GANNON WOMEN'S SWIMMING SEASON PREVIEW
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's swimming team is set to return to Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool for a highly anticipated 2024-25 season, marking a new chapter in their journey as they transition under the new leadership of head coach Milan Medo.

 

With their eyes set on new challenges, the Golden Knights are ready to build on last year's momentum while also leaning on key contributors to an experienced nucleus as the Golden Knights look to be PSAC contenders this season.

"We have a great group of upperclassmen that are going to lead this team to where we'd like to be at,"  Medo said.

"I think as a team we expect a lot out of ourselves this year," noted team co-captain Lily Cunningham (Lavista, Neb./Papillion-La Vista). "We are a fast team, we are a new team, and we are ready and work really hard, and I'm so excited."

Medo looks to lean on an experienced core of 14 returnees to lead the team this season and get the results they are seeking.

"The upperclassmen are providing a tremendous amount of leadership and a lot of guidance, with a great sense of camaraderie," said Medo.

Medo enters his first year at the helm of the Golden Knight program after serving as the head coach of the Notre Dame College men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Before Notre Dame, Medo coached as an assistant at Grand Valley State University (August 2015-May 2017), a graduate assistant at the University of Findlay (August 2017-July 2019), and an assistant coach at Penn State Behrend (August 2019-July 2020).

Medo's main coaching style looks to focus on each student-athlete. "I like to focus on individual performances, and I think the women just need the guidance and reassurance, and I'm just here to unlock their potential." 

"I really like the new coaching style," co-captain Chenay Date Line (Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton) said. "We focus a lot on technique, build up through our routine, and don't go hard into it, which I really appreciate. I enjoy it."

The team welcomes a mixture of freshmen (eight) and transfers (two) who will look to make an immediate impact this season. "We have a great group of freshmen and transfer swimmers on the team that I don't want to name, but I am expecting great things from them this season," said Medo.          
  
"They really step up and work hard in practice. They are ready to work hard, even when it's tough, and I think that's what makes them an important part of the team," pointed out Cunningham.

 
2023-24 SEASON RECAP

The Golden Knights finished the 2023-24 season with a 3-3 overall record holding a 2-1 slate against PSAC Opponents in dual meets. Gannon defeated IUP (149-147) and Edinboro (135-95), and its only PSAC loss came in the beginning of the 2023-24 when the team dropped its home opener to Clarion (152-145).

The postseason saw the Golden Knights place fifth out of 12 teams in the 2024 PSAC Swimming Championships. The 800-freestyle relay quartet of Madalyn Myers (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional), Irati Arzalluz (Lasarte-Oria, Spain/Santo Tomas Lizeoa), Date Line, and Isabella Dietz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) earned All-PSAC honors with a third-place time of 7:43.19. Hannah Jacobs (Johannesburg, South Africa/) and Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic) notched a pair of third place finishes to also earn All-PSAC accolades during the championships. Jacobs tallied a time of 56.79 to finish third, while Hedges broke her previous school record time she set earlier in the season, in the 200 butterfly (2:06.01) to earn third.
 

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AT A GLANCE

Head Coach: Milan Medo

2024-25 Team Captains – Lily Cunnigham and Chenay Date Line (Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton)

Season Opener: Friday, October 18, at Clarion | 5 p.m. | Waldo S. Tippin Natatorium, Clarion, Pa.

Home Opener: Friday, October 25, vs. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) | 5 p.m. | Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool

PSAC Championships: February 17-20 | Graham Aquatics Center - York, Pa.

 
RETURNEES TO WATCH:

Alex Pannemann (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley) | Graduate Student | Sprint Freestyle
Chenay Date Line (Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton) | Senior | Freestyle
Hannah Jacobs (Johannesburg, South Africa/) | Junior | Butterfly/IM
Madalyn Myers (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) | Senior | Freestyle
Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic) | Sophomore | Butterfly/IM
 

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:

Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria) | Freshman | Backstroke
Hailey Wills (Cleves, Ohio/Seton) | Freshman | Butterfly/Freestyle
Roaa Farag (Heliopolis, AE/Nermin Ismail) | Graduate Student | Freestyle/Butterfly | Transfer from UMBC
Jocelyn Sawicki (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Township) | Freshman | Sprint Freestyle
 

2024-25 SCHEDULE PREVIEW

Gannon will host three meets inside Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool, while traveling to four meets this 2024-25 campaign. The Golden Knights open their season on Friday, October 18, traveling to PSAC opponent Clarion. The meet is scheduled at 5 p.m. inside Waldo S. Tippin Natatorium. Gannon will host Rochester of Technology (RIT) on Friday, October 25, with the home-opening meet scheduled for 5 p.m. The Golden Knights will host IUP in PSAC action on Saturday, November 9, at 1 p.m. On November 21-23, Gannon will find themselves in Canton, Ohio for the Malone Invitational. The three-day event will take place in Branin Natatorium. Gannon visits Niagara on Thursday, January 16, at 1 p.m., and will host PSAC rival Edinboro for Senior Night on Friday, January 24, at 6 p.m. The regular season concludes on Saturday, January 25, at 1 p.m. at Ithaca College.

The PSAC Championships are set to take place on February 17-20, at Graham Aquatics Center in York, Pennsylvania.
 

SEASON OPENER:

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES
WHERE: Waldo S. Tippin Natatorium – Clarion, Pa.
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18
LIVE VIDEO

COACHES:
Gannon: Milan Medo (first season)

Clarion: Brehan Kelley (ninth season)

The Gannon and Clarion women's teams met for the Golden Knight's home opener last October in a meet that came down to the final event. Clarion spoiled Gannon's home-opener with a 152-145 meet victory.

The Clarion women finished fourth in the PSAC Championships, one spot in front of the Gannon women.