UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's and women's swim and dive team kick off the 2022-23 season at 9 a.m. on Sunday at the Hartwick College Relays.
Last Time Out: The men's team finished fourth in the Empire 8 with 148.5 points at the Empire 8 Swimming and Diving Championships. The men finished the season 5-8 meanwhile the women were 7-9 on the season. The women also finished fourth in the Empire 8 with 251.5 points in the Empire 8 Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Returners: Sara Kuiken (Valley Falls, NY/Tamarac),
Kira Seaman (Fort Edward, NY/Hudson Falls),
Kim Serio (Lakeville, NY/Livonia),
Bailey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and
Kelly Waryncia (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) all return for another competitive season on the women's side. The men's team welcomes back Michael Colocho, Nick Massa, and Jackson Sorbello. The women's team will have six returners and are happy to welcome some new faces to the team. The men's team will keep its core intact yet lose a key swimmer in Coleman Barry.
New Faces: The women's team will feature six new faces as
Paige Levine (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East ),
Alexandra Osilovskiy (Utica, NY/Whitesboro ),
Aimee Oswald (Reading, PA/Exeter Township ),
Shayla Seymour (Uxbridge, MA/Blackstone Valley Regional),
Ainsley Vyse (Glastobury, CT/Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy ), and
Annabelle Workman (Carthage, NY/Carthage ) look to help the Pioneers compete for an Empire 8 championship. Ronald Batario and Phillip Ross will join the men's team and look to make an immediate impact.
Who to Look For: Jackson Sorbello, Nick Massa, and Michael Colocho will be the leaders of the men's team looking to stand out in their events. Massa and Colocho are fine swimmers in both the breaststroke and individual medley.
Sara Kuiken (Valley Falls, NY/Tamarac),
Kim Serio (Lakeville, NY/Livonia), and
Bailey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) look to continue their strong careers and fight for an Empire 8 championship. Kuiken and Serio are best at the breaststroke yet Kuiken is also a great freestyle swimmer. On the other hand, Simmons is a distance and freestyle swimmer and these three look to spread their dominance to the team's culture.
Last Year's Achievements: Kuiken was named to the Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year team while compiling 10 top-ten finishes, two top-three finishes, and a pair of top-twenty finishes in the Allegheny/Empire 8 Conference Championships last season. The top duo of Sorbello and Massa look to continue their dominance as both had wins last year against Herkimer Community College in a January meet. Sorbello won two events in the same day as he posted a 1:00.49 performance in the 100 individual medley, and a 58.30 in the 100 butterfly to claim the top spot. Massa won the 100 freestyle with a 1:00.38 time to earn himself a victory. These three look to keep the accolades pouring in this season and lead the Pioneers to an Empire 8 Championship.
Season Outlook: The Pioneers will have ten meets this season including seven at home before the Empire 8 Championships which take place from February 15 through 18. The seven home meets begin in late October and run through the end of January. All home contests will take place at the Utica pool.
A Look Ahead: Utica will return to Hartwick for a Quint Meet on October 22 at 9 AM to continue Empire 8 competition.
