Men's Swimming | 10/16/2026 9:15:00 PM

INDIANA, Pa. – The Gannon men's swimming team opened the 2026-27 season in strong fashion on Friday, winning both the Crimson Hawks Fall Invitational and the IUP Sprint Frenzy.

The Golden Knights finished first in the five-team Fall Invitational with 443 points, ahead of Clarion's 388 and IUP's 365. Gannon followed that performance by winning the Sprint Frenzy with 608.5 points, comfortably ahead of Clarion at 472.5 and IUP at 447.

Gannon opened the Fall Invitational with a win in the 400-yard medley relay, as Marcos Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain/Santa María del Pilar) Fernandez, Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community), Mert Ata Pehlivanoglu (Izmir, Turkey/Takev Anatolian) and Nikita Poparcea combined for a time of 3:28.69.

Rodriguez Fernandez added an individual victory in the 100-yard backstroke, touching first in 52.88. Gannon also closed the meet with another relay win, as Bryce Buret, Pehlivanoglu, Nickolas Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward) and Poparcea won the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:09.53.

The Golden Knights carried that momentum into the Sprint Frenzy. Rodriguez Fernandez, Ray, Pehlivanoglu and Poparcea won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:34.32, while Gannon's B relay of Nickolas Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward), Adrian Paredes Carrillo (Tega Cay, SC/Fort Mill), Kaidan Helmeczi (Mount Wolf, PA/Northeastern Senior High School) and Bengimin Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward) placed third in 1:37.20.

Ray earned an individual victory in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:00.82, while Poparcea claimed the 100-yard freestyle in 46.82. Pehlivanoglu also finished fourth in the 100 freestyle at 48.73, while Manny Cisneros placed sixth at 49.37.

THE MEET FACTS

Events: Crimson Hawks Fall Invitational / IUP Sprint Frenzy
Date: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
Location: Indiana, Pa.
Fall Invitational Finish: 1st of 5 teams – 443 points
Sprint Frenzy Finish: 1st – 608.5 points

THE KNIGHT CAP

• Opening-Day Sweep: Gannon won both the Fall Invitational and Sprint Frenzy.
• Relay Success: The Golden Knights won the 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay.
• Rodriguez Fernandez Wins: Marcos Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain/Santa María del Pilar) Fernandez captured the 100 backstroke in 52.88.
• Ray Takes the IM: Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community) won the 200 IM at the Sprint Frenzy in 2:00.82.
• Poparcea on Top: Nikita Poparcea won the 100 freestyle in 46.82.
• Strong Butterfly Showing: Kaidan Helmeczi (Mount Wolf, PA/Northeastern Senior High School) finished second, Kuba Loboda (Lublin, Poland/) third and Pehlivanoglu fourth in the 100 butterfly at the Fall Invitational.
• Depth on Display: Gannon placed multiple swimmers near the top of several events throughout both sessions.
• Fast Start for Newcomer: Pehlivanoglu contributed to multiple relay wins while also posting top finishes individually.

UP NEXT

Gannon returns to action on Friday, Oct. 23, when the Golden Knights travel to Clarion for a 5 p.m. dual meet.

This story was written using the support of AI.