Men's Swimming and Diving | 10/16/2025 10:30:00 AM
SUNY Geneseo will look for their itsstraight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2025-26 season gets underway. The Empire 8 Championship will take place between Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Saturday Feb. 21.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.
2025-26 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Players to Watch
(Sorted Alphabetically by Institution)
Alfred University - Head Coach Brian Striker
Emmanuel Drappatz, Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel Area - Drappatz, a freestyle standout for the Saxons, earned three E8 titles in 2024 in the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relay along with the 400-yard freestyle. In 2025, he won the E8 title in the 200-yard medley relay and earned second team all-conference honors in the 400-yard medley relay.
Carlos Gonzalez, So., Baja California, Mexico/Unifront - Gonzalez, the 2024-25 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, had a spectacular debut season. He earned second team all-conference honors by placing second in the 200-yard breaststrokem 400-yard individual medley and the 400-yard medley relay at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships.
SUNY Brockport - Head Coach Zach Wahl
Jace Fredericksen, Sr., Newark, NY/Newark - Fredericksen, a distance freestyle and backstroke swimmer, finished ninth at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships in the 500-yard freestyle, seventh in the 200-yard freestyle and sixth in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Erik Parkes, So., Niagara Falls, NY/Canisus - Parkes is a butterfly and freestyle standout. At the 2025 Empire 8 Championships he earned second team all-conference honors after placing second in the 200-yard butterfly. He also placed third in the 100-yard butterfly, third in the 200-yard freestyle relay and seventh in the 100-yard freestyle.
SUNY Geneseo - Head Coach Paul Dotterwich
Jake Nielsen, Sr., Smithtown, NY/Hauppage - Nielsen was the 2025 Empire 8 Champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay. These finishes earned him first team all-conferende honors. In addition, Nielsen was a second team All-American in the 200-yard freestyle relay. He also was part of the Empire 8 record-setting 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams and helped Geneseo set an Empire 8 Championship record in the 400-yard medley relay.
Alex Palmer, Jr., Fairport, NY/Fairport - Palmer is the 2025 Empire 8 Champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, earning him first team all-conference honors. He was also the runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley, earning him second team all-conference nods.
Hartwick College - Head Coach Dale Rothenberger
Hassan Abdelwahed, Jr., New Hartford, NY/New Hartford - Abdelwahed, a two-time E8 Player to Watch, was the 2023-24 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. He has two E8 medals from the 2024 Championships for the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke. In 2025, he was second team all-conference in the 200-yard, 400-yard and 800-yard freestyle relays.
Cameron Drake, Jr., El Cajon, CA/Helix Charter - Drake, a distance swimmer for the Hawks, was the 2024 Empire 8 Champion in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle as well as the 800-yard freestyle relay. In 2025, he repeated his E8 titles in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle. He earned second team all-conference in the 400-yard and 800-yard freestyle relays as well as the 200-yard medley relay.
Nazareth University - Head Coach R.C. Weston
Gianluca Antonini, Jr., Hilton, NY/Hilton - Antonini placed seventh in the 1650-yard freestyle at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships with a personal best time of 17:38.80. He also placed eigth in the 500-yard freestyle finals and 11th in the 200-yard freestyle finals.
David Martin, So., Camillus, NY/West Genesee - Martin had a personal-best at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships final for the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.02. He also placed 13th in the 200-yard finals.
Final 2024-25 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Results
Geneseo - 1,106 points - League Champions
Hartwick - 635 points
Alfred - 605 points
Brockport - 496 points
Nazareth - 383 points
2024-25 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Returning All-Americans, All-Region & Major Award Winners
- Hassan Abdelwahed, Hartwick Jr., New Hartford, NY/New Hartford - 2023-24 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year
- Carlos Gonzalez, Alfred, So., Baja California, Mexico/Unifront - 2024-25 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year
- Dylan Gallub, Geneseo, So., Nesconset, NY/Smithtown - 2025 200-yard Freestyle Relay Second Team All-American; Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.34); Empire 8 record holder, 400-yard freestyle relay (3:00.96)
- Jake Nielsen, Geneseo, Sr., Smithtown, NY/Hauppague - 2025 200-yard Freestyle Relay Second Team All-American; Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.34); Empire 8 record holder, 400-yard freestyle relay (3:00.96)
- Brian Pabisch, Geneseo, Jr., Dix Hills, NY/Half Hallow Hulls East - 2024-25 Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year, 2025 50-yard Freestyle Second Team All-American, 2025 200-yard Freestyle Relay Second Team All-American; Empire 8 record holder, 50-yard freestyle (:20.15); Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.34); Empire 8 record holder, 400-yard freestyle relay (3:00.96)