Greg Chartier is a product of the system.
Born and raised in Amherst, Mass., the freshman swimming sensation has never drifted far from his roots.
When he’s not practicing his freestyle at Boyden Gymnasium, there’s a good chance he can be found across town coaching the Tritons, his former recreational team comprised of students from Amherst Regional Middle School.
“It’s just natural for me to swim and coach here in Amherst,” Chartier said. “I’ve known Russ (Yarworth, UMass men’s coach) since I was 13 and I started going to UMass meets when I was a kid, so Amherst swimming is really all I know.”
Last year when Chartier was a senior at Amherst Regional High, he became one of the country’s most heavily recruited swimmers. Named an All-American in the 200 yard individual medley, and state champion in the 200 yard IM and 100 yard free, he was also honored as the Massachusetts state Swimmer of the Year in 2002.
After losing 10 seniors to graduation last season, Yarworth, with an under aged squad of eight freshman and two transfers are about to face a mammoth task. Next Thursday the Minutemen will defend the A-10 title, which they’ve held the past three years.
“We were forced to put a lot of pressure on the freshman this year because we lost eight seniors who figured into the scoring during last year’s A-10’s,” Yarworth said. “I knew Greg and Evan (Swisher) were talented swimmers but I wasn’t sure how long it would take for them to get adjusted to the pace of collegiate races.”
From the start of the season it was apparent that Chartier wouldn’t need much of a grace period. After his first two races for the Maroon and White, Chartier received the season’s first A-10 Rookie of the Week honor.
In the season opener Greg finished first in the 400 yard IM, with a time of 4:13.5. But a first-place finish at the Husky Invite Oct. 18 was only a preview of what was to come. Seven days later, Chartier led the Minutemen to victory at New Hampshire with a win in the 200 yard free (1:45.44.). A month after UNH, Chartier found himself receiving another A-10 Rookie of the Week citation, after dominating mid-distance events at the Nutmeg Invitational, Dec. 5-7. He placed first in the 400 yard IM and the 500 yard free at the Invite, with times of 4:05.08 and 4:38.48, respectively. He then went on to swim a leg on the winning 800 yard freestyle relay, which finished in a season-best 7:02.30.
The already accomplished freshman recently turned his attention to the November 19-21, A-10 Championships set to be held in Buffalo, N.Y. “I’m very excited for the A-10, we leave for New York next Tuesday and we’re looking forward for the chance to win another Conference title,” Chartier said. “We do have a lot of freshman swimming in their first major championship, but we should be able to fill the spots and hopefully win again.”
