Keene State swim teams ranked in national poll

             KEENE, N.H. 12/21/11 – If you told Jack Fabian when he took over the Keene State College swimming program six years ago that both his Owl men's and women's teams would become nationally ranked and send swimmers to the NCAA Division III championship on a consistent basis, he might have said that you were seeing the future through foggy goggles.
            "Back then, I wasn't exactly sure about the prospects for the program," Fabian conceded. "That was the dream. It's really exciting to see it come together and have high level swimming at Keene State."
            Fabian got further credence of his programs' stature this week when both Keene State men's and women's teams were ranked in the College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division III Coaches Poll. Ranked 24th, the KSC men's team achieved its first national ranking while the Owl women, who have been hovering in the poll the past few years, were 26th in the most recent edition.
            "I think people are watching us," said Fabian. "They respect the program and feel we have the talent and the potential to swim well."
            The fact that Keene State upped the ante, by upgrading their dual meet schedule and competing against teams like MIT, Tufts, and Springfield didn't hurt. "We wanted to see how we ranked among the best teams in the region," Fabian said.
            Recently concluding its first semester of competition, the Owls have already filled the pool with several notable accomplishments. The Keene State women's team captured its sixth consecutive and ninth overall Little East Conference Championship. The Owls broke four championship records, including two by freshman Diana Primer (West Haven, Conn.) in the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. The Owls dominated the 2011 All-Little East Women's Swimming & Diving Teams, earning 21 spots.
            The Keene State men's team had an equally successful semester. The Owls finished third overall in a very talent-rich field at the MIT Winter Invitational, beating teams like Bowdoin, Tufts, and Wheaton and Colby. Sophomore Drew Ledwith (Keene, N.H.) posted an NCAA automatic qualification time at the meet, winning the 1,650 free in 15:37.13. Ledwith earned All-American honors with his third-place finish in the event last year.  Both teams concluded the semester with strong performances against Roger Williams University.
            "When I took over, (KSC AD) John Ratliff and (Assist AD) Rob Colbert told me they wanted a team on the level of soccer and basketball and the other top programs at the College," said Fabian. "I really felt we had the potential to have a good swimming program, but it wasn't anywhere near the quality of the other teams at the time. Now I feel really good going to the coaches' meetings. The swim team is doing a great job representing Keene State."
            After taking some time off for the holidays, the Owls will fly down to Florida for 10 days of training. KSC will work out at the St. Andrews School in Boca Raton with several teams, including the Michigan State and U.S. swim teams. They will also compete in an open-water race and a meet that will include several top Division III teams.
            "It's our last chance to do some endurance and conditioning work," said Fabian. "We'll be in a 50-meter pool, so it will give them a different training look. Hopefully it will challenge them and make them stronger."
            The Keene State women have back-to-back LEC meets against Plymouth State and Eastern Conn. on Jan. 11 and 14, respectively, while the Owl men get back in the pool on Jan. 21 in a dual meet against Bentley University.