a top-20 mark in the 1650 free at the Met Championships in 2018-19. William Pike, who swims free and breast, posted five event PRs in 2019-20. Also returning is Jonathan Vela, winner of the 100 fly in two meets in 2019-20 and Valentine Perez, who led the Pioneers’ 400 medley relay to all-conference honors two years ago. The Pioneers have posted 49 dual meet wins over the previous five full seasons under the tutelage of veteran head coach Ed Gurka.
2021-22 Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. TCNJ (5)
2. Rowan (dark horse)
3. Montclair State
4. Ramapo
5. William Paterson