ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's swimming and diving team is looking for another strong season after a second-place finish in the 2022-23 PSAC Championships.

Many of the key performers are returning from head coach Jacqueline Michalski's PSAC runner-up team, which finished behind only longtime power West Chester in the conference standings.

"I think our preseason has really set us up for success, and we're going to continue to push forward," she said.

Among the team's leaders are senior standout Stephen McCallum (Cape Town, South Africa/Wynberg Boys') and three fifth-year athletes, swimmers Justin Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum) and Andrew Beyer (Warren, Pa./Warren Area), and diver Kollin Schwab (Erie, Pa./McDowell).

"We have a lot of great returners for this year," Michalski said. "We're blessed to have three fifth-years helping to lead our program going forward."

Schwab said his teammates are ready for the season to start.

"They're all looking real good, and everybody seems in a like a flow state, so they're like ready to go," Schwab said.

"I think everyone's quite excited. We've been waiting for the last couple weeks just to kind of get going," senior Andrew Smith (Johannesburg, South Africa/St. Benedict's) said. "We're ready to set the tone for the rest of the season going forward."




Gannon returns several athletes who were All-PSAC honorees last season after the Golden Knights' second-place finish in the conference championships.

McCallum led the way with two individual All-PSAC efforts (2nd place, 200 freestyle; 3rd place, 100 freestyle) and three All-PSAC honors with GU relay teams (2nd place, 200 medley; 3rd place, 400 medley and 800 freestyle). He also was the PSAC Men's Swimming and Diving Champion Scholar, and a Third Team Academic All-American.

Malachi Boyle (Knoxville, Tenn./Home Life Academy) was a three-time All-PSAC performer (200 breaststroke, 500 freestyle, 1,000 freestyle). Two-time All-PSAC honorees included Justin Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum) (200 medley relay, 400 medley relay) and Will Retsch (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) (200 IM, 400 IM). Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill) (200 breaststroke) and Ben Williams (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) (800 free relay) also landed All-PSAC honors.

Many school records are held among the returnees. Boyle possesses three individual marks (500 free, 1,000 free, 200 breaststroke), McCallum owns two records (100 free and 200 free), while Sadaev (100 breaststroke) and Retsch (200 IM) have one mark apiece.

McCallum anchored four record-setting relays last year, and Justin Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum) was a member of three of those relays. Will Moses (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake), Joey Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum), Andrew Beyer (Warren, Pa./Warren Area), Ben Williams (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill), and Josh Nel (Johannesburg, South Africa/American International) are other returnees who were on one record-setting relay each.

Schwab leads the divers into the season after setting two personal bests last season in 1-meter diving.

Junior transfer Pedro Aragon (Guatemala City/Colegio Valle Verde) should help the Knights in the butterfly. Freshman Brandon Herbert is strong in distance events.

"We brought a transfer in who's going to help step in some butterfly events," Michalski said, "and we have a freshman who has already made his mark and really helped push his teammates to a new level."

Smith expects the team's togetherness to be a strength this season.         

"I think one thing that has really progressed over the past few years has been our cohesion and working well as a team and the closeness coming together as a team in general," he said.
 

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING FACTS
 
Head Coach: Jacqueline Michalski

Assistant: Katie Cowan

Season/Home Opener: Friday, October 20, 4:30 p.m. vs. Clarion – Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool

PSAC Championships: February 14-17 – Keystone Aquatic Center – Carlisle, Pa. (hosted by Gannon)
 

Returnees to watch:
 
Senior Stephen McCallum (Cape Town, South Africa/Wynberg Boys'): Sprint Freestyle

Senior Justin Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum): Sprint Freestyle, Butterfly and Backstroke

Graduate student Andrew Beyer (Warren, Pa./Warren Area): Backstroke and Individual Medley

Graduate student Kollin Schwab (Erie, Pa./McDowell): Diver


Newcomers to watch: 

Junior Pedro Aragon (Guatemala City/Colegio Valle Verde): 100 and 200 Butterfly and 200 Freestyle

Freshman Brandon Herbert: Distance
 
 
HOME OPENER:

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES
 
WHERE: Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool
WHEN: Friday, 4:30 p.m. (Meet will begin with diving)
LIVE VIDEO  
 

COACHES:

Gannon: Jacqueline Michalski (fifth season), Katie Cowan, Anne Novakoski (diving coach)

Clarion: Brehan Kelley (eighth season); Heath Calhoun (diving coach)

The Gannon men's swimming and diving team claimed a 172-90 victory over Clarion last October at Clarion.

The Golden Knights won 10 of 14 events as Stephen McCallum (Cape Town, South Africa/Wynberg Boys') (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle) and Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill) (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke) each won a pair of individual events while setting Clarion pool records. McCallum joined Justin Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum), Joey Decheck (Plum, Pa./Plum), and Connor Herbert on a pool-record-setting 200 freestyle team.

Ryan Barclay (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) (500 freestyle), Andrew Beyer (Warren, Pa./Warren Area) (200 backstroke), and Will Retsch (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) (200 IM) also had individual victories.

Each of those Gannon winners returns to the team this season.

Clarion placed third in the PSAC Championships last season, one spot behind Gannon, and finished 7-2 in duals.

The Golden Eagles opened the 2023-24 season last Friday by winning the PSAC Fall Invitational and the PSAC Fall Sprint Frenzy in Carlisle against Edinboro and IUP.