LOUDONVILLE, NY – Under the direction of third year head coach Brogan Barr, Siena Swimming & Diving will officially begin its 24th varsity season on Saturday, October 15. The Saints will travel to Kingston, Rhode Island for a tri-meet with URI and Assumption, with action beginning at 12:30 PM.
Saturday's meet will signal the first of 11 scheduled events for the Green and Gold this season, and the first of three straight on the road to begin the year. Siena will look to win its second straight meet over Assumption after claiming a 145-72 victory last season at home, and will take on the Rams for the first time in program history.
Picked to finish fifth in the MAAC in the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll, the Saints will look to build off a sixth-place finish at the annual postseason meet last season, which served as its best team finish since 2016. The team's regular season slate will pit them against a pair of conference foes, including Canisius next weekend in Buffalo and Saint Peter's on January 14 in Jersey City, NJ.
Carrying the largest roster (25) the program has seen since the 2008-09 season, Siena boasts 19 returners from last year, including nine MAAC finalists and 11 swimmers that hold entries on the program's All-Time Top-Ten Performers list. Current senior captain Jessica Shine (56.28) broke her own school record in the 100 fly at last year's MAAC Championships, while classmate Lydia Delano set both the one-meter (295.27) and three-meter (302.47) diving records last season. Additionally, Shine, senior Reilly King, and senior Lauren Ostrander were part of the 800 free relay team that recorded the school record during their freshman season at the 2020 MAAC Championships.
The team's roster also features six incoming members, including Grace Neno, Kaci Owens, Brooke Pociask, Mya Reed, Tori Spacciapolli, and Jillian Walls.
Siena's 2022-23 schedule will boast a program record five home meets, beginning with dual meet action against Sacred Heart on Saturday, November 12 at the Siena Swim Center. The Saints will play host to Stony Brook the following weekend on November 19, and will put on home meets against Vermont (January 15), Saint Francis (PA) (January 21), and Stonehill (January 28) during the new calendar year.
Assumption will also commence its 2022-23 season during Saturday's tri-meet, while Rhode Island will take the pool for the second time this year, after having fallen to Connecticut and Northeastern in tri-meet action last weekend.
Follow @Siena_SwimDive on Twitter for the latest updates on Saturday's meet.
