Ave Maria University opened the 2026-27 swimming and diving season with men’s and women’s victories over the Mighty Banyans of New College in Florida on Oct. 18 at the FGCU Aquatic Center in Fort Myers. The Ave Maria University men’s swim team won 168-56, while the women’s team prevailed 153-62. Both Ave Maria teams won all but two races in the meet.
The meet marked the first of the Josh Harriott era at Ave Maria University. The sweep gave both programs a winning start to the season. Ave Maria will return to competition in two weeks at the AMU Spooky Halloween Invite in Fort Myers.
Jack Keyser leads Ave Maria University men’s team
Sophomore Jack Keyser led the Ave Maria University men’s effort with four gold medals, including victories in three individual events. The Indiana native won the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. He also swam breaststroke on Ave Maria’s winning 200-yard medley relay team.
Eli Soderberg also won four gold medals for Ave Maria University. He captured the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard butterfly and competed on the winning 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay teams. Eli Pelzer added three gold medals and one bronze, winning the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events and joining Soderberg on the 200-yard freestyle relay team.
Ave Maria University women post strong individual results
Emma Heasty and Delaney Weisbruch each scored a team-high 22 points for the Ave Maria University women’s team. Both swimmers won three gold medals and one silver. Heasty won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke and served as Ave Maria’s anchor in the 200-yard medley relay, while Weisbruch won the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events and also swam on the winning medley relay team.
Lily Streitmatter scored 22 points in her Ave Maria University debut. She won the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events, placed second in the 200-yard freestyle and finished with two gold medals and two silver medals. Anna Szucs won the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events, while Maeve O’Brien won the 200-yard backstroke and 1,000-yard freestyle.
Ave Maria University schedules Fort Myers invitational
Ave Maria University will host the AMU Spooky Halloween Invite in Fort Myers in two weeks. St. Thomas University, Thomas University and New College are scheduled to attend. St. Thomas University was ranked fourth nationally in both genders last season, while Thomas University was a top-25 program on both sides.
FSB Take
Ave Maria University’s men’s and women’s swim teams opened the season with a sweep and won all but two races against New College in Florida. Keyser and Soderberg each won four gold medals for the men, while Heasty, Weisbruch and Streitmatter each scored 22 points for the women. The AMU Spooky Halloween Invite will bring St. Thomas University, Thomas University and New College to Fort Myers in two weeks.
Source: Original report