Men's Swimming and Diving Preview: Purple Raiders Looking to Build Depth

The 2010-11 Mount Union men's swimming and diving team will have to rely on its 10 returners after losing seven seniors to graduation.

Senior Matt Carlozzi (Canfield/Canfield) and Eric Langley (Fairview Park/Fairview) and sophomores Rob Brocious (Mentor/Mentor) and Michael Greisl (South Euclid/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) are the squad's top returners.

Carlozzi and Greisl were All-Ohio Athletic Conference individual performers in 2009-10. At the OAC Championships, Carlozzi was second in the 200 free and third in the 500 and 1,650 free events. Greisl placed among the top five in three events, including a second-place finish in the 100 free.

Brocious, who was among the top six in three separate events, recorded his top finish in the 500 free (fourth). Langley is back after taking fifth in the 200 butterfly.

Brocious, Carlozzi and Greisl were members of last year's school-record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay team (6:58.59), which helped it place second at OACs for all-conference honors.

Other returners are seniors Paul Carpenter (Aurora/Aurora), Steve Ljubi (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and Tommy Pellett (Newark/Newark Catholic), junior Dominique Melvin (Woodmere/Orange) and sophomores Ben Davies (Willoughby/Willoughby South) and Ian Perry (Perry/Perry).

Carlozzi and Ljubi are the team captains.

"We're looking for consistent development from the whole team," head coach Eric Mojock said. "We will also be trying to fill depth where we're a little weak."

The Purple Raiders are looking to improve on their fourth-place finish at last year's OACs. Their best previous finish was third in 2007-08.

"We're not too happy about it," Mojock said. "We would like to get back to where we were."

Newcomers include a transfer from Wingate University, junior Raymond Balint (Columbia, S.C./Lexington), and eight freshmen: Tom Bricmont (Bay Village/Bay), Michael Damis (Warren/Warren G. Harding), Andrew Kilgore (Berea/Berea), Zach Melvin (Woodmere/Orange), Zach Mills (Coshocton/RiverView), Austin Moreland (Dover/New Philadelphia), Jack Van Bibber (Mansfield/Ontario) and Mike Zappa (Shelby/Shelby)

Zappa is expected to provide depth in the buttefly events while Van Bibber is a sprinter and diver and Melvin is a sprinter and backstroker.