Mary Washington was selected as the preseason favorite to capture the Capital Athletic Conference men's swimming title in a preseason vote among the conference head coaches. The Eagles will aim to continue their impressive streak of success as they secured their 15^th straight conference crown last winter. Despite the loss of four-time national champion and three-time CAC Athlete of the Year Alex Anderson, UMW returns a strong score of All-CAC performers that earned them the top spot in the preseason poll.

UMW was the unanimous selection atop the poll with five first-place votes and 25 points, followed by York in second with one first-place nod and 21 points. St. Mary's (14 points), Marymount (13 points), Salisbury (12 points) and Frostburg State (5 points) rounded out the voting.

With the graduation of UMW's Anderson, York's Kyle Walthall remains the lone CAC swimmer with NCAA Championship experience. Walthall earned a pair of All-America finishes in breaststroke events at the national championships for the second straight year last winter, and also broke several school and conference records throughout the season.

The 2015-16 season opens this weekend as Mary Washington hosts Washington & Lee on Saturday and travels to Catholic on Sunday. All six CAC squads begin their seasons over the next few weeks, with each squad jumping into action in the month of October.

The 2016 CAC Championship meet is set for Feb. 19-21 at St. Mary's.

See below for the full scoop on each CAC squad entering the 2015-16 campaign:

FROSTBURG STATE head coach Justin Anderson is confident the depth and talent on his 2015-16 roster will be the strongest they have been in a decade. Behind current school-record holder, top-scorer and NCAA provisional qualifier, Christian March, the Bobcats are poised to be a top threat in the CAC this season.  Sophomore Zach Shattuck returns after a summer of competing internationally for the U.S. Paralympic team. FSU returns six top-scorers as well as bringing in two freshmen men who will contribute to points on relays as well as individual events. 

Fresh off its 15th consecutive CAC championship, MARY WASHINGTON returns a strong group of returners to lead a talented crew of newcomers, as the Eagles seek to send a large contingent to the NCAA Championships in March. Gone is the most decorated athlete in UMW history in Alex Anderson, the winner of four national championships, but the Eagles will look to a group that includes Tyler Gimple, Zach Eisig, Sean Mayer, Vance Solseth, Anthony Syephens, Kenyon Huber-Wilker, and Dallas Tarkenton.

MARYMOUNT looks to improve on its fifth-place finish at last year's CAC Championship. The Saints return All-CAC performer junior Tyler Hayes, who placed in the top-10 swimmers for the men's 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Also returning for the Saints is junior William Bryan who finished in the top-five swimmers for the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Bryan was also a member of the 400-yard medley relay team which placed third, and the 200-yard freestyle relay team which placed second.  

ST. MARY'S will led by senior captain Grant Burgess and junior Matt Walchuck, the team's co-MVPs from 2015. Last year, the duo combined for eight top-5 times at St. Mary's in the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1,000 freestyle, and 1,650 freestyle events. Burgess and Walchuck will guide an experienced team comprised of 12 letter winners and three newcomers.

SALISBURY into the 2015-16 season returning a core group of swimmers who all had successful seasons a year ago and led the Sea Gulls to a third-place finish at the CAC championships. Of 37 individual first-place finishes in the regular season last year, the Sea Gulls return the team members responsible for 28 of them. Leading the way for Salisbury will be its four returning All-CAC selections in senior Will Gough, and juniors Jake Blazer, Okan Eyigor and Scott Schirmer. Those four made up the 400-freestlye relay team that came in second at the CAC championships last season and set a school record in the process.

YORK welcomes back a strong core of swimmers headlined by four-time All-American Kyle Walthall. Walthall, the CAC record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, returns for his senior year as one of the best swimmers in the country. The Spartans, who finished second in the CAC last winter, welcome back CAC 100 backstroke champion Morgan Schreiber as the sophomore will expand his events this winter. Junior Russell Stoll and senior David Altobelli provide York with a pair of talented returners as the Spartans also welcome in a highly regarded eight man freshman class.

2015-16 CAC Men's Swimming Preseason Poll