HAMILTON – Building on the strong momentum established at last year's Patriot League Championship, the Colgate men's and women's swimming and diving teams enter the new season with a powerful mix of proven championship finalists and rising talent.
Following a championship meet where the Raider women secured seventh place overall with 611 points and the men earned ninth place with 345 points, Colgate returns a deep nucleus of point-scorers with 15 men and 21 women back on the squad for 2026-27.
"We lost a great deal of leadership with our graduating senior class, and that puts an even greater responsibility on this year's seniors to step up and lead," head swimming and diving coach Ed Pretre said. "I believe this group is up to that challenge. We have an extremely talented team, but talent only takes you so far. We need our upperclassman to set the tone, lead by example, and help bring this team together. If we can stay healthy, there's no telling what this team can accomplish."
Women's Preview
The Colgate women's team enters the campaign anchored by individual titleholders, championship A-finalists, and a versatile corps of distance, breaststroke, and diving talent.
Highlighted by an individual conference title, MG King returns after winning the Patriot League Championship in the 200-yard Backstroke with a dominant time of 1:56.51. King compiled 55 scoring points and was also a key contributor to Colgate's top-five 400 Medley, 400 Free, and 800 Free relay teams. They also won the B Final in the 100 Back with a time of 55.11.
A multi-event finalist, Paige Fisher showcased exceptional versatility at the conference meet, winning the B Final in the 200 IM (2:02.28) and 200 Free (1:49.86). She shattered the program record in the 200 Breast with a time of 2:16.50, securing sixth place overall.
A major weapon in sprint and mid-distance breaststroke events, Natalie Hofer claimed a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:01.97) and took seventh place in the 200-yard Breaststroke (2:17.60). Coming off a stellar rookie championship debut, Charlotte Ducanois claimed 12th place in the 400-yard IM (4:25.52) and 17th in the 200-yard IM (2:04.66).
Leading the Raiders off the boards, Ellie Sundin earned a top-10 result in the 1-meter diving event (9th, 248.25 points) and added points in the 3-meter event. An impactful relay leg and sprint specialist, Heather O'Day scored in the 100-yard Freestyle (20th, 51.46) and recorded a strong sub-24 swim-off performance in the 50-yard Freestyle.
This is a very intriguing team with a lot of versatile talent and tons of firepower," Pretre said. "We have yet another strong freshman class that will score at Patriots and could even make A Finals in several events. We have a great mix of experienced veterans and talented young swimmers, and I really like the depth and versatility of this group. The women have a legitimate opportunity to move up another spot or two in the conference, and if everything comes together at the right time, I think we can make a lot of noise. This team has the potential to be really special."
Men's Preview
David Brophy enjoyed an outstanding championship meet, reaching the A-final in the 200-yard Butterfly to finish ninth overall with a fast 1:46.98. He added scoring depth in the freestyle events, placing 13th in the 500-yard Freestyle (4:27.61) and 14th in the 200-yard Freestyle (1:38.83), on his way to a team-best 47 championship points.
A versatile middle-distance and breaststroke contributor, Michael Granin grabbed 11th place in the 200-yard Freestyle (1:38.17) and 20th in the 200-yard Breaststroke (2:02.64), setting program records in both categories. Connor O'Neill scored points in the breaststroke events, placing 16th in the 100-yard Breaststroke and 23rd in the 200-yard Breaststroke.
Nick Pompo heads the returning diving unit after taking 11th place on the 1-meter board (278.65 points) and 18th on the 3-meter board (237.70 points). Gavin Pactitti added valuable depth, placing 19th on 1-meter (243.50 points) and 22nd on 3-meter (211.30 points).
Ben Dudley and Nick Klein provided strong finishes in the grueling 1,650-yard Freestyle, taking 23rd (16:35.26) and 24th (16:36.31), respectively. Zack Berner returns as a key multi-event driver, placing 25th in the 200-yard Backstroke (1:53.72) and competing in the 400-yard IM.
"This men's team is an extremely close-knit group that genuinely cares about each other, and I think that will be one of our biggest strengths this season," Pretre said. "We have a strong senior class mixed with some very talented underclassmen, giving us a great combination of leadership, experience, and young talent. The men will be looking to move up another spot in the conference standings, but we also have our sights set on taking down a few more school records. I really like this group and the way they push each other. If they continue to train and compete for one another, I think this team has a chance to have a very special season."
Incoming Class
Pretre, entering his eighth season at the helm, announced the addition of 13 incoming student-athletes to the program's 2026-27 class. The incoming cohort features nine women and four men representing eight states. They join a core of 36 returners – 21 women and 15 men – as the Raiders look to build momentum heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
"The team and coaching staff are extremely excited about this incoming class of first-years and transfers," Pretre said of the newcomers. "We're excited to see how they develop and contribute, and we believe this group has the ability to help us take another step forward and move up another spot in the conference standings."
Schedule Outlook
The Raiders open their five-event fall schedule at Lineberry Natatorium with the Colgate Invitational (Oct. 9-10), followed by Patriot League home meets against Lafayette (Oct. 24) and Lehigh (Nov. 8), a road matchup at Marist (Nov. 6), and the Brown Invitational (Nov. 19-22).
Colgate begins 2027 on the road against Boston University and Fairfield (Jan. 9) before visiting Holy Cross (Jan. 15). The Raiders return home to host Le Moyne (Jan. 17) and cap the regular season at the Boston Winter Invitational (Feb. 5-6) ahead of the Patriot League Championship at Bucknell (Feb. 17-20).
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