Lehigh swim and dive shifts focus to championships

With the Patriot League Championships less than three weeks away, the Lehigh men’s and women’s swim and dive teams competed in their final regular-season meet at the Navy Invitational on Jan. 31.

The meet was held in Annapolis, Maryland, the site of the upcoming Patriot League Championships from Feb. 18-21, as well as the ECAC Championships from Feb. 27 to March 1.

The women’s team finished the regular season with a 7-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference play, winning all five home meets this season. 

The men posted a 6-4 overall record and also went 3-2 in the league, remaining undefeated at Jacobs Pool.

Both teams entered the Navy meet coming off losses to Bucknell University on Jan. 24. The women responded by winning the invitational, while the men placed second behind Bucknell. Junior Darrah Shuff led the Mountain Hawks individually, placing third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:03.15.

First-year Genevieve Cody continued her strong debut season, highlighted by a win in the 50-yard freestyle and a second-place finish in the 100 free against Marist University. She also swept the 50 and 100 freestyle events against Lafayette College, won the 100 freestyle against Seton Hall University and placed second in the 200 freestyle at the same meet.

Despite competing through heavy training, Cody said the team’s performance reinforced her confidence. 

“I think we’ve been performing really well,” she said. “We’re swimming very tired, but we’re still going out there doing our jobs and I’m excited what the girls can do when we’re tapered.”

Cody said winning the invitational just weeks before the Patriot League Championships provided an important boost for the team.

As a first-year preparing for the championship meet, Cody said the final stretch of the season has given her a clearer picture of what high-level racing demands.

She said the team remains focused on trusting its coaches and embracing the training process.

With 16 days separating the Navy meet from the Patriot League Championships, both teams have shifted fully into championship preparation. 

Senior Mairin Ludwig said the women have embraced the remainder of the season as an opportunity to finish what they started. 

Ludwig said this phase of the season requires trust in training and attention to detail.

“This is the most wins that we’ve ever had in my time here at Lehigh,” she said. “It’s definitely one of the best seasons yet, and we’re just looking forward to finishing strong.”

Senior Caitlin Deitch said racing at Navy provided more than just an opportunity to improve their times.

She said the meet allowed the team to visualize the pool layout and starting points for each event. For Deitch, success at the Patriot League Championships goes beyond results.

“If a lot of the team is happy and satisfied with their performance and we’re cheering and supporting each other, that would be a success,” she said. “I hope we’re the biggest cheering section again.”

On the men’s side, first-year TJ Hayes said the Navy Invitational helped prepare the team for a competitive championship environment.

“It’s good to gauge your competition,” he said. “People swim very differently with a tech suit on than without it.”

With championship preparation underway, Hayes said he’s focused on staying healthy and refining small training details. He said the team has shifted its focus to recovery, race-specific preparation and fine-tuning technique rather than training volume.

Sophomore Will Pestrichelli said the Navy meet highlighted the team’s depth, particularly across different events and relays. He said swimmers stepped up in unfamiliar roles, demonstrating the team’s ability to rely on more than just its top scorers.

“A lot of people are more diverse than they think they are,” Pestrichelli said. “This weekend kind of showed that people can contribute more than they think.”