2024-25 Wilkes Men's and Women's Swimming Season Preview

WILKES-BARRE - The Wilkes University men's and women's swimming teams are set to begin the 2024-25 season on Saturday under the direction of third-year head coach Christopher Paynter. This new season welcomes nine first-year's to the program along with five returners. 

"The excitement levels are pretty high," Paynter said. "We've had a great couple weeks of training leading up to this meet."

The men's team returns three swimmers in junior Ashton Dainty (Scranton, PA/Scranton), sophomore Luke Donato (Westerly, RI/Westerly), and sophomore Owen Lewis (Ellicott City, MD/Howard). Dainty specializes in freestyle and backstroke while Donato's main stroke is butterfly and Lewis' is breaststroke.

The women's team has two returning swimmers, sophomore Emma Burlew (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) and sophomore Brynn Ullerich (Omaha, NE/Marian). Burlew specializes in freestyle while Ullrich swims in the IM and sprint.

"They are coming in looking to move up in that conference meet this year," said Coach Paynter of the returning swimmers. 

The men's team welcomed five first-year's to the team. John Falcone (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) (distance, freestyle), Caleb Keener (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehannock) (distance/IM), Leo Miller (Oak Forest, IL/Oak Forest) (butterfly, backstroke, freestyle), Jacob Piotrowski (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) (backstroke, breaststroke), and Alton Smargiassi (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia) (butterfly, backstroke). 

The women's team brought in four first-year swimmers to the team. Grace Cobb (Athens, PA/Athens Area) (freestyle), Aubrey Gowen (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton Area) (sprint), Lea McCormick (Northumberland, PA/Shiekellamy) (IM, breaststroke), and Meghan Sandt (Easton, PA/Easton Area) (freestyle).

"They've been coming along really well and I know they're excited to finally start competing and so are we," said Coach Paynter. "I know they have high expectations for themselves, too"

The 2024-25 season begins Saturday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m. with a tri-meet in Scranton. The Colonels will be competing against Marywood and King's College. 

"Starting off this weekend, we've got Marywood and King's…it should be an awesome meet to start the year," Paynter said of the season-opening meet. "Lots of lessons to take from last year's meet..keep the energy high and keep the momentum rolling."

The Colonels will compete in their mid-season meet this year in Scranton. The event, named the Electric City Invitational, will be competed across three sessions and three days from Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24.

The season will conclude at the Landmark Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at the Mangione Aquatic Center in Baltimore, Md. from Thursday, February 13 through Sunday, February 16.