LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University swim team is set to dive into the 2008-09 season.

The Lady Eagles are a very young team, which will be made up of 11 freshman, three sophomores, four juniors and just one senior.

Despite the youth, LHU head coach Andy Waeger, who is entering his fourth season is excited.

Waeger notes that is the largest team that will swim under his tutelage.

Leading the way in the pool for LHU this season will be returning All-American Amanda Terray (Coaldale, Pa./Panther Valley). The sophomore will be looking to pick up right where she left off as her rookie season marked the most successful campaign of any Lady Eagle swimmer in history.

Terray, who specializes in the backstroke events took home All-American honors in the 100 and 200 backstroke. She also became the school’s first ever Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion after taking home the 100 backstroke title. Terray, who placed third at the NCAA Division II National Championship in the 200 and sixth in the 100 backstroke, was also named PSAC Rookie of the Year.

At the NCAA Championships she competed in three events and swam lifetime bests in all five of her races. Terray holds two school records including the 100 (57.11) and 200 (2:01.95) backstroke events. Her 24.22 in the 50 freestyle ranks number-two all-time and she has the third fastest time in the 100 free.

Waeger says, Terray has the all the tools and he is very excited about her potential. He is looking forward to seeing her build on her successes from her rookie year.

Lock Haven’s lone senior is Shannon Samanka (DuBois, Pa./DuBois). Samanaka will be the first woman to swim all four seasons under Waeger and she has really stepped up as the team leader.

Samanka holds the school’s fifth best time in the 1650 freestyle (19:51.66).

Waeger is looking for her to cap off her career swimming stellar times.

LHU’s foursome of juniors is Amanda Palmer (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East), Ashley Lightcap (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown), Becky Fountaine (Wantage, N.J./High Point),) and Shannon Wilbur (Altoona, Pa./Altoona).

Palmer is ready to go this season, according to Waeger, who calls her one of his hardest workers. She is holds the second fastest time in school history in the 400 IM with a mark of 4:51.07.

Lightcap competed at the PSAC Championships last year as a part of LHU’s relay teams. This year she will look to qualify individually and Waeger certainly feels she is capable of doing just that.

Wilbur and Fountaine have both shown huge improvements and Waeger doesn’t expect that trend to end this season.

Along with Terray, the Lady Eagles have two other sophomores including Ashley Gardner (Smyrna, Del./Dover) and Brittany Williams (North East, Pa./North East).

Both will be looking for big swims for LHU all season long.

The Haven’s 11-women rookie class is made up of Kasey Campbell (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy), Samantha Durham (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville), Nicole Faulstick (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown Area), Meghan Grenier (Milmont Park, Pa./Ridley), Janel Kinard (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown), Erin McCracken (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown), Lucy Mills (Laurel, Md./Cedar Brooke Academy), Sarah Navarro (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley), Bailey Reitz (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley), Allison Schaefer (Allentown, N.J./Hamilton East) and Rachel Vagnoni (Norristown, Pa./Norristown).

Kasey and Durham should both be PSAC qualifiers and could really help benefit Lock Haven’s relays.

Waeger is also excited about the prospects of Vagnoni, Navarro and Kinard, who could quickly become standout swimmers. Faulstick and McCraken have a very strong swimming background and should really make the transition to collegiate swimming.

Reitz, Grenier and Schaefer should show some drastic improvements as the season goes on.

Waeger feels that this season the Lady Eagles should qualify their most ever for the PSAC Championships.

As always Lock Haven’s goal will be to the top women’s only program at the conference championship.

The Lady Eagles will hit the pool this weekend as they travel to the Clarion Fall Classic. The meet kicks off Friday, Oct. 24 and runs until Saturday (Oct. 25). LHU’s first home meet is a dual meet against East Stroudsburg on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Zimmerli Pool. The PSAC Championships are set for February 19-22 at Cumberland Valley High School. The NCAA Division II National Championships are set for March 11-14 at the University of Houston.