ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT men's swimming and diving team opens the 2026-27 season on Saturday (Oct. 10) with a dual meet at RPI. Here are the six things you need to know about the Tigers.
LAST SEASON
RIT finished second out of 10 at the Liberty League Championships last season. Diver
Luke Albanese was named the Diver of the Meet after claiming first place in the 1-meter and second in the 3-meter. The then-junior was also named the Liberty League Diver of the Year.
First-year swimmer
Griffin Tomsheck was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Year. At the conference championship meet, Tomsheck won the 100 and 200 Breaststroke events, placed fifth in the 200 IM, and swam a leg in the 400 Medley Relay that took second place.
ALBANESE, THE ALL-AMERICAN
Making his third trip to the NCAA Division III National Championships, Albanese earned Second Team All-America honors with a pair of 10th-place finishes at the NCAA Division III National Championships.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
One member of last season's team earned College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America honors. Sophomore
Griffin Messenlehner was named a second-team selection after earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher and achieving a NCAA Division III "B" standard during the season.
As a team, the Tigers were recognized as a CSCAA Spring Scholar All-America Team, posting a 3.52 team GPA during the 2025-26 academic year.
WELCOME BACK
RIT brings back 18 members from last year's team. Sophomores
Aiden Agostini,
Griffin Messenlehner,
Brayden Pyott,
Griffin Tomsheck, and
Bernardo Valente; juniors
Josh Berty,
Jack Dollyhigh,
Thomas Eppich,
Jackson Frazier,
Finn Hilliard,
Sam Martin,
John Morris,
Lucas Peterson,
Leonid Pozhenko,
Jacob Winfield, and
Colin Zhao; and seniors
Luke Albanese and
Kamden Keyes all return for the 2026-27 season.
NEW FACES
There will be 12 newcomers on this season's roster.
Sri Amaravadi,
Will Babik, Khaiz Cyrus Gheewala,
Octavian Lupu,
Ryan Maddox,
Rocco Martino,
Ryan Mayo,
Grant McClure,
Arya Nimbalkar,
Will Orth,
Ariel Rivera, and
Ben Spiegler will all look to make an impact for the Tigers.
2026-27 SCHEDULE
The Tigers begin the 2026-27 season on the road at RPI on Oct. 10 before returning home to host Alfred the following Friday (Oct. 16). RIT then welcomes teams to Judson Pool for the RIT Invitational on Oct. 23 before heading to Chicago for the D3 Shootout on Nov. 6.
RIT hosts the Don Richards Invitational on Nov. 19 to close out the fall semester schedule.
Following winter break, the Tigers return to action at home against Hamilton on Jan. 9 before crossing town to face Rochester on Jan. 16. RIT then hosts Geneseo on Jan. 22 and William Smith on Jan. 30. The regular season concludes with the RIT Diving Invitational on Feb. 6.
Postseason competition begins with the Liberty League Championships in Ithaca from Feb. 17-20, followed by the NCAA Division III Diving Regionals on Feb. 26-28. The season culminates at the NCAA Division III National Championships, scheduled for Mar. 17-21 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
