Head coach Jacqueline Michalski saw a renewed level of dedication from the Gannon women's swimming and diving team during the preseason, and she hopes that will result in big things during the 2022-23 season.

"I am very excited for what the women have in store for them," said, Michalski, who is in her fourth season. "They have really come into this year with a new passion and a new excitement for what's to come.

"The women have really pushed themselves so far this preseason, and they have come together in ways that we've never seen before in the four years that I've been with this program."

The Golden Knights are set to open the season at the Buffalo State Relay Meet on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Three women who were members of a school-record setting relay return this season. Francesca Nemetz (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area), Chenay Date Line (Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton), and Irati Arzalluz (Lasarte-Oria, Spain/Santo Tomas Lizeoa) swam legs on the 800-yard freestyle relay, which set a Gannon record with a time of 7:41.39.

Standout Silvija Taraska (Wickliffe, Ohio/Lake Catholic) also was a member of that relay, but she has graduated after setting six school records and advancing to the NCAA Championships. With Taraska gone, Gannon will look for veteran swimmers like junior Sterre van de Goor (Oss, Netherlands/Sint-Joriscollege) to reach a new level this season. The distance specialist set four personal bests at the 2022 PSAC Championships, including a 1650 freestyle time of 17:41.05 that resulted in fourth place.

The Golden Knights placed fifth among 12 teams in the PSAC Championships last season.

"I think this upcoming season is going to be pretty great," Nemetz said. "We have a lot of returning talent, and ton of talent coming in on the team. I think it's going to be fun.

"Some of the goals for the women's team are to place better at PSACs and put some more points on the board there, and to meet some individual goals that we have for ourselves -- that goes for both swimmers and divers."




Van de Goor, fellow juniors Nemetz and Arzalluz, sophomore Date Line, and fifth-year senior Leilani Kunf (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport Area) will join sophomore Nomvula Mjimba (Harare, Zimbabwe/The Wykeham Collegiate) and junior diver Kyla Miller (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) to give the Golden Knights a core of veteran returnees.

"We have returners that are going to set the way and really build this program up," Michalski said. "We've seen a lot of success over the past few years, and this year will be just like those – continued success in the pool and in the classroom."

"I think we're all coming in very strong, very motivated to begin the season," Mjimba said. "I see this team going very, very far."

The Golden Knights' Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool in the Gannon Recreation and Wellness Center underwent major offseason renovations. The upgraded facility was unveiled to the public on Saturday at the team's Maroon and Gold Meet. Gannon will host regular-season meets at the revamped facility on December 3 against Indiana (PA) and on January 20 against Edinboro.

"The excitement for our home meets is through the roof," said Michalski, who added that the athletes are excited to "have the Gannon community here to support us."

"As an international student, this will be one of my first meets at the school," Mjimba said of the December 3 dual.  "It's going to be a great opportunity for all of the parents to come watch us swim at our home pool. It's going to be a great atmosphere."

Saturday's opener at Buffalo State will be a relay meet that will also feature coed relays.

 
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING GLANCE
 
Head coach: Jacqueline Michalski, fourth season

Assistants: Katie Cowan, Diane MacWilliams, Brynn Driscoll
 
Season opener: At Buffalo State Relay Meet, Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Home opener: vs. IUP, Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool, Dec. 3 at noon
 
PSAC Championships: At York, Feb. 15-18

 
Top returnees:

Sophomore Chenay Date Line (Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton), freestyle, backstroke, individual medley

Junior Sterre van de Goor (Oss, Netherlands/Sint-Joriscollege), distance, freestyle

Junior Francesca Nemetz (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area), 2021 PSAC Freshman of the Year, freestyle, individual medley

Sophomore Nomvula Mjimba (Harare, Zimbabwe/The Wykeham Collegiate), freestyle, butterfly

Graduate student Leilani Kunf (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport Area), backstroke

Junior Kyla Miller (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), diver

 
Newcomers to watch:

Freshman Hannah Jacobs (Johannesburg, South Africa), butterfly, sprints

Freshman Isabella Dietz (Pittsburgh, Pa.), breaststroke, individual medley

Freshman Zoey Beck (Grove City, Pa.), sprints