2025-26 Clarkson Swimming & Diving Preview

Melissa Cartier

Swimming/Diving | 10/2/2025 9:30:00 AM

A number of program records fell throughout the 2024-25 campaign, and the Clarkson University Swimming & Diving team returns a number of those student-athletes as the Golden Knights open up the 2025-26 season this weekend with a kickoff meet at Union College.

Guided by head coach Mark Danin and his assistants Finn Halstead and Spencer Bernat, the Golden Knights' men went 7-1 in dual meets a year ago, while the women went 3-5. The record on the women's side is expected to improve this fall, as Danin was busy on the recruiting trails to provide more depth.

This is the second straight strong class of female swimmers and divers for the Knights, as last year's first-year group broke six school marks and won numerous events throughout the year. Natasha Hurff set a school mark in the 500 freestyle during the Liberty League Championships, Fiona Reilly broke a record in the 200 individual medley, and Evelyn Vieira won nine competitions during dual meets in 2024-25 en route to four records in the diving events from 1-meter and 3-meter short and long sums.

The Golden Knights' women number nearly 20 this year, with only one (Dani McDonald) entering her junior year. While Vieira set the marks in diving, classmate Devon Sedlack also performed well in her first season in Potsdam. McDonald is the veteran for the freestyle swimmers, though she will be joined by a number of returners and newcomers. Hurff, Emma Chase, and Kirsten Isles all posted points for the Knights a year ago, with Hurff winning six races in dual meets. First-year collegians Madeline Auerbach, Abigail Szyprowski, Addison Gorton, Emily Kenny and Emma Canale will also compete in the freestyle events.

Once the soccer season has concluded, Aurora Zary will be eyeing the Clarkson record books, as her top times in the 200 individual medley, 100 backstroke, and 200 backstroke at the Liberty League Championships were all within striking distance. She will be chasing her classmate Fiona Reilly, who set the mark in the 200 individual medley, and Reilly also was within two seconds of Clarkson records in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. While Zary and Reilly are the top returners for the IM, Emma Canale, Paige Davis, and Dafne Gyselinck are also slated to compete in those events. Zary, Iles, Kenny, Julia Seeger, and Robin Weber are slotted in for the backstroke races. Additionally, Auerbach, Gorton, Davis, McDonald, Roman Neenan and Katelyn Otis will likely compete in the butterfly events.

Clarkson's men are also a younger group, as only Landon Colby and Andrew Sypko are entering their final year of eligibility as seniors. Colby swam in three 'B' finals last year at the Liberty League Championships, finishing in the top 10 in the 200 breaststroke and in the top 15 for both the 100 and 200 butterfly events. Sypko participated in three 'C' finals at the conference championships, all the shorter freestyle events, with his top showing coming in the 50 free.

The Golden Knights had a number of standout performances at the Liberty League Championships a year ago, but junior Casey Everett had arguably the best of all. Everett took 14 seconds off Tom Bendl's 1992 standard in the 1650 freestyle, a mark that looked in jeopardy all year when Everett returned for his second season. He placed fourth in the event on the final day of the conference meet, and was also 14th in the 500 freestyle, roughly a second slower than his preliminary time for the race, which was also a new school standard.

Both Calvin Woolfolk and Andrew Sammons challenged Everett's performance at the conference championship. Sammons was seventh in the 100 breaststroke and then placed third in the 200 breaststroke, having set a school mark during the preliminaries, but only to be topped by Woolfolk in the 'A' finals heat later in the day. Though Woolfolk graduated, Sammons is back for another run at the record book. He won six breaststroke races during the dual meet season.

The other returning swimmer to set a new mark for the Knights last year was Owen White, who topped a 19-year-old mark by Matt Ulsh in the 400 individual medley, placing seventh in that event. He also was in the finals for the 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke at the conference meet.

Clarkson was loaded with swimmers appearing in multiple finals during the Liberty League Championships, including Gavin Stuhler (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle), Matthew Sitarek (400 individual medley, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke), Collin Losinger (100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 breaststroke), James Fedele (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 1650 freestyle), Colin Cordy (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle), and Mason Cartier (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly) as well as divers Gavin Cibelli (8th 1-meter dive, 9th 3-meter dive) and Carter Lancto (10th 3-meter dive, 11tj 1-meter dive). Other veteran returns include Sean Finnerty, Lucas Monroe, Riley Shepherd, Aiden Spoors, and Andrew Walsh.

The top newcomer for the Knights will likely be Evan Paneras, who has participated in the National Swimming Competition in Greece while with ACS Athens. He will be competing in the individual medley and butterfly events for the Golden Knights after some time away competition. Additionally, Daniel Killian will be key swimmer while participating in some of the distance freestyle events. Among the other newcomers for the Knights this year are Jacob Ducey (freestyle/butterfly), Conner Klock (butterfly/individual medley), and Evan Walsh (freestyle).

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