ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's swimming and diving team is set to open up its 2019-20 season on Saturday with a home meet against Fredonia, Buffalo State and Brockport.
 
SWIMMING
 
The Bombers boast a solid group of returners this season, including three Liberty League champions that helped IC to a second-place team finish.
 
Junior Stanley Zaneski returns for his third season on South Hill after winning the 50 freestyle the last two years at the Liberty League Championship. Last year, he also won the 100 freestyle, breaking the meet record and hitting a NCAA B-cut.
 
Senior Nate Bartalo repeated as the 100 butterfly Liberty League champion a season ago. Along with Zaneski, Bartalo and senior Daniel Meyers were also part of last year's 400 freestyle relay Liberty League winners.
 
Spencer Brownewell, a sophomore, had stellar freshman season for the Bombers last year, culminating in the 100 backstroke crown at the Liberty League Championship.
 
"I think that you can look to the guys who were conference champions," said Head Coach Kevin Markwardt of top returners. "Those are the kind of guys you need to win a bunch of events to get some points."
 
Senior Andrew Mikhailichenko also returns to the pool for the Bombers. Mikhailichenko continues to be one of the top breaststrokers in the Liberty League and took second in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes last season.
 
This season, the Bombers have a total of nine seniors on the men's side: Bartalo, Nick Bonnabeau, Augie Carlozzi, Patrick Daly, Liam Maginnis, Meyers, Mikhailichenko, John Mosier and Benjamin Pesco. All of the seniors have been contributors for IC throughout the last three years and will be utilized again this year to do the same.
 
While IC has just two junior swimmers this season, one of them is Zaneski. Joining Zaneski is Anthony Porto, who will compete in the butterfly and IM.
 
Additionally, IC returns a strong group of sophomores. The Bombers had a number of first-years contribute points last year, and they will be looked upon again this season.
 
Along with Brownewell, IC returns Dylan Haraden who will be swimming backstroke and distance. Matt Crysler will be competing in the butterfly and Timothy Hector will be looked upon to swim a number of events like the backstroke, sprint and breaststroke.
 
Adding more depth to the sophomore class are swimmers A.J. Bances, Edy Bernardy, Nick D'Agostino, Jack Gerken and Cameron Narimanian.
 
Joining the ranks of returners this season are 12 total first-years, nine of which are swimmers: Mitchell Amadei, Max Bridges, Shane Conroy, Julian Iacono, Zack Kalinowski, Carter Matteson, Robert Pucci, Holden Shatouhy and Jon-Christian Stangeby.
 
Markwardt is looking forward to the first meet of the season on Saturday to see the first-years in action after strong performances in practice.
 
"The first couple of meets you've got to see, what you see in practice doesn't always translate into meets," said Markwardt. "But I've been really impressed at practiced."

The Bombers will look to score points across the board this year, as Markwardt believes the team has strengths in every event.

"The great thing about our team is that we are really well-balanced,' said Markwardt. "We just don't have a weak event."
 
DIVING
 
The Bombers return their top male diver from the past two seasons in junior Justin Moczynski. Last season, Moczynski finished second in the 1-meter dive and third in the 3-meter at the Liberty League Championship.
 
He went on to have a solid performance at the NCAA Diving Regional, qualifying for Nationals for the first time in his career.
 
"I've very excited about what he's been doing," said Diving Coach Chris Griffin. "He's been progressing and building every year so it should be exciting to see what he gets done this year."
 
Also returning to the boards will be senior Benjamin Pesco, junior Brian Coburn and sophomore H. Caleb Rahner.
 
The Bombers have added some more depth to the diving lineup this year, bringing in three first-years: Ethan Godfrey, Michael Salvino and Theo Summerville.
 
"Ethan has come on very, very strong," said Griffin. "It is going to be interest to see what he does. It is going to put a little bit of pressure on Justin in a good way."
 
Ithaca will look to continue building up the men's diving program during the 2019-20, after having some success last year.
 
"I think we are going to continue to strengthen the program and continue building on what we have been establishing the last few years," said Griffin. "It is nice to have some good numbers, we are well-stocked on divers this year."
 
Ithaca is set to face Fredonia, Buffalo State and Brockport at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium inside the Athletics and Events Center.