Head Coach: Chris Schleider (3rd Season)
Last Season: 8th in Nassau County (Conference I)
Key Returnees: Andy Lee, Scott Holtzman, Ashwin Kelkar, Edan Zitelny.
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Key Newcomers: Michael Hilnbrand, Sean Ritolo.
Key Losses: Kevin Flannery, now swimming for the University of Tampa.
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Outlook: It's not uncommon for a coach to lose sleep over losing. After all, a coach's job is to win, and when that doesn't happen the job may become more of a chore. But it isn't the thought of losing that worries Syosset swimming coach Chris Schleider, it's the winning.
"In the past, we haven't had a lot of shots at victory," says Schleider about the adjustment from being towards the bottom of Conference I to the top of Conference II. "This year, we get an opportunity to beat some teams and our kids have to maintain focus even when we're winning."
While the drop in conference may appear to be nothing more than bookkeeping, the impact on the team is huge.
"Last year, we played in Conference I and we may have won two meets," Schleider said." This year, we may only lose two meets. it's a big adjustment."
Although he may be worried about how they'll handle prosperity, Schleider has little concern about his teams' preparation.
"In the three years that I've had the team, this is the most focused they've been," he said. "I think we're really going to show a depth this year in events that, in the past, we haven't been very strong in."
The Braves should shine in distance swimming and diving.
They expect to compete for a Conference II championship. To do so, the Braves will have to go through Wantagh and Farmingdale.
Big Meets to Watch:
Friday 12/17/2010 – Syosset @ Long Beach, 5:00pm
Tuesday 1/4/2011 – Wantagh @ Syosset, 4:30pm
Tuesday 1/11/2011 – Massapequa @ Syosset, 4:30pm
Tuesday 1/18/2011 – Syosset @ Farmingdale, 4:30pm
