Swim & Dive season preview: After historic yr, Bobcats hungry to get again in pool

LEWISTON, Maine — The Bates swimming and diving program made historical past final March and the Bobcats are prepared to leap again within the water for an additional thrilling season in 2025-26. It all begins this Saturday at 1 p.m. after they host Wheaton (Mass.) for a twin meet at Tarbell Pool. 

Men’s Preview

Senior captains Max Cory (Dublin, Calif.) and Marrich Somridhivej (South Windsor, Conn.) have the No. 21 nationally ranked Bobcats pondering huge this season.

“They have their team thinking an NCAA champion relay is a possibility, and if all four guys are their best – at the exact time together – they aren’t wrong – whoever those four are,” head coach Peter Casares mentioned. “I wouldn’t put it past them.” 

Last yr, Cory gained the primary nationwide championship in program historical past when he captured the title within the 100-yard freestyle in 42.88 seconds, a brand new NCAA Division III report. The Bobcats additionally gained their first two NESCAC relay titles in program historical past, capturing first place in each the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Nate Oppenheim (Easton, Conn.), junior John Weigel (Iowa City, Iowa), and junior Tim Johnson (Brewster, Mass.) be part of Cory and Somridhivej as returnees who captured convention titles final yr. Junior Liam Friedlander (Pittsburgh, Pa.) additionally emerged as an All-NESCAC swimmer final yr, setting the Bates report within the 200-yard butterfly alongside the way in which.

“We want to defend our NESCAC relay titles and hopefully win a medley relay or two as well,” Casares mentioned. “There’s a chance to finish top three at NESCACs for the first time – and also top 10 nationally, another achievement that would be a program-first. These are not easy goals but we believe they are doable with this group considering how much talent is returning.” 

The present group of Bates males’s swimmers can declare 14 college data, 12 of which had been set final season. 

“We still have to work hard and accomplish our goals day in and day out,” Casares mentioned. “I am impressed with the senior leadership we have right now.”

Women’s Preview

Senior captains Lily Barisonek (New Vernon, N.J.) and Lianna Rosman (Bethesda, Md.) lead a ladies’s swimming and diving group that has extra depth this yr than they’ve had the previous few seasons.

“Lianna was abroad for a semester and she was a force to be reckoned with freshman and sophomore year – and turned out to be an “A” relay swimmer even with a short season last year,” Casares mentioned. “I think with a good season of training under her belt, people are going to turn their heads and take notice. Lily has been such a bright spot freshman, sophomore year but ran into multiple injuries last year. So staying healthy for her and getting back to her top 16 or better NESCAC scoring ability will be huge. We’ve got some very talented women on the team. We currently are overcoming some illnesses and some injuries, and so we have some work to do to see that talent make an impact at NESCACs.”

Junior Sarah Palmer (Brunswick, Maine) owns Bates data within the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, incomes All-America honors in each occasions final season. She is essentially the most embellished of the returnees, with 10 first-years giving Casares hope that extra All-Americans are within the making.

“I’m seeing some things in practice from a couple of them that make me go, ‘this reminds me of Sarah coming in here and developing into an NCAA level athlete,'” Casares mentioned. “So it looks like a good class and the class gets along really well and they have great chemistry. So I’m excited.”

Casares singles out swimmers corresponding to sophomore Isabelle Chou (East Greenwich, R.I.), junior Soph Clausman (Edina, Minn.), and sophomore Kendall Keshen (Santa Barbara, Calif.) as returnees who as soon as absolutely wholesome ought to give the group a giant enhance. He’s additionally excited to see what seniors Emma Burke (New Hartford, N.Y.) and McKayla Kendall (Bangor, Maine) can do within the fly occasion.

“McKayla returned to the team last spring following a year and a half away from swimming,” Casares mentioned. “She qualified for NCAAs as part of the 400-yard medley relay when she was a first-year and Burke made huge strides in the 200 fly last year and just posted a very quick 100 fly time in practice last week!” 

But early on, anticipate a variety of new names to pop up on the outcomes sheets. 

“With more than half our junior class abroad until January, I’m interested to see how our first-years do in these fall meets, considering they nearly out-number our upperclassmen at the moment,” Casares mentioned. “We’ve got to find the tone and energy, and talk about what the Bates way is at a swimming and diving meet – and how we handle ourselves – both great swims and ones that leave us wanting more.”