The bar has been set high for the back-to-back nonscholarship national champion Jamestown Community College women’s swimming & diving team as they compete at the 2023 NJCAA Swimming & Diving National Championships hosted at Burt Flickinger Center.

“We know what the task is at hand and we want to go out and win another,” said head coach Todd Conklin. “It’s hard to win one, but to win three in a row is even harder. Our swimmers know what they have to do and they are preparing themselves for the upcoming week.”

Leading the Jayhawks will be sophomores Jenna Fiebiger (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Fourways HS) and Kylee Hennessy (Warren, Pennsylvania/Warren Area HS), who were on the national championship team a year ago, to go along with transfer Madison Kramer (Falconer/Falconer CS).

“Madison and Jenna have been leading us this season and done a nice job for us,” Conklin said. “Kylee has continued to grow strong as her years have progressed and we are expecting big things from her as well.”

Joining the sophomores will be the freshmen trio of Stacey Blackler (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Edenvale), Hannah Eckert (Frewsburg/Frewsburg CS), and Lindsey Spitz (Jamestown/Jamestown HS).

“Hannah, Stacey and Lindsey will all play important roles this week as well,” Conklin said. “They are all swimming some of their best times of the season to date and we look to continue the growth this week.”

The Jayhawks are coming off Region 3 Championship runnerup performance where they had a total of 32 All-Region honors. Kramer had eight First Team All-Region events; Spitz had six First Team All-Region events and one Second Team All-Region event; Fiebiger had four First Team All-Region events and three Second Team All-Region events; Eckert had three First Team All-Region events and three Second Team All-Region events; and Blackler had two First Team All-Region events and two Second Team All-Region events. Kramer was also named he NJCAA Region 3 Swimmer of the Year and NJCAA Region 3 Swimmer of the Meet.

Competition will begin at 10 a.m. today and run through Saturday.

MEN

The task this week for the Jamestown Community College men’s swimming & diving team is to focus individually as it competes at the 2023 NJCAA Swimming & Diving National Championships hosted at the Burt Flickinger Center.

“Focus on your individual selves,” head coach Todd Conklin said when talking about his swimmers. “It’s nice to have four guys for the relays, to score those extra points and get us higher in the standings, but there are also the individual events that I believe we will really flourish.”

Making his return to the national stage will be the lone sophomore Joseph Keyser (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake CS), who Conklin has put a lot of faith and credit in helping build the men’s team.

“Joseph has done a nice job over the past two years in helping build the men’s side and help lead them,” said Conklin. “He’s been like a coach in the pool for us and he has been great for us.”

Joining Keyser will be the freshmen trio of Steven Zentz (Dunkirk/Dunkirk), Maxim Johnson (Johannesburg, South Africa/King Edwards VII School) and Josh Carr (Wigan, England/Standish Community), who all bring something to the pool.

“Steven is starting to come on strong for us to the point of what he is really capable of,” Conklin said. “Maxim is going to be our lead guy and we expect a lot out of him. This is a stepping stone for him as he closes out his freshman year and starting his sophomore year. For Josh, he has been a huge addition to us as he allows us to have those relay teams and it’s nice to have him around, to experience a new sport, and to be a dual athlete.”

The Jayhawks are coming off a third-place finish in the Region 3 Championships where they had a total of 16 All-Region honors. Johnson had six First Team All-Region events; Keyser and Zentz had two First Team and two Second Team All-Region events; and Carr had two First Team All-Region events. Johnson was also named the NJCAA Region 3 Swimmer of the Year and NJCAA Region 3 Championships Swimmer of the Meet.

Competition will begin at 10 a.m. today and run through Saturday.