STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's and women's swimming and diving teams began their 2026-27 campaign at the third annual Kick-Off Invitational in The Tank, competing against Montclair State University, Pace University, and Kean University. After two sessions, the women finished fourth with 57 points, while the men placed third with 70.5 points.

On the women's side, Maria Janecka and Alandra Dublin recorded the highest individual finishes for the Dolphins. Janecka placed second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:00.54, while Dublin finished the 50-yard freestyle in 25.16, just over half a second behind the school record Janecka set last season. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the team of Janecka, Dublin, Polly Struck, and Maja Tomaszewska finished third with a time of 1:43.79.

Alongside Dublin, newcomers Natalie Kedzior, Aydan Damirova, and Sammie Murphy competed in individual events and relays. Kedzior's top performance came in the 200-yard freestyle, where she recorded a time of 2:13.32. Damirova finished the 50-yard freestyle in 27.24, while Murphy clocked in at 31.44 in the same event.

Jacqueline DeFranco made her first appearance on the 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards this season, placing second in both events. She recorded a score of 197.10 on the 1-meter board and 185.90 on the 3-meter board.

On the men's side, Vlad Siniagovskii opened the season with a first-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, recording a time of 53.35. He also placed second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.06. Andi Bajollari added a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.36, while Julian Lopez recorded top-three finishes in both individual medley events. Lopez placed second in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:35.22 and third in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:06.78.

In the men's relay events, the 200-yard medley relay team of Siniagovskii, Halsey "Tiki" Keats, Yassin Hussein, and Bajollari finished third with a time of 1:41.52.

The College of Staten Island men's and women's swimming and diving teams will return to The Tank on Friday, Oct. 16, when they host FDU-Florham and Hunter College, with Hunter competing on the women's side only. The meet is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM.

GAME REPLAY