WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's and women's swimming teams are set to start the 2022-23 season under the direction of first-year head coach Christopher Paynter. The Colonels splash down in the pool on Saturday hosting two Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) opponents in FDU-Florham and Messiah University at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center at 1:00 p.m.

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"For the last month we have been putting in a lot of hard work, putting in the extra hours so I think everyone is very excited to finally get some competition, get some racing in and I think a lot of our swimmers are going to surprise themselves with how well they will do," Paynter said.

On the men's team, graduate student Shane Miller (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta), senior Liam White (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas), and junior Stephen Verosko (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) return.  Miller specializes in the butterfly and freestyle, White in the freestyle and IM, and Verosko in the butterfly and freestyle.

Maddy Kinard (Dover, PA/Dover Area) returns for her senior season on the women's side. Kinard is the program record holder in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 1:02.47, set at the 2022 MAC Championships, and the 200 Backstroke also set at last year's MAC Championships with a time of 2:19.49. She is also a member of the 200 Freestyle Relay, 200 Medley Relay, and 400 Medley Relay record holding teams for the Colonels as she specializes in the backstroke and IM.

"I know the returners all individually have very big goals, so just getting to focus one-on-one with them throughout practice to work on their goals and the small things throughout the season so that when we get to our championship season at the end of the year that they have the opportunity to swim fast and break those records," Paynter said.

There are four newcomers to the men's team as first-year swimmers Ashton Dainty (Scranton, PA/Scranton), Damian Jenkins (Archbald, PA/Valley View), Rodrigo Luis Gabriel (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie), and Jake Middleton (Plymouth, PA/Greater Nanticoke Area) join the program. Dainty and Middleton specialize in the freestyle while Jenkins adds the backstroke and IM to the freestyle and Luis Gabriel adds the breaststroke and backstroke to freestyle.

"So far they have bought into our training program and I think they have really grown to the upperclassmen very well," Paynter said. "Both in the pool and out of it they have brought a different personality and it has just been awesome the excitement they have. In the pool they are pushing our upperclassmen in practice."

The Colonels host five meets at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center this season beginning on Saturday with FDU-Florham and Messiah. They also host Marywood University on October 29, Gallaudet University on December 3, Misericordia University on January 14, and King's College on January 28 all at 1:00 p.m.

Paynter called the early season meets good testing points for the team to see what they need to work on moving forward.

The Colonels are at a tri-meet hosted by Dickinson College with Lebanon Valley College on November 5 and at a tri-meet hosted by Stevenson University with Elizabethtown College on November 13. Wilkes swims at Lycoming College on January 21.

The teams will compete at the annual Diamond City Invitational running from November 18-20 hosted by King's at the CYC. The season will conclude at the 2023 MAC Championships at the Graham Aquatic Center in York. Pa. from February 9-12.

At the Diamond City Invitational Paynter hopes to see the Colonels get some goal times at the meet.

"Looking at the MAC Championships, all the work at that time will be done," Paynter said. "Swimmers will be rested, tapered and we will see how it goes."