A Year Ago

2025-26 Record: 3-4 in dual meets
PSAC Championships: Seventh of 12 teams
Notable Finish: First of 13 teams at Malone Invitational
Top PSAC Finishes: Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) – Fifth in 50 freestyle, fifth in 100 freestyle, sixth in 200 freestyle; Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic) – Fourth in 200 butterfly; Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria) – Fifth in 200 backstroke
School Records Broken: Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) – 50-yard freestyle (23.42), 100-yard freestyle (50.70), 100-yard backstroke (55.85); Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic) – 200-yard butterfly (2:05.52)
School Record Tied: 400-yard medley relay (3:53.87) – Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima), Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria), Maria Valcheva (Sofia, Bulgaria/Sports School Vasil Levski) and Hailey Wills (Cleves, Ohio/Seton)

This Season
Returning Student-Athletes: 19
Departing Student-Athletes: 5
Incoming Student-Athletes: 4
Total Roster: 23
Key Returners: Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima), Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic), Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria), Hailey Wills (Cleves, Ohio/Seton), Maria Valcheva (Sofia, Bulgaria/Sports School Vasil Levski), Elisa Armentia Moliner (Zaragoza, Spain/IES Francisco de Goya), Amari Ash (Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago/Northgate College, Tacarigua)
Key Newcomers: Daniela Mišúthová, Emma Dietz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny)

Key Dates
Season Opener: Friday, Oct. 16 – IUP Fall Invitational / IUP Sprint Frenzy – Indiana, Pa. – All Day
Home Opener: Saturday, Nov. 7 – vs. Case Western Reserve – Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool – 1 p.m.
PSAC Championships: Feb. 10-13 – Carlisle Family YMCA – Carlisle, Pa.
NCAA Championships: March 9-13 – IU Natatorium – Indianapolis, Ind.

What To Expect
The Gannon women's swimming team enters the 2026-27 season looking to climb the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) standings under third-year head coach Milan Medo after finishing seventh at last season's conference championships.

The Golden Knights posted a 3-4 dual-meet record in 2025-26 while capturing first place among 13 teams at the Malone Invitational. Gannon also made steady progress during the four-day PSAC Championships, climbing from ninth after the opening day to seventh in the final standings.

With 19 swimmers returning, including several record holders and conference finalists, the Golden Knights will look to build on last season's success while pursuing additional NCAA qualifying standards.

"We made some very good progress as a team last year, but we are not done yet," said Medo. "With most of our impact players returning and a hungry group of newcomers, we expect great things to happen!

"We are certainly expecting a high conference finish and equally important – NCAA qualifiers. We can't wait to get started this Friday!"

1. Melnyk Returns After Record-Setting Freshman Season – Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) made an immediate impact during her first season with the Golden Knights, establishing three individual school records and earning NCAA Division II qualifying standards in each event.

Melnyk set program records in the 50-yard freestyle (23.42), 100-yard freestyle (50.70) and 100-yard backstroke (55.85). She also helped Gannon tie the school record in the 400-yard medley relay, joining Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria), Maria Valcheva (Sofia, Bulgaria/Sports School Vasil Levski) and Hailey Wills (Cleves, Ohio/Seton) for a time of 3:53.87.

At the PSAC Championships, Melnyk placed fifth in both the 50 and 100 freestyle while finishing sixth in the 200 freestyle. She also advanced to the finals in the 100 backstroke.

2. Record-Setting Performances Highlight Returning Talent – Melnyk was not the only Golden Knight to leave her mark on the program record book last season.
Emily Hedges (Peachtree Corners, Ga./St Pius X Catholic) lowered her own school record in the 200-yard butterfly to 2:05.52 at the Malone Invitational. She followed that performance with a fourth-place finish in the event at the PSAC Championships, narrowly missing All-PSAC honors with a time of 2:07.88.

With Melnyk's three individual records, Hedges' record-breaking performance and the record-tying 400 medley relay, Gannon returns several swimmers capable of challenging the program's all-time marks.

3. Experienced Core Returns – The Golden Knights welcome back several swimmers who delivered strong performances at last season's PSAC Championships.

Along with Melnyk and Hedges, Juliana Romero (Bogotá, Columbia/Colegio pureza de Maria) returns after placing fifth in the 200 backstroke at the conference championships. Hailey Wills (Cleves, Ohio/Seton) finished 11th in the 100 butterfly, while Maria Valcheva (Sofia, Bulgaria/Sports School Vasil Levski) placed ninth in the 200 breaststroke.

Elisa Moliner added a 10th-place finish in the 1650 freestyle, and Amari Ash (Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago/Northgate College, Tacarigua) advanced to the finals in both sprint freestyle events during her first PSAC Championship appearance.

Gannon's returning experience provides depth across multiple events as the Golden Knights look to improve their conference standing.

4. Newcomers Add Depth to the Lineup – Gannon welcomes four newcomers to the roster in Daniela Mišúthová, Emma Dietz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), Ellora Economos (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) and Aurelia Ribellia (East Wenatchee, Wash./Eastmont Senior).

Mišúthová and Dietz have been identified by the coaching staff as two newcomers who could make an immediate impact.
The incoming group will join an experienced returning lineup as the Golden Knights look to strengthen their depth and create additional scoring opportunities throughout the season.

5. NCAA Qualifying Times Remain a Priority – While climbing the PSAC standings remains a goal, the Golden Knights also have their sights set on increasing their representation at the national level.

The coaching staff hopes to see additional NCAA qualifying performances from both returning swimmers and newcomers, with the ultimate goal of sending multiple student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Championships.

Gannon will rely on its work ethic and team camaraderie, two strengths emphasized by the coaching staff entering the new season. A competitive training environment has helped create productive practices while building team chemistry throughout the preseason.

6. Challenging Schedule Awaits the Golden Knights – Gannon will compete in several invitationals and dual meets throughout the 2026-27 season as the Golden Knights prepare for the PSAC Championships in February.

The Golden Knights open the season Friday, Oct. 16, at the IUP Fall Invitational and IUP Sprint Frenzy in Indiana, Pa., before traveling to Clarion on Friday, Oct. 23, for their first dual meet of the season.

Gannon will host three home meets at the Carneval Athletic Pavilion Pool, beginning with Case Western Reserve on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. The Golden Knights return home to face Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m., before wrapping up their home schedule against Edinboro on Friday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. for Senior Day.

The Golden Knights will also compete in the three-day Youngstown State Invitational from Nov. 19-21 before returning to competition in the new year at the Oberlin Quad Meet on Jan. 16, where they will face Oberlin, Malone and Walsh.

The postseason begins with the PSAC Championships from Feb. 10-13 at the Carlisle Family YMCA in Carlisle, Pa. The Golden Knights will look to post NCAA qualifying times, with swimmers meeting NCAA Division II A standards earning automatic qualification and those achieving B standards eligible for selection to the NCAA Division II Championships, scheduled for March 9-13 at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
 
 Full 2026-27 Schedule

October 16 – IUP Fall Invitational – Indiana, Pa. – All Day
October 16 – IUP Sprint Frenzy – Indiana, Pa. – All Day
October 23 – at Clarion – 5 p.m.
November 7 – vs. Case Western Reserve – 1 p.m.
November 19 – Youngstown State Invitational (Day 1) – Youngstown, Ohio – All Day
November 20 – Youngstown State Invitational (Day 2) – Youngstown, Ohio – All Day
November 21 – Youngstown State Invitational (Day 3) – Youngstown, Ohio – All Day
December 12 – vs. Indiana (Pa.) – 1 p.m.
January 16 – Oberlin Quad Meet – Oberlin, Ohio – All Day
January 16 – vs. Malone – Oberlin, Ohio – All Day
January 16 – vs. Walsh – Oberlin, Ohio – All Day
January 22 – vs. Edinboro – 6 p.m. (Senior Day)
February 10-13 – PSAC Championships – Carlisle, Pa. – All Day
March 9-13 – NCAA Division II Championships – Indianapolis, Ind. – All Day