2006-07 Men’s Swimming Preview

The 2006-07 Lehman Lightning Coaching Staff believes this year’s team has the potential to be one of the best in school history. That’s saying a lot considering the Men’s team is coming off a championship season as the Lightning men ran away with the 2005-06 CUNYAC Championships by recording a record number of points (643) and outdistancing the field by almost 300.

Head Coach Peter Kiernan oversees the entire organization of the program but relies heavily upon the expertise of his assistant coaches, Freddy Sanchez, Carlos De Los Santos, and Wendy Martinez for the daily implementation of the program. They have worked closely over the last three years to put together a team consisting of outstanding stroke performers and tremendous team depth that remains their strength.

Leading the men’s team will be Darnell James (Jr. Saunders, Yonkers, NY), a two time CUNY Conference Most Outstanding Performer and CUNYAC Record Holder in the 100 Butterfly along with fellow Yonkers’ resident Walter Lugo (Sr. Lincoln HS), the soul of the team who also swims the butterfly stroke. Coach Kiernan attributes much of the growth and success of the team over the past three years to Lugo for helping instill the drive the team needed to attain its’ current high level of performance.

Other major contributors this season will be Junior Joseph Bodden from South Bronx HS, “a great talent who has developed into one of the teams most versatile swimmers” specializing in Breaststroke and Sprint Freestyle, along with Junior Hector Pena, a teammate of Bodden at South Bronx HS who finished second to Darnell James at Conference in the 100 Butterfly giving the Lightning a lethal one-two combination. “Our swimmers also learn to swim many different events so we have the versatility to match up better against another team’s strength. This gives us an opportunity to be competitive against most teams.” As a Division III school the Lightning presently carry two Division II schools on their schedule.

Second year swimmers Matt DeTiberiis (Lehman HS) IM and Distance Freestyle, and Miguel Delgado (Clinton) Butterfly and Middle Distance Freestyle, and Johan Lopez (Msgr. McClancy HS) Diving and Freestyle, and Oscar Ramos (Jane Addams) Backstroke, provide depth from the second unit. First year members Jason Santana, Matt Martinez, Vadim Banshchikov, Michael Toro, and Genc Hasangjekaj will develop as they gain experience during the first half.

Kiernan feels that as the team develops its new talent, the second semester will be much stronger. Adding to the group will be the return the return of Conference Champions Kostya Slavashevich, (200 Freestyle) and Bud Rivera (50 Freestyle) and Conference All-Star Steve Guerrero as well as Jordan Kalus (500 Freestyle).

“Fortunately all of our conference meets and the championship tournament is in the second semester when our team will be closer to full strength and better prepared for the challenge.”
Each year college teams change so you’re never quite sure how you match up with the rest of the conference, but with the versatility of this Lightning squad, they should be in the hunt for another outstanding season.