On Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, Pennsbury seniors Connor Doyle and Collin Hanlon were recognized for committing to continue their swimming careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
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“Collectively, they’re two of the most talented athletes we have had,” coach Greg Stoloski said. “They have focuses in different areas, and stylistically and mentally, they’re both very different and unique people but extremely talented.”
Connor Doyle – Virginia Tech (Swimming)
Major: Biology/Pharmaceutical
Final list of colleges: Virginia Tech, Duke, Indiana
Reasons for choosing Virginia Tech: “Virginia Tech stood out because of the coaches. They were very supportive and welcoming right from the beginning. They took a lot of time to get to know me as a person and as a swimmer. They offer amazing training and resources. The kids on the team have the best attitude – they all want to train and work hard, and that’s what I want to do for the next four years, for sure.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in swimming at the collegiate level? “I don’t think it was ever a question for me. I started swimming when I was seven, and I just saw myself grow as a swimmer over that time, going from Junior Olympics to Sectionals to eventually Junior Nationals. Once I became a finalist in Junior Nationals last summer, getting top eight in the nation – that’s when the colleges start to come to you. I was talking to colleges before that point in my life, but once that hit I was able to actually visit the colleges, go on officials and actually get to form a relationship with all the coaches.”
Coach Greg Stoloski says: “Connor Doyle is one of the most disciplined athletes I’ve ever had and by far the fastest athlete we’ve had on the men’s team at Pennsbury. He’s broken several records for the school, and this year at the district and championships, we really expect him to be one of the highest performing athletes in the school’s history. His performance outside of school in his club program has been incredibly successful. He nearly made Olympic Trials for the 2016 team, and we will be looking at him as an alumni for 2020. I’m really impressed to see that he was accepted at Virginia Tech. It’s a very competitive program with a really strong history of putting out great athletes, and I think he’s going to have a lot of success there.”
About Connor:
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: “I hate movies. I don’t like the commitment.”
Favorite music: Mac Miller
Collin Hanlon – Lehigh University (Swimming)
Major: Environmental Engineering
Final list of colleges: Lehigh, Drexel, Bucknell
Reasons for choosing Lehigh: “My choice was driven by the fantastic engineering program they have. Obviously, they have a great swim program as well. Really the thing that did it for me was when I went there and visited. I just really liked the sense of family that the team had and just that close-knit community that everyone had, not just on the team but the school itself. I really think that will help me prosper there.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in swimming at the collegiate level? “It was always the goal – to continue swimming for as long as I possibly could. It realistically started becoming a goal probably in middle school when it hit me that I would have the potential to be able to do so. From there, it was set goals, achieve them and work my way up.”
Coach Greg Stoloski says: “Collin Hanlon was also an amazing addition to our team when he was on it the past two years. He’s a very driven swimmer, very muscular and very strong in the water. Where Connor has a lot of finesse, Collin has a lot of grit. He was mostly a 200 and 500 freestyle swimmer for us, but he’s been the fastest that I’ve had in the time I’ve been the head coach and almost the entire time I was the assistant coach. He’s got a real mental toughness to his stroke. He really pushes himself even in situations when he’s not against other athletes though he’s best when he’s challenged. He’s always managed to perform and has been essential in past victories that we’ve had. He was the sole swimmer that we took to states last year, and he’s been an incredible asset for the years he’s been on the team as well.”
About Collin:
Favorite food: Stuffing
Favorite movie: Star Wars
Favorite music: “I like the radio. I’m pretty much fine with anything and everything as long as it’s not country.”
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