Florida State Swimming & Diving to Honor Seniors, Faces Villanova in First 2026 Competition
Florida State University’s swimming and diving program will kick off the new year by hosting Villanova in a special Senior Day meet on Tuesday, January 6th, at 2 p.m. ET at the Morcom Aquatics Center. The event provides a fitting tribute to the departing seniors, with a dedicated ceremony scheduled for 1:30 p.m.Admission to the event is free, and fans are encouraged to attend and show their support for the graduating class.
Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action through multiple channels. Live results will be available on Meet Mobile,and a live stream of the event will be broadcast on the Florida State Seminoles YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/FSUAthletics. Real-time updates and behind-the-scenes content will also be shared on the seminoles’ official Twitter/X account (@FSU_Swimming): https://twitter.com/FSU_Swimming, instagram page (@FSUSwimDive): https://www.instagram.com/fsuswimdive/, and Facebook page (FSUSwimmingDiving): https://www.facebook.com/FSUSwimmingDiving/.
“We can’t wait to celebrate our seniors,” saeid FSU head coach Neal Studd. “This group has given so much to our program, and it’s always special to honor them in front of everyone. We’re looking forward to one last home meet of the season.”
The seniors set to be honored include Mabry Bishop, Sam Bork, Julia Brzozowski, Kaire caahache, Kayleigh Clark, Nico Cecchi, Tommaso Baravelli, Marcos Egri-Martin, Sarah Evans, Sophie Freeman, Mika Heideyer, Reese Hinnerichs, Utku kurtdere, Julia Mansson, Yak Pusnik, and Max Wilson.
This competition marks the Seminoles’ first of 2026. The Florida state men’s team recently climbed four positions to No. 12 in the December 18 CSCAA Coaches Poll, demonstrating meaningful progress in the national rankings. The women’s team remains unranked.
Villanova University will also begin its 2026 season in Tallahassee. The Wildcats recently competed in the Navy Invite,and their women’s team secured a runner-up finish at the CSCAA Collegiate 5K Open Water Championship in mid-December.
The Seminoles concluded their 2025 season at the Georgia Invite. The men’s team, ranked 16th at the time, achieved a strong third-place finish, surpassing two other top-20 programs – LSU (then No. 13) and Alabama (No. 14). The women’s team finished fifth, facing a challenging field of four top-25 opponents.
Following the Georgia Invite, members of the FSU diving team participated in the USA Diving Winter Nationals, with several Seminoles qualifying for finals in various events, including platform, 10-meter, 1-meter, and 3-meter. Redshirt senior Kayleigh Clark distinguished herself by finishing fifth in both the women’s platform and synchronized 3-meter competitions.
Looking ahead, florida State will travel to Athens, Georgia, to compete against the University of Georgia in a dual meet on Saturday, January 10.The complete Seminoles’ schedule can be found on Seminoles.com for both the men’s and women’s teams: https://seminoles.com/sports/swimming-and-diving/schedule.
