MEETDAY: SWIMMING & DIVING BEGINS NEW ERA OF COMPETITION WITH FIRST OFFICIAL NE-10 MEET

10/19/2023 12:00:00 PM

Staten Island, NY - The College of Staten Island Swimming & Diving Team will begin a new chapter in the history of the program tomorrow night as they host their first official NE-10 meet as part of their new conference. The Dolphins will welcome Adelphi University into The Tank tomorrow night for a 6 PM start in the team's second meet of the 2023-2024 season. The Dolphins have faced Adelphi in the past and the CSI men and women have combined to win 7 of 21 results against the Panthers. However, the most recent encounter between the two sides was close, specifically the men's meet which was decided by only 7 points.

Over the summer, Head Coach Michael Ackalitis and members of his team got the chance to reflect on the announcement that the program had officially been accepted as part of the Northeast-10 Conference. The CSI Head Coach thinks that a new Division II conference to call home gives the program a new identity and believes that it will "help the team culture, help with recruiting, allow for some new rivalries, and allow the team to embrace more competition." Tomorrow's meet gives the team a chance to showcase against the NE-10 for the first time as associate members of the conference, and for the CSI men that lost their meet against Adelphi by a slim margin last year, they will be putting their unbeaten 2-0 start on the line.

When asked about the importance of the move to the NE-10 during the offseason, junior David Poggioli expressed his excitement for the conference meets that would now carry some extra significance ahead of the season-ending NE-10 Championship. "The meets will be more competitive as we'll be facing the same teams that we'll be swimming against in the conference championship," said Poggioli. Fellow junior Charles Cusumano echoed the point made by Poggioli saying, "I think it's going to give us more recognition, and this is a huge step for us as a Division II program."

As for the CSI women, they will face Adelphi University tomorrow night alongside a very familiar opponent in Hunter College. For years, the Dolphins and Hawks battled for supremacy in the CUNYAC, and now the Dolphins will get a chance to ignite the beginning of a new rivalry with Adelphi in the NE-10. However, before the team can begin to succeed in the pool, they needed to create the foundation for success outside of it. This is an area where junior Morgan Novello believes the Dolphins have excelled. "Everyone's motivating each other during practice and we're always there for each other at meets," she said. "Even if you have a bad day, everyone is there to help you. If you do well, everyone is happy for you. All of it contributes to really good morale." Novello and the rest of her team are also eager to embrace the increased level of competition saying, "I think it's going to be more competitive and better for us and the program."

When asked about his expectations in the immediate aftermath of the move to the NE-10, Ackalitis said, "it's not just about what's good for us, but what's good for the conference, and what we're bringing is a little more competition. Just like we're motivated to perform at a high level, I think our presence will motivate the rest of the conference as well." The Dolphins head coach and his team will get their first opportunity to deliver on that sentiment tomorrow night. The meet is free to attend at the Sports & Recreation Center and will also be streamed live on CSI Sportsnet via the ECC Network.

MEET VIDEO

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