The 2007-08 St. Joe's Swim Team achieved considerable success in the program's inaugural varsity season under head coach Rebecca Biggs. The women's squad posted a 5-2 record and earned a 5th place finish in the GNAC Championships. Three individuals earned New England A Qualifying times and all eight members of the women's team contributed to the team's success in the New England Championships as members of relay teams.

The men's team, decimated by injuries for the better part of the season, was defeated in a pair of meets during the season but showed improvement and reason for optimism in the future. The returners are excited about next year's incoming recruits and look forward to staying healthy and competing next winter.

Freshman Lindsay D'Ascanio (Kennebunk, ME) was named as the 2008 Saint Joseph's College Female Newcomer of the Year and the GNAC Swimming Rookie of the Year and posted an impressive rookie campaign with seventeen individual first place finishes and nine relay top finishes. D'Ascanio won both of her individual events at the GNAC Championships and set a meet record in the 50-meter butterfly event. For her efforts, D'Ascanio was recognized as the GNAC Rookie Swimmer of the Week five times during the 2007-08 season. Junior Ashton Piers (Falmouth, ME) also enjoyed a terrific season and was named as the conference swimmer of the week three times during the year. Sophomore Lindsay Bates (Waterville, ME) was the St. Joe's swim team recipient of the GNAC Sportsmanship Award.

Coach Biggs announced the SJC Swim Team Awards after the season and D'Ascanio was named as the Women's Swimming Most Valuable Player. Lindsay Bates was tabbed as the Women's Swimming Most Improved Player after earning two individual top finishes, both in the 100-free, and two relay first place finishes for the Royal Blue swim program this season. Bates participated in the New England Championship Finals as a member of the 200-free, 200-medley, 800-free and 400-free relay teams. Junior Nick Zecher (Mansfield, MA) took home the 2007-08 Men's Swimming Most Valuable Player Award. Zecher earned a first place finish in the 400-free at Elms College on December 8th and finished in second five times this year for Coach Biggs.

Junior Pat Decola (Methuen, MA) received the 2007-08 Men's Swimming Most Improved honor. DeCola took home two first place finishes at the Elms College meet and finished in second twice during the season.

The team's season began on October 27th with a meet in Bangor, ME hosted by Husson College. The SJC 200-medley team of FY Katie Brooks (North Kingstown, RI), Ashton Piers, Lindsay D'Ascanio and SO Erin Brady (Quincy, MA) registered the program's first ever first-place finish with a time of 2:10.30. Brooks notched the program's first women's individual victory in the 50-Backstroke event with a time of 32.96 as the women went on to win 11 of 14 events at the meet to defeat Husson 143-114.

The men's team fell to Regis College, 81-30, in the squad's first meet on November 18th as junior swimmers Pat DeCola and Nick Zecher turned in personal-best times.

After the women defeated Regis 134-117 to improve to 2-0 on the season, the team went on to participate in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Simmons College (MA). Freshman Lindsay D'Ascanio achieved a Championship Meet record in the 50 fly with a time of 28.96 and also won the 200-fly event with a time of 2:24.65. The women earned a fifth-place finish in the meet, ahead of conference opponents Norwich University and Husson College.

Although the men lost their final meet at Elms College on December 8th 84-39, Pat DeCola recorded the program's first men's individual victory with a 39.90 time in the 50-Backstroke event. DeCola also earned a first-place finish in the 50-Butterfly and teammate Nick Zecher won the 400-Freestyle race at the meet.

The women's squad also suffered a defeat at the hands of the Elms College Blazers, 140-114. D'Ascanio continued her string of strong performances with individual first place finishes in the 100 fly and 100 IM. She was also a member of the top finishing medley relay and the 2nd place 200 free relay.

The SJC women's team was defeated by the University of New England, 147-81, on January 7th in Biddeford, ME. St. Joe's was led by Ashton Piers, who earned all three of the team's first place finishes in the contest. Piers won the 50-yard breaststroke (37:09), 100-yard breaststroke (1:20.34) and the 100-yard individual medley (1:10.85) and achieved New England qualifying times in all three events.

The women halted the two-meet skid and won 13 of 14 events against Husson College in Bangor, ME on January 12th to cruise to victory and score a season-high 151 team points. Ashton Piers, Erin Brady and Lindsay D'Ascanio all earned three individual first place finishes in the competition. The three swimmers tallied 38 points apiece for their efforts. Katie Brooks had two top finishes and 33 points. The triumph improved the team's season record to 3-2.

The St. Joe's women earned wins over both Husson College and host team Wheelock College, 82-31 and 64-59, respectively, in a double dual meet on January 26th to conclude the team's first season with a 5-2 record. D'Ascanio took home three first-place finishes and Piers added a pair of individual victories in the three-team meet.

The Saint Joseph's College women's team placed 18th in the New England Championships to cap the squad's inaugural varsity season. D'Ascanio returned to the finals in all three of her individual events and earned a team-best 13th place finish in the 50-Butterfly with a time of 29.77.

The upcoming 2008-09 season should be an exciting one for Coach Biggs and her men's and women's swim teams. Both teams return intact and a talented recruiting class will surely help build upon the team's successful inaugural season. Coach Biggs projects that the number of swimmers on both teams next year will likely double as a result of her recruiting efforts.

Women's team captains for the 2008-09 season will be Ashton Piers, who will be a senior, and upcoming juniors Lindsay Bates and Danielle Harmon (Poland, ME). Men's captains for next year will be upcoming seniors Pat DeCola and Nick Zecher.