FAIRFIELD, Conn. – How a team responds to winning a conference championship can differ from program to program and year to year. With both the Fairfield University men's and women's swimming and diving programs winning their conference titles a year ago, Head Coach
Jake Lichter has not seen his student-athletes respond to their success with complacency but rather a new level of confidence that comes with being champions.
"After winning the championship last year, I think they (student-athletes) have this confidence that they can do it now," Coach Lichter said. "I think it allows them to go into races and meets with a bit more confidence and a belief in themselves that they can compete. Frankly, between last year and this year, I've seen even more energy from them in practice."
The Stags will need that newfound energy with a schedule that includes dual meets, invitationals, and championships. The 2026-27 slate begins this weekend with the Fairfield Invitational with diving taking place on Friday night (6 pm) and the swimming events beginning on Saturday (12 pm) at the RecPlex Pool. The Stags will host Manhattan University's men's and women's programs, Sacred Heart University's women's team, as well as the men's and women's squads from Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Bridgeport.
"The invitational really helps us set the table for the year," Coach Lichter said. "It gives us the chance to put everybody in the events that we need to see swim and get a little bit of a baseline. And, we use the performances to help dictate what we're going to do over the next couple of weeks."
Those upcoming weeks include three dual meets against competitive programs that will in turn prepare them for the Terrier Invitational in November which sends the Stags up against some of the top teams in the region. The Stags will wrap a pair of road meets with Bryant on October 9 and Marist University on October 31 around a home meet with Providence College on October 17.
"If the Invitational helps us set the table, we will swim the dual meets and build upon each other and try to be at our peak come November for the Terrier Invitational."
The Stags will look to carry that momentum that they gained during last year's MAAC Championship with many of those swimmers and divers returning for the upcoming season.
Four returning student-athletes won gold at last year's conference championship meet, namely seniors Tone Sandsjo (100 breast – 1:00.32) and
Aidan Schnapf (200 free – 1:37.15), as well as sophomores Natasha DePree (200 free – 1:48.33; 1650 free – 16:53.77) and
Bobby Regan (400 IM – 3:51.52). DePree's achievements in the water earned the conference swimming rookie of the meet accolade.
The diving corps will also roster a great deal of experience and leadership from
Andrew Cataldo, Cameron Pope, and
Tyler Robie on the men's side as well as Lillian Tonole on the women's side. All four seniors garnered top eight finishes at last year's championship, a solid foundation for making a run at this year's event. And, sophomore
Colton Driggers will look to build on his performance which secured the conference diving rookie of the meet award.
The experience of winning conference championships along with the knowledge of how to stay in peak condition for the grueling season is something for which these teams are well prepared.
"Our juniors and seniors have been in this position before," Coach Lichter said. "They understand that nothing is ever given to you. The sophomores now recognize that there's so much that goes into a season. They've really started to nurture the first-year athletes by bringing them under their wing and help them get acclimated."
With the experience and the talent pool deck, the Fairfield University men's and women's swimming and diving programs are looking to build upon that confidence gained a year ago and leave their mark again this season.
