STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's and women's swimming and diving teams will kick off their 2026-27 campaign with the third annual Kick-Off Invitational at the Tank on Saturday. The meet will feature two sessions, with the first beginning at 10:30 AM and the second scheduled for 2:30 PM. The Dolphins are set to compete against Montclair State University, Pace University, and Kean University.

2026-27 Season Preview:

The Dolphins enter the new season under interim head coach Miranda Johns, who takes over for head coach Michael Ackalitis for the 2026-27 campaign. The program welcomes back several key contributors while adding a new group of rookies looking to make an impact.

On the women's side, Maria Janecka returns for her sophomore season after earning a pair of bronze medals at the Northeast 10 Championships during her freshman campaign. She also made her mark in the CSI Swimming and Diving record books across multiple events. Fellow sophomores Polly Struck and Maja Tomaszewska also return and will look to build on their performances as they aim for strong finishes in the pool this season. On the diving boards, Jacqueline DeFranco enters her final collegiate season after capturing a pair of silver medals in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events at the Northeast 10 Championships.

On the men's side, the Dolphins welcome back Vlad Siniagovskii, who returns after earning a medal at the Northeast 10 Championships last season. He also recorded 13 first-place finishes across the backstroke and freestyle events during the 2025-26 campaign. Andi Bajollari, Julian Lopez, and Adria Garcia Fuentes also return to the lineup and will look to contribute to the team's success this season.

2025-26 Kick-Off Invitational Summary:

Last season, the Dolphins also opened their campaign at the Kick-Off Invitational, facing Kean and Montclair State alongside Ramapo College. The women's team finished third out of four teams with 100 points, while the men's team placed second out of three competing teams with 121 points, as Kean does not sponsor a men's swimming program.

The women's team made an immediate impact at the meet, setting three new program records. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Tomaszewska, Nicole Conroy, Struck, and Janecka established a new mark with a time of 1:43.07. Struck and Janecka also made their mark in individual events, with Struck setting the program record in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:53.31 and Janecka establishing a new record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.31.