IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata men's and women's swimming are one day away from kicking off their 2025-26 season. This will be the third year with Josh Pace as the head coach of both squads.

The men's team are coming off a third-place finish in AEC Championships in 2024-25. The women are aiming to improve on their fourth-place result.

Pace said his teams have entered the new campaign with "a great attitude and a ton of energy." He added that the group is working together, the work ethic is strong, and the "overall culture continues to grow in a positive direction."

Preseason Overview

Both teams open their new season on Friday, Oct. 24 for a tri-meet at Elizabethtown. Immaculata will take on the host and Goucher. The next day, Saturday, Oct. 25, the Mighty Macs have their home opener against Moravian.

November begins with a home conference tri-meet versus Marymount and Marywood. The Mighty Macs then head to Allentown, Pa. the following week to Cedar Crest. The men will face Gallaudet for a neutral meet, while the women face Gallaudet and the host.

After the holiday season, Immaculata returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 17 for their final conference meet at St. Mary's College (Md.). After a trip to Widener for a men's tri-meet (and a quad-meet for the women), the regular season concludes with Arcadia visiting Alumnae Hall on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Atlantic East Conference Championships, hosted by St. Mary's College (Md.), will run through Feb. 12-15.

Roster Check

The women's squad has nine returners from last season: Rebecca Ambrose, Ashley Batejan, Jenna Bozzo, Valeska Buestan, Liz Ferguson, Bella Hernandez, Ava McEntire, Delanie McPeak, and Keira Wiley. Two of the men, Mike DeMattei and Aidan Gall, are back as well.

Pace said that the women's team will be led by the junior captain Wiley, the senior captain Ferguson, and sophomores Batejan, McPeak, and Ambrose. For the men, it will be the junior captain DeMattei.

"Each of [the women's captains] brings something unique to the team—whether it's work ethic, experience, or leadership in and out of the pool," Pace said. "… [Mike] DeMattei has done a tremendous job setting the tone and keeping the group focused. Collectively, this leadership group has helped establish a strong foundation for our program's continued growth."

Welcome to the Team

Out of the six Mighty Macs on the men's roster, four are joining the squad: Connor Ferguson (free and relay), Yerlin Ortiz (100 fly, 100 free), Lain Weitzel (free and back), and Alex Fialkowksi (50 free, 100 free, 100 back).

On the women's side, the newcomers are Lorelei Ancherani (free, fly), Hannah Barber (free), Jessica Gardy (1500 free), Maura Hambleton (500), and Emilee Rible (50 free, 100 free).

"We're really excited about this year's newcomers," Pace said. "On the women's side, Hannah Barber, Emilee Rible, and Lorelei Ancherani will all contribute in the freestyle events, while Maura Hambleton will make an impact in the distance races. On the men's side, Connor Ferguson will be a key addition in the sprint freestyle and breaststroke events, while Lain Weitzel and Yerlin Ortiz bring versatility across multiple strokes. Sophomore Alex Fialkowski will also be a strong contributor in the sprint events. This group has already shown a lot of promise in practice and will play an important role for us right away."

Season Outlook

Pace emphasized that the goal is to continue the teams' progress and "raise the bar" for the program.

"We want to compete hard every meet, develop as athletes and teammates, and perform our best at the Atlantic East Championships," he said. "If we continue to bring the energy, focus, and teamwork we've shown in preseason, this group has the potential to do something really special this year."

To see the entire 2025 men's schedule, click here.

To see the entire 2025 women's schedule, click here.