Expectations are set high for the Malvern swimming team, with a good freshman class as ying to the talented senior yang.

Following an Inter-Ac championship last year, the bar is set high for the Malvern swim team this year. They have multiple talented returning seniors and a good supporting cast of underclassmen.

The Malvern swim team maintains talent from last year’s Inter-Ac winning team, with many of them committed to colleges for swimming.

“We have a talented group of seniors this year,” Head Coach Mr. Jay Schiller said. “Billy Beard, who has accepted a scholarship to swim for the Penn State Nittany Lions, is our returning individual All- American. He will be the key for us in the sprint [freestyle] and the butterfly.”

This year, seniors Aaron Salinas and Will Schaffer are the team captains.

Aaron has committed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and will swim their next year. Schaffer is currently being recruited by a couple Ivy League schools and is soon to make a decision. Schaffer’s brother, C.J. ’14, currently swims at the University of Pennsylvania.

“We are going to rely heavily on our captains for their leadership and swimming ability,” Schiller said.

Other keys to this year’s season will be All-American relay member Zach Maher and distance swimmer Cullen Robinson.
“This year we have a couple good freshman coming in with a solid team from last year,” Robinson said. “I believe that we can win the Inter-Ac undefeated, with only The Haverford School standing in our way.”

The team is giving high praise for this freshman class, hoping that they will fill in the gaps. Not only will this be beneficial this year, but it is a good sign for things to come in the future.

“The freshman have been the surprise of the season so far. We have a very talented and large [freshman] class, that we are looking to getting contribution from,” Schiller said. “Our depth is going to be outstanding and it will be a huge factor in beating The Haverford School for an Inter-Ac Title,” he said.

Schiller also said that he expects the divers this year to have a huge improvement with sophomore Patrick Sayers and freshman Trevor Henderson leading the way.