Sept. 24, 2003

The Loyola Marymount women's swim team returns 10 of its top performers from the 2002-03 season, including the top racers in 11 of the 15 events as the 2003-04 season approaches.

Of the Lions' 18-member roster, 10 return for the 2003-04 season. Seniors Lauren Roberts, Melissa Bommarito and Alana Austin all graduated and were the only three to leave who posted the quickest times in an event last season. What remains for the Lions is an experienced squad who continued to break school records last season.

Leading the way for the Lions will be the one of two seniors on the 2003-04 squad, Tempe, Ariz., native Krista Zabor. She has been the Lions' most consistent swimmer the last three seasons, earning four first place finishes in events last season. Zabor raced her best times at the end of the season, setting season-best times in the 200-IM, the 400-IM and the 200-breaststroke at the Pacific Coast Swimming Championships in February.

Zabor claimed first place finishes last season against Fresno State in the 400-IM, against Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly in the 100-breast and against CSUN in the 200-breast. She also earned five second place finishes. She finished the season with the quickest times in the 200-IM, 400-IM, 100-butterfly and 200-breaststroke.

Also earning first place finishes last year and returning to lead the Lions in 2003-04 is junior Breanne Melconian and sophomore Jenna Cruzat. Melconian had her best season as a Lion, taking first in the 1000-free against Cal State Northridge. She also earned five medal placements throughout the season in the 1000-free, 200-butterfly and 100-butterfly. Melconian had the quickest times for the Lions in the 200-free, 500-free, 1000-free and the 200-butterfly.

Cruzat had an impressive freshman campaign in 2002-03, taking a first place finish in the 200-IM against Nevada. She also had five other medal placements in the 200-IM, 100-back and 200-back. Cruzat led the Lions on the season in the 100-backstroke and the 200-backstroke.

Also returning for the Lions this season will be senior Marie Walters, juniors Bayley Diamond, Miranda Mooers, Alex Tungland and Kadee Whipple, and sophomores Sarah Black and Maureen Sheehan. Whipple had the quickest time in 2003 in the 100-breaststroke.

New to the aquatics program for the Lions will be seven freshmen. Nicole Boston, Cailey Buck, Megan Evans, Morgan Finley, McKenzie Kruk, Amanda Luciano and Lauren Mathewson make up one of the largest freshman classes in the swim team's history.

Mathewson and Luciano bring a combined eight swimming letters from high school, including Mathewson's All-American honors earned as a junior and senior and Luciano's school record in the 50-free. In addition, Mathewson earned all-league honors all four years at Canyon High School.

With one of the larger and more talented group of freshman in program history combined with the experience of some of the Lions' most decorated swimmers, the 2003-04 season is looking to be one of the program's best.

- GO LIONS -