FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After weeks of training and getting acclimated with each other, first-year Head Coach Jake Lichter and the Fairfield University men's and women's swimming and diving teams are ready for the 2024-25 season. That campaign begins this weekend when the teams host the annual Fairfield Invitational.

This year, the Fairfield Invitational will include the men's and women's teams from Manhattan University and Southern Connecticut State University as well as the women's squad from Sacred Heart University. The diving portion of the meet takes place on October 4 while the swimmers take to the pool on October 5.

"The Fairfield Invitational will allow us to set the benchmark where we are and where we need to go at this point," Coach Lichter said. "It will give us some glimpses at some our new first year and transfer student-athletes. The Invitational will allow us to build the large picture of what we have here. It will give us an opportunity to see our capability. Since we will have a large lineup for the Invitational,  the event will help us strategically because we will be able to compete in all our events."

Although this is the first official meet of the season, the coaching staff has been putting the team into competitive situations throughout the preseason so the student-athletes could become reaccustomed to racing.

"On Friday evenings in September, we have been putting them into racing opportunities including relays to get them into that racing mindset and to put them into that position where they are slightly nervous and learn to handle that pressure," Coach Lichter said.

Getting reacquainted and accustomed has been an ongoing theme through the preseason for the new coaching staff and the returning student-athletes. At the heart of that process has been the senior class which has served as a conduit between the coaches and the team.

"I couldn't have asked for a better group of student leaders especially this being my first year coming into the program," Coach Lichter said. "They have been extremely cooperative and have embraced the ideas and vision that I have for the team. It's been a collaborative effort where we have the coaches' vision which disseminates down to the seniors who pass it along to the rest of the team which is exactly what you want. We have a great group of seniors who are hardworking and extremely talented."

While the seniors have provided the leadership, the newcomers and returning student-athletes have welcomed the philosophy and mission that Coach Lichter has brought with him from his years as a coach.

"Anytime you have a change in leadership, there's always some apprehension of how the team is going to absorb the mission and the training style," Coach Lichter said. 'I've been really pleased that the team has embraced what we are trying to do from the coaching staff perspective. Attitude, energy, and effort level at practice have all been high. It's been that dream scenario that you want to walk into. I'm extremely optimistic that the team is very committed and really looking forward to accomplish the big things that we've talked about this year such as being competitive at our dual meets and being a team at the end of the season that's contending for a MAAC title."

The first step toward a winning season and winning a championship starts this weekend with the Fairfield Invitational. The two-day event takes place at the RecPlex Pool beginning with diving on Friday at 6 pm and the swimming events on Saturday morning.