Nov. 1 officially marked the beginning of the Amherst men’s swimming and diving team’s 2017-2018 season.
This will be Head Coach Nick Nichol’s 21st year of coaching at Amherst, and he will be joined by assistant coaches Kai Robinson and Cody Cupit. Together, the trio has been confidently preparing the team for an exciting season.
The team enters the pool this season with six wins in dual meet action last season, three Little Three Championships to their name and 11 top-ten team finishes at the NCAA Division III Championship meet in program history.
Under the leadership of senior captains Elijah Spiro and Nathan Ives, the Mammoths’ success is only expected to continue.
Having finished second at the NESCAC Championships last year, Amherst enters this season hungry to snag the first-place title after Williams won the crown for the 15th consecutive season this past March.
Sophomore Sean Mebust remains a force to be reckoned with, having finished his first collegiate season with the NESCAC title in the 200-yard breaststroke and a NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 2:00.36. Moreover, senior Sam Spurrell captured a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a NCAA ‘B’ cut mark of 1:51.42. Spiro seized the NESCAC title in the 100-yard breaststroke and with a NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 55.23 and the NESCAC title in the 50-yard breaststroke, setting the pool record with an impressive time of 24.95.
Despite the loss of last year’s seven seniors, the team only expressed excitement regarding the first-years and looks forward to the new dynamics, energy and speed to come. Despite successful individual performances, the team’s ability to function as one unit is what will bring the Mammoths the much-sought after post season success. Having recorded a 20th place finish at the 52-team 2017 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in Texas, Amherst’s abilities and potential are undeniable.
During their preseason, the Mammoths remained focused and goal-oriented. Hopefully, this focus will pay off when Amherst first enters the pool on Saturday, Nov. 18, in a dual-meet match against Colby.
