The St. Bonaventure swimming and diving team is set host the Canisius Golden Griffins Saturday afternoon at the Reilly Center Pool for a 1:00PM start.
Prior to the start of the meet, Head Coach Sean McNamee and the Department of Athletics will honor the five graduating seniors on this year’s team.
Gregg Byrne has been a solid contributor for Coach McNamee in the distance freestyle and medley events. Earlier this season in a meet vs. Colgate, he won the 1000-yd freestyle and posted a second place finish in the 200-yd butterfly.
Thomas Caulfield has been a versatile swimmer over his four years, swimming both distance freestyle and medley events. Last season he placed 17th in the 1650 freestyle event at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
Alex Marra has been one of the most successful divers in recent history for St. Bonaventure. The highlight of Marra’s career thus far came last season when he was awarded the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Diver award for the 2015 Championship after he won the 1-meter diving event and finished second in the 3-meter event.
Michael Pilyugin has one of the most impressive resumes in recent St. Bonaventure swimming history. As a sophomore he was named the Atlantic 10 championship performer of the meet. He holds two individual Atlantic 10 records in the 200-yd freestyle and 200-yd backstroke events, and was a member of three other relays that set Atlantic 10 records. He also holds the third fastest 50-yd freestyle swim in Atlantic 10 history, swimming a 19.95 to lead off the 200-yd freestyle relay.
Matthew Schutt has competed in the breastroke and freestyle events for the Bonnies. He had an immediate impact as a freshman as member of both the 200 and 400-yd medley relays that took home gold medals. As a sophomore he was again a member of both the 200 and 400 medley relays that repeated as Atlantic 10 champions.
“This has been one of the most successful senior classes I have had in my time at St. Bonaventure,” Coach McNamee said of his graduating class.
“To be able to win two conference championships is something not many people can say they have done,”
“It is a well rounded group of individuals and swimmers, they will be missed next season.”
This will be the first of two home meets for the Bonnies this season. The second one comes in Feb. vs. the University of New York at Buffalo.
Swimming news courtesy of St. Bonaventure Swimming & Diving.
