Marywood joins Landmark Conference as affiliate member

MADISON, N.J. – The Landmark Conference and Marywood University of Scranton, Pa. have agreed to an affiliation in the sports of men's and women’s swimming and diving beginning in the 2011-12 academic year.

Marywood will join the existing seven women’s and six men’s swimming and diving programs in the Landmark and will compete in both regular season dual meets as well as the Landmark Championships. In addition, Marywood, which recently completed construction on its new Aquatics Center, will serve as the host for the Landmark Championships.

"The Landmark Conference is proud and excited to have Marywood joining us as an affiliate member," stated Landmark Commissioner John Reeves. "We believe this relationship will be a benefit both to the current Landmark and Marywood student-athletes as it provides opportunity for increased competition and enhanced championship experiences, and with an institution that fits the Landmark’s philosophies concerning the role of athletics and Presidential oversight."

Marywood joins The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.), Drew University (Madison, N.J.), Goucher College (Towson, Md.), Juniata College (Huntingdon, Pa.), The University of Scranton (Scranton, Pa.), Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, N.Y.) as the swimming & diving members of the conference.

Landmark teams do not play a complete round-robin regular season dual-meet schedule, but face at least three Landmark teams in dual meets per season. The Landmark Championship is a three-day meet with teams competing in 15 individual events and five relays in men and women with team champions crowned in men’s and women’s competition at the conclusion of the event. The 2012 Landmark Championships will take place at Marywood Feb. 10-12.

Marywood becomes the second affiliate member of the Landmark Conference, which consists of eight institutions covering four states and Washington, D.C. in the mid-Atlantic Region. Now entering its fifth season, the conference sponsors 20 Conference Championships.