ISL Rosters: Andrew Returns, NY Breakers Bolster Sprints With Ottesen, McEvoy

International Swimming League 2020: New York Breakers

• 2019 finish: 8th
• 2019 MVP: Michael Andrew (100 MVP points)

The New York Breakers struggled for depth last season. Versatile sprinter and team captain Michael Andrew is tailor-made for the ISL format, but he had to take on too many races and the relays just didn’t rise up around him. It’s a major roster shakeup in year two for the Breakers, with just eight returning swimmers from last year’s roster.

Additions

• Kasia Wasick (CAC)
• Jeanette Ottesen (LON)
• Sarah Vasey (LON)
• Boglarka Kapas (LON)
• Ajna Kesely (IRO)
• Signe Bro (CAC)
• Daria Ustinova
• Svetlana Chimrova
• Meg Bailey
• Arina Surkova
• Tevyn Waddell (NCAA)
• Mollie O’Callaghan
• Pieter Timmers (IRO)
• Cameron McEvoy (LON)
• Adam Telegdy (IRO)
• Jan Switkowski (CAC)
• Felix Auboeck (NCAA)
• Brandonn Almeida
• Matthew Temple
• Matt Richards
• Damian Wierling
• Joe Litchfield
• James Wilby

The Breakers mined the European teams to bolster their sprint freestyle and skin race depth charts. Former London Roar duo Cameron McEvoy and Jeanette Ottesen are the big names. The Australian McEvoy made the semifinal of the men’s skin race in last year’s Lewisville meet. Ottesen, from Denmark, mostly got crowded out of sprint free in London’s deep lineup, but projects as New York’s top threat in the 50/100 frees and 50/100 flys.

Belgium’s Pieter Timmers is another solid sprinter who should build out the relays. He makes the leap from the Hungary-based team Iron. Distance freestyler Boglarka Kapas joins the team from the London Roar as well – she’ll slot in as the top 400 freestyler on the team, and fellow London-to-NY free agent Sarah Vasey is perhaps the team’s top breaststroker.

And New York pulled flyer/IMer Jan Switkowski and sprint freestyler Kasia Wasick from the Cali Condors, last year’s top-scoring American team.

There are also a few key additions from outside the ISL. 17-year-old Matt Richards is an exciting rising sprinter out of Great Britain, and could turn out to be a massive pickup, especially if New York is able to retain him long-term. Felix Auboeck was one of the top NCAA distance freestylers the past few years, and he joins the pro ranks.

Russian backstroker Daria Ustinova is the team’s top threat in all three backstrokes, and NCAA grad Tevyn Waddell should probably fall in behind her in those races.

Losses

• Madi Wilson
• Breeja Larson
• Pernille Blume
• Ali DeLoof
• Catie DeLoof
• Gabby DeLoof
• Emily Overholt
• Tayla Lovemore
• Haley Black
• Lia Neal
• Reva Foos
• Alys Thomas
• Clyde Lewis
• Markus Thormeyer
• Marcelo Chierighini
• Marius Kusch
• Tomas Peribonio
• Joao de Lucca
• Jack McLoughlin
• Grigory Tarasevich
• Mack Darragh
• Jacob Pebley
• Jonathan Gomez
• Ryan Coetzee
• Brad Tandy
• Pedro Spajari
• Justin Lynch

There’s a ton of turnover on this roster. Adding McEvoy, Ottesen, Timmers, Wasick and Richards was a necessity, because basically all of the team’s skin race entrants (outside of Andrew) are gone.

Marcelo Cherighini and Brad Tandy held the spots behind Andrew last year; they’re out the door. Pernille Blume is gone on the women’s side, which is a big hit. All three DeLoof sisters – Ali, Catie, and Gabby – are off the roster.

New York also loses Australian Madi Wilson, although she wasn’t nearly as valuable last year as a sprint freestyler as she perhaps projected to be in backstroke. Still, Wilson was the team’s top female finisher in MVP points for the 2019 season, and four of the team’s top five scorers (Wilson, Breeja Larson, Clyde Lewis, Pernille Blume) are gone, leaving only Andrew.

Returners

• Emily Escobedo
• Mikkayla Sheridan
• Abbey Harkin
• Abbie Wood
• Michael Andrew
• Marco Koch
• Brendon Smith
• Chris Reid

Michael Andrew remains an elite ISL talent. Despite swimming on the league’s lowest-finishing team (which cost him the chance at a fourth scoring meet), he hit the triple digits in MVP points. Among swimmers whose teams didn’t get to participate in the league championship meet in Vegas, Andrew placed 4th in overall scoring.

Breastroker Emily Escobedo is the highest-scoring returner on the women’s side, and adding Vasey should give the Breakers a solid 1-2 punch in breaststroke.

ISL teams were allowed to ‘protect’ eight athletes apiece, and the Breakers have just eight total returners. Abbey Harkin and Abbie Wood should mostly cover the IMs, and Mikkayla Sheridan is solid free and back depth.

On the men’s side, Marco Koch is kind of a one-trick pony, but is a very solid 200 breaststroker, covering for the only breaststroke events where Andrew isn’t a star. And both Brendon Smith (free/IM) and Chris Reid (back) are more distance-oriented as well.

Full Roster

Women:

• Kasia Wasick
• Emily Escobedo
• Jeanette Ottesen
• Sarah Vasey
• Boglarka Kapas
• Ajna Kesely
• Mikkayla Sheridan
• Abbey Harkin
• Abbie Wood
• Signe Bro
• Daria Ustinova
• Svetlana Chimrova
• Meg Bailey
• Arina Surkova
• Tevyn Waddell
• Mollie O’Callaghan

Men:

• Michael Andrew
• Marco Koch
• Pieter Timmers
• Cameron McEvoy
• Adam Telegdy
• Jan Switkowski
• Brendon Smith
• Chris Reid
• Felix Auboeck
• Brandonn Almeida
• Matthew Temple
• Joe Litchfield
• James Wilby
• Matt Richards
• Damian Wierling