It has been one month to the day since the last time that the Clarkson University Swim team competed in its final dual meets of the season. Since beating Utica and Cazenovia on January 21st, the Golden Knights have been training in preparation for their biggest annual event, the UNYSCSA Championships, which will be held over the next four days at the Webster Aquatics Complex.

With the Psych Sheet recently released for the 2012 UNYSCSA Championships, head coach Mick Maguire has many decisions to make for Clarkson to put its best foot forward. Numerous names fill the prep sheets for all coaches, with some lists extending into the 80s. No race will actually have that many competitors, but it certainly makes a plethora, if not innumerable, possibilities for the Golden Knights.

Heading the way for the men is senior Mike Rowe (Glenville, NY), who will almost certainly participate in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Rowe placed in the top 12 in each event last year and is fifth on the psych sheet in the 200 backstroke. However, Rowe is also listed on three other event sheets. Joining him on the both the 100 and 200 backstroke lists are Tyler Nichols (Spencerport, NY), Stephen Maxwell (Latham, NY), and Aaron Cubells (Hamden, CT), among others. High expectations exist for plenty of other swimmers in the specialty events. Chris Plummer (Spencerport, NY) is listed as the top male on both the 100 and 200 breaststroke lists for the Knights, along with Michael Mahoney (Andover, NY), Aaron Parysek (Spencerport, NY), and Barry Pawlowski (Cheektowaga, NY). Junior Sean Parnett (Clifton Park, NY) finished 18th last year in the 200 butterfly and he is the top male on the sheet for the Knights this season as well, joining Nate Menapace (Baldwinsville, NY), who is also on the 100 butterfly list with Aaron Kreher (Clarence, NY), Maxwell, and Liam Sharkey (Malta, NY). Mike Rowe finds himself on the 200 and 400 individual medley bulletins as well, along with Nichols. Plummer, Cubells, and Parysek show up on the 200 individual medley list, too.

In the freestyle events, Clarkson has ample options in varied distances. Parnett came in 16th in the 1650 freestyle last year and is Clarkson's top hope according to the times this year. Nicholas Hens (Liverpool, NY), and Jeremy Ozolins (Weedsport, NY) are also on the marathon listing. In the more manageable distances, the Knights will pin their hopes on Paul Telesca (Liverpool, NY), who paced Clarkson in numerous dual meets in the 50 and 100 freestyle races. Some hopefuls in the sprints are Aaron Kreher, Mike Tarsel (Baldwinsville, NY), and Mitchell Maciuba (Clarence, NY), and other names to look for by the conclusion of the 40 events on Saturday are Nick Clemens (Lowville, NY), Paul Kreppel (Clarence, NY), Aadit Patel (Stratford, CT), Alex Trass (Greene, NY), and Raymond Bailey (Galway, NY).

For the women, there is no certainty except for that junior Colleen Daly (Manlius, NY) will swim in the 1650 freestyle and that Kimberly Stillittano (Binghamton, NY) will participate in the 400 individual medley. Both are the only names listed for each event, and the duo did well at last year's event, with Daly placing 20th in the distance freestyle and Stillittano coming in 26th in her all-around effort in the individual medley. Stillittano is also listed as the top performer in the 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke, so she will likely race in those events.

Senior Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY) has the top spots for the Knights in the 200 and 500 freestyle races, as she placed 23rd and 29th, respectively, in those events last year. Kelly Mulvehill (Penfield, NY) and Courtney Karszes (Stanley, NY) join Bonan on both lists while Stillittano, Daly, Deonna Coleman (Derby, NY), Abby Luber (Camillus, NY), and Katrina Smith (Ballston Spa, NY) are listed on one event or the other. The sprint freestyle races see Jillian Brown's (Kenmore, NY) name atop both lists for Clarkson, with various other names joining her. Kelly Ludeke (Burnt Hills, NY) has performed well as a freshman this year and joins Brown on the 50 freestyle, while topping the 200 breaststroke index. Classmate Emily Dreisbach (Charlton, NY) is right behind Brown and Bonan on the 100 freestyle register, and tops the 100 and 200 butterfly listing, where she again joins Brown and other freshmen Jaclyn Yeaton (Merrimack, NH) and Kelly Mulvehill.

Several of the events are a virtual coin flip for coach Maguire as so many of the women rank so closely together on the psych sheets. After Stillittano in the 200 individual medley, Lindsey Borakove (New York, NY), Caitlin Joyce (Walden, NY) and Anne Hawn (Gouverneur, NY) are possibilities, and all could either participate in the 200 backstroke and/or the 100 and 200 breaststroke events as well. Joyce likely will be in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events as she is the top time in the shorter run of those two events. Some other names to look for in the 100 back race and the shorter freestyle runs are Kelsey Jones (Kattskill Bay, NY), Lauren Malone (Plattsburgh, NY), and Alexandra Pesold (Massena, NY).