With the UAA Championships kicking off on Wednesday, the NYU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are now in the deep end of the season — and looking to build off last year’s momentum to finally clinch conference and national titles.
Most recently, the swimmers competed in West Point, NY — first-year Molly Sleman placed first out of four swimmers in the women’s 100-yard freestyle time trial, while the diving team headed upstate for the RPI Dive Invitational, where several Violets snagged first place in their events.
But the season did not begin without challenges: A planned training trip to Puerto Rico was canceled due to airspace complications, forcing the teams to adjust their preparations. The swimmers rerouted to Florida, while the divers were still able to travel to Puerto Rico. Despite the disruption, the Violets remained focused — a mindset that quickly translated into results once competition began.
The teams found success early and has continued to dominate throughout the season, winning most meets by margins of nearly 100 points. One of their most notable victories came last month: The Violets made program history, sweeping all four meets at a tri-meet hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Senior and last year’s NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year Kaley McIntyre and sophomore Teddy McQuaid are top performers this season, totaling 779.80 and 774.75 points, respectively.
The Violets’ season is also marked by standout performances from both teams at November’s Phoenix Fall Classic, where the team broke four program records — including McIntyre in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard free relay, joined by junior Lian Jeong Engle and first-years Llew Ladomirak and Maeve O’Donnell. Junior Pierce Downs set a record in 200-yard free with a time of 1:37.49, while first-year Sammy Wong broke the record in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:17.56.
As the postseason nears, expectations remain high. Both the men’s and women’s teams sit atop the UAA standings. In the NCAA, the women currently sit in first, while the undefeated men’s team is ranked No. 2.
“I think that we’ve never been that close to winning a conference title and a championship title, which is amazing,” junior Victor Derani said. “I think we have a great group of guys here. I feel like not just the chemistry is going well, but we have a lot of talent in the team, so it’s all very exciting.”
Those relationships have been a major priority this season. Swimming can be an individual sport, and with success comes the challenge of staying grounded — the team is doing so by focusing on having fun, while still competing at a high level and bringing their best every day.
“The way we show up to practice and how we lean on each other and make sure everybody keeps each other accountable has been extremely important throughout this entire season,” Derani said. “I think that’s helped us a lot and has put us into a good place for finishing the season.”
On Jan. 17, NYU honored four swimmers from the 2024-25 season — McIntyre, senior Nicole Ranille and 2025 graduates Elle Motekaitis and Isabel Oldham — who earned individual national titles for the women’s team. The ceremony, held on a decorated Palladium pool deck, also included a Senior Day, as the program recognized 13 outgoing seniors.
“I think they helped build the program back up, obviously from a national ranking standpoint, but just from a cultural standpoint,” head coach Trevor Miele said. “They work hard, they’re dedicated. Just really good people to be around — so I think they’ll be immensely missed.”
With a large senior class set to depart at the end of the season, the Violets are preparing for a noticeable void in the pool next year. The coaching staff, however, has shown an ability to recruit and develop talent. The leadership of senior swimmers has been especially important for a relatively young roster — about 40% of the Violets are newcomers, including 22 first-years, who have adapted quickly to the team’s culture throughout the season.
“My own personal thing is I want to lead this team better than I came on as a freshman,” McIntyre said. “I hope we’re setting it in a good position to continue to be successful for years to come, and for the whole athletics community to have more fun and be more recognized.”
The Violets will compete in the UAA Championships in Chicago starting on Feb. 11.
Contact Emily Barbire at [email protected].