Ryan O’Neill and Mike Skibniewski have been teammates at the Freehold-Old Bridge YMCA in Freehold, New Jersey since they were 8 years old.
After a decade of swimming together, they’ve decided that they want another four years together, and both have verbally committed to Penn State.
Aside from the state of Pennsylvania, Penn State has more swimmers from New Jersey than any other state in the country (9 on this year’s men’s roster alone).
O’Neill’s primary event is the 200 free, where his 1:39.71 put him 11th at the 2013 YMCA National Championships.
He can go both up and down pretty well, with bests of 46.06 and 4:36.24 in the 100 and 500 yard freestyles, but that 200 free is his real specialty. He’s got about two years to drop about three seconds in the 200 free to ensure himself a spot on Penn State’s “A” 800 free relay as a freshman. Given that during his junior year alone he knocked almost two seconds off of his best (and three seconds as a sophomore), that relay certainly seems well within reach.
Skibniewski is a solid freestyler as well, with bests of 21.01 and 46.47 in the 50 and 100, but his sprint butterfly races are really impressive.
He took 3rd at the 2013 Sprint YMCA Nationals in the 100 fly. He split a 48.87 in prelims to take the top seed, and slipped to 3rd with a 49.09 in finals. He also won the 50 fly at the YMCA’s Summer National Championships with a 25.4 in meters.
He too could immediately have an early on the Nittany Lions’ relays.
Senior Sean Grier is the best 100 butterflier in the Big Ten this season, but after he graduates, Shane Ryan will be the team’s top butterflier, and perhaps their best backstroker as well.
By the time Skibniewski is a sophomore, though, he’ll likely be Penn State’s top option on the sprint butterflies, based on what we know of the team now.
Combined, they hold 9 of the 15 FOBY 15 & over team individual records in yards, plus are a part of all 5 relay records (O’Neill all 5, Skibniewki 4 of 5).
If they can continue that kind of success for Penn State, the Lions could have bright days ahead.
Nice job boys! We are… Penn State!