Women’s Swimming Season Preview
Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)
Patchogue, NY| A year after finishing third in the 2014-15 Skyline Conference Championships, the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) women's swimming team will open its first season under the direction of first-year head coach Stephanie Palmeri when they open the season at home against Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday, October 24.
Palmeri, who arrives from Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI), where she served as an assistant coach for the men's and women's swimming teams, believes the team will remain competitive throughout the 2015-16 campaign.
"Ideally we would like to finish in the top-three at the conference championships again," said Palmeri. "Aside from that, we have set our own team and individual goals that we hope to accomplish come season's end."
In her first year at the helm, Palmeri will turn to returners Kim Mazza (Sr., Bohemia, NY) and Gabrielle Zollo (Jr., West Islip) to set the tone. Mazza—a freestyle sprinter—and Zollo—a butterfly and distance freestyle specialist—earned 2013-14 All-Skyline Conference Second-Team selections in the 400 yard freestyle relay, with the latter also earning Second-Team honors in the 200 yard butterfly.
Along with sophomore Marissa Palmeri, Zollo and Mazza will be expected to lead both in the pool and in the locker room. "Our returns are proving to be strong leaders, and it will be vital to the development of our recruits to learn from them, added Palmeri.
The 2015-16 recruiting class includes freshmen Natalie Armellino and Catherine Peralta (Ronkonkoma, NY), both of which Palmeri claims are "very athletic and will be expected to swim in multiple events."
"This team has a lot of potential, and that paired with the fact that they're bonding well can make us a dangerous team in the conference."
Filling out the rest of the roster are Sara Viola (Jr., Brightwaters, NY), Julianne Garvey (So., Hauppauge, NY), Alexis Donin (Sr., Setauket, NY), Lorraine Diehl (So., Ronkonkoma, NY) and Corrine Araneo (Jr., Cutchogue, NY). Donin was a Second-Team 100 backstroke selection in 2013-14, and Diehl earned a Skyline Rookie of the Week nod in December of last season.
The team's season-opening meets on October 24 will take place at home inside the Danzi Center. Other meets of note include a home date with Sarah Lawrence and Maritime on Friday, October 20 and an away meet at Mount Saint Mary against the Knights and Maritime.
The conference championships will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 29-30 on the campus of Maritime.