Men's Swimming and Diving | 10/15/2026 1:45:00 PM
SUNY Geneseo will look for their third straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2026-27 season gets underway. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at the Webster Aquatic Center in Webster, NY from Wednesday, Feb. 17-Saturday Feb. 20.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
2026-27 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Players to Watch
Alfred University - Head Coach Brian Striker
Andre Ayala, So., Freestyle/Butterfly, Mexico City, Mexico/Preparatoria - Ayala, a freestyle standout for the Saxons, earned two E8 titles in 2026 in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle. He earned second team All-Conference honors in the 200-yard freestyle, the 400-yard and 800-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay. He broke program records in the 500-yard, 200-yard and 1,000-yard freestyles as well as the 200-yard butterfly.
Carlos Gonzalez, Jr., IM/Breaststroke, Baja California, Mexico/Unifront - Gonzalez, a two-time E8 Player to Watch, was the 2024-25 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. He earned the 2026 E8 title in the 400-yard individual medley. He racked up four second team All-Conference finishes in the 200-yard breaststroke, 800-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay.
SUNY Brockport - Head Coach Zach Wahl
Brenden Jardin-Reed, So., Diving, Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post - Jardin-Reed earned second team All-Conference in his rookie season for both the one-meter and three-meter dive. He scored 494.35 in the one-meter and 526.50 in the three-meter. He went on to qualify for regionals where he finished in ninth place in the three-meter and fourth place in the one-meter.
Erik Parkes, Jr., Butterfly/Freestyle, Niagara Falls, NY/Canisus - Parkes, a two-time E8 Player to Watch, 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. At the 2026 E8 Championships, he garnered second team All-Conference accolades in the 200-yard freestyle.
SUNY Geneseo - Head Coach Paul Dotterwich
Brian Pabisch, Sr., Freestyle, Dix Hills, NY/Half Hallow Hulls East - Pabisch holds five 2026 E8 titles. He finished first in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays and the 200-yard medley relay. He earned a second team All-Conference nod in the 100-yard butterfly. He went on to compete at nationals where he earned second team All-American honors in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Alex Palmer, Sr., Breaststroke, Fairport, NY/Fairport - Palmer, a two-time E8 Player to Watch, is the 2026 Empire 8 Champion in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard individual medley, the 200-yard and the 400-yard medley relays. He competed at the NCAA Championships, where he earned second team All-American honors in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke.
Hartwick College - Head Coach Dale Rothenberger
Hassan Abdelwahed, Sr., Breaststroke, New Hartford, NY/New Hartford - Abdelwahed, a three-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. He looks to earn more medals in 2026-27.
Kevin Zheng, Fr., Sprint Freestyle, Chino Hills, CA/Ruben S. Ayala - Zheng is an exciting addition for the Hawks. He competes in sprint freestyle races and will be a fun watch in 2026-27.
Nazareth University - Head Coach R.C. Weston
Gianluca Antonini, Sr., Freestyle, Hilton, NY/Hilton - Antonini, a two-time E8 Player to Watch placed seventh in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2026 Empire 8 Championships. He took home first place finishes earlier in the season in the 800-yard, 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle events. He was also the Golden Flyers’ E8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team representative.
Solomon Panayil, Sr., Freestyle, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool - Panayil, earned a season-best time of 1:01.54 in the 100-meter freestyle time and a 1:33.80 200-yard freestyle time in 2025-26. He is expected to be a big competitor for the Golden Flyers this season.
Final 2025-26 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Results
Geneseo - 1,186 points - League Champions
Brockport - 641.5 points
Alfred - 632 points
Hartwick - 614.5 points
Nazareth - 219 points
2025-26 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 - 2026 200-yard Freestyle Relay second team All-American, 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); Empire 8 record holder 200-yard medley relay (1:28.93)
- Brian Pabisch, Geneseo, Jr., Dix Hills, NY/Half Hallow Hulls East - 2024-25 Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year, 2026 200-yard Freestyle Relay second team All-American, 2025 50-yard Freestyle Second Team All-American, 2025 200-yard Freestyle Relay Second Team All-American; Empire 8 record holder, 50-yard freestyle (:20.02); Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.34); Empire 8 record holder, 400-yard freestyle relay (3:00.96); Empire 8 record holder, 200-medley relay (1:28.93)
- Alex Palmer, Geneseo, Sr., Fairport, NY/Fairport - 2025-26 Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year, 2026 100-yard Breaststroke Second Team All-American, 2026 200-yard Breaststroke Second Team All-American; Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard breaststroke (1:58.36); Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard individual medley (1:49.57); Empire 8 record holder, 200-yard medley relay (1:28.93)
- Peter Peyser, Geneseo, So., Buffalo, NY/Canisius - 2025-26 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, 2026 200-yard Freestyle Relay second team All-American