Saturday, January 10
Bethlehem, Pa.
1:00 PM
Lehigh University
218
vs
62
Marist
Photo by: Ethan Kenworthy
Lehigh Sweeps Every Event at Last Home Meet
1/10/2026 6:47:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh men's swimming & diving hosted Marist for the final home meet at Jacobs Pool on Saturday afternoon. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Red Foxes 218-62.
Lehigh won every event at the meet, including four where all podium spots were Mountain Hawks.
A trio of sophomores were the biggest contributors for Lehigh, as Will Pestrichelli, Jack Deppe, and Tristan Ronayne were the only three Mountain Hawks to win multiple individual swimming events. Ronayne dominated the backstroke events, as he won both. He swam 1:52.09 to win over 200-yards, and touched at 51.38 to win at the 100-yard distance. He narrowly edged out teammate Ben Kisker, as the senior placed second at 51.48. Pestrichelli owned the distance events, as he took home wins in the 1000-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. He opened the meet winning the 1000, his 9:46.33 finish narrowly beat out first-year teammate TJ Hayes' time of 9:46.80. Over 500-yards, his time of 4:42.22 led two other Mountain Hawks to a podium sweep. Junior Owen Higinbotham (4:47.69) and first-year Braeden Roach (4:47.73) placed second and third, respectively. Deppe's wins both came over 200-yards. He first championed that distance swimming freestyle, where he finished in 1:43.21. He led teammates Will Moon (1:43.87) and Roach (1:44.87), who earned the final two spots in the top three. Deppe's other win came in the individual medley, where he swam 1:53.38. Following him was first-year Andrew Takach, who placed second with a time of 1:57.98.Â
Takach secured two other top two finishes in his other events. He won the 200-yard breaststroke, swimming 2:06.56. He also placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke, where Lehigh owned all three podium spots. That event was led by first-year Spencer Ridge (59.37), who narrowly edged out Takach (59.58) and sophomore Jared Rabadam (1:00.64).
Rabadam got his win in the 100-yard butterfly, where he touched at 51.70. Lehigh also took third thanks to Aaron Williams (52.91), one of two third place finishes for the senior. His other came in the 50-yard freestyle, as he was one of three Mountain Hawks to reach the top three. The others were sophomores Chase Bearley and Davis Woerner. Bearley placed first at 21.10, and Woerner earned second with a 21.47-second finish.
The remaining two individual swimming wins by Mountain Hawks were in the 200-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle. The butterfly was won by first year Spencer Campbell, who finished in 1:54.81. Sophomore Frankie Prekop won the 100-yard freestyle, who's time of 47.15 narrowly beat out Deppe's 47.21.
The Mountain Hawks bookended the meet with two relay wins. The team of Kisker, Ridge, Williams, and Bearley won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:34.14. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Prekop, Woerner, Bearley, and Deppe swam a relay time of 3:07.64 to win.
On the diving board, graduate student Jack Grotke swept both events to earn his first wins of the season. He scored 190.13 at the one-meter height, then followed it up by scoring 157.58 at three-meters.
This clinched Lehigh's first winning season in six years.Â
"This team continues to work and race in a way that makes me proud to be part of this team," said head coach Rob Herb. "We expected a closer meet, but due to some illness and injuries that was not the case. However, our athletes continue to push as hard as they can, regardless of the level of competition. At times, they raced each other harder than we've seen all year long. This is a testament of the type of student-athletes that we have on this program. They love to race and compete and will step up in every situation. It's great to be a swimming and diving Mountain Hawk!"
Lehigh next competes in two weeks on Saturday, January 24. The Mountain Hawks will travel to Bucknell to compete in their final dual meet of the season.Â
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Lehigh won every event at the meet, including four where all podium spots were Mountain Hawks.
A trio of sophomores were the biggest contributors for Lehigh, as Will Pestrichelli, Jack Deppe, and Tristan Ronayne were the only three Mountain Hawks to win multiple individual swimming events. Ronayne dominated the backstroke events, as he won both. He swam 1:52.09 to win over 200-yards, and touched at 51.38 to win at the 100-yard distance. He narrowly edged out teammate Ben Kisker, as the senior placed second at 51.48. Pestrichelli owned the distance events, as he took home wins in the 1000-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. He opened the meet winning the 1000, his 9:46.33 finish narrowly beat out first-year teammate TJ Hayes' time of 9:46.80. Over 500-yards, his time of 4:42.22 led two other Mountain Hawks to a podium sweep. Junior Owen Higinbotham (4:47.69) and first-year Braeden Roach (4:47.73) placed second and third, respectively. Deppe's wins both came over 200-yards. He first championed that distance swimming freestyle, where he finished in 1:43.21. He led teammates Will Moon (1:43.87) and Roach (1:44.87), who earned the final two spots in the top three. Deppe's other win came in the individual medley, where he swam 1:53.38. Following him was first-year Andrew Takach, who placed second with a time of 1:57.98.Â
Takach secured two other top two finishes in his other events. He won the 200-yard breaststroke, swimming 2:06.56. He also placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke, where Lehigh owned all three podium spots. That event was led by first-year Spencer Ridge (59.37), who narrowly edged out Takach (59.58) and sophomore Jared Rabadam (1:00.64).
Rabadam got his win in the 100-yard butterfly, where he touched at 51.70. Lehigh also took third thanks to Aaron Williams (52.91), one of two third place finishes for the senior. His other came in the 50-yard freestyle, as he was one of three Mountain Hawks to reach the top three. The others were sophomores Chase Bearley and Davis Woerner. Bearley placed first at 21.10, and Woerner earned second with a 21.47-second finish.
The remaining two individual swimming wins by Mountain Hawks were in the 200-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle. The butterfly was won by first year Spencer Campbell, who finished in 1:54.81. Sophomore Frankie Prekop won the 100-yard freestyle, who's time of 47.15 narrowly beat out Deppe's 47.21.
The Mountain Hawks bookended the meet with two relay wins. The team of Kisker, Ridge, Williams, and Bearley won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:34.14. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Prekop, Woerner, Bearley, and Deppe swam a relay time of 3:07.64 to win.
On the diving board, graduate student Jack Grotke swept both events to earn his first wins of the season. He scored 190.13 at the one-meter height, then followed it up by scoring 157.58 at three-meters.
This clinched Lehigh's first winning season in six years.Â
"This team continues to work and race in a way that makes me proud to be part of this team," said head coach Rob Herb. "We expected a closer meet, but due to some illness and injuries that was not the case. However, our athletes continue to push as hard as they can, regardless of the level of competition. At times, they raced each other harder than we've seen all year long. This is a testament of the type of student-athletes that we have on this program. They love to race and compete and will step up in every situation. It's great to be a swimming and diving Mountain Hawk!"
Lehigh next competes in two weeks on Saturday, January 24. The Mountain Hawks will travel to Bucknell to compete in their final dual meet of the season.Â
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly/Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Diver
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly/Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly/Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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