ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell men's swimming and diving team is gearing up for an action-packed 2023-24 season. And that begins this weekend, when the Big Red welcomes Binghamton on Friday and St. Bonaventure on Saturday to Teagle Pool.
 
Wes Newman '09, who begins his ninth season as the Philip H. Bartels '71 Head Coach of Men's Swimming, says he is excited for what is ahead for the Big Red. And it all comes down to three words that the team is adopting from last season: better than before. 
 
"Sometimes it can be overwhelming to think about beating a competitor because you do not necessarily know what they are doing. But when you look at what you did last year, it is a lot less intimidating to say, I am going to be better than that," Newman said. "We have felt it has worked, and when each person on the team is getting better, we collectively grow as a group and see the results we are looking for." 
 
FLASHBACK TO 2022-23 SEASON
The Big Red is coming off an undefeated head-to-head nonconference season in 2022-23 but is looking to rebound after losing five out of seven Ivy meets. Despite the team record, Cornell recorded 42 all-time top-10 records, besting its 17 from the 2021-22 season.
 
FAMILIAR FACES RETURN TO THE SNAKEPIT
Many swimmers return for the Big Red this season, including juniors Sebastian Wolff and Joseph Gurski. Wolff had a highlight-filled 2022-23 season, setting new individual program records in the 100 Yard Freestyle (43.64) and 200 Yard Medley (1:44.27) at the 2023 Ivy League Championships to earn All-Ivy second team honors.
 
Gurski competed in all nine events last season, setting two new program records in the 200 Yard Butterfly (1:45.15) and the 400 Yard Medley Relay with senior Paige daCosta, junior Dominic Edwards, and sophomore Pietro Ubertalli (6:28.71).
 
Other key returners for the Big Red include senior Paige daCosta, who won the Class B final in the 200 Yard IM at the Ivy League Championships, and junior Soodong Kim, who finished 37th in the 1-Meter Dive at the 2023 NCAA Zones in Morgantown, W. Va.
 
Beyond the accomplishments, assistant coach Jake Lichter says the junior and senior classes bring that added team culture to the program.
 
"They have a great sense of selflessness and do it for the team, which helps them, but also does a great job of showing great role models for those underclassmen," Lichter said. 
 
Seven sophomores return to the pool this season for the Big Red, including Reid Brophy, Jacques Grove, Andrew Lin, Mac Marsh, Daniel Simoes, and Pietro Ubertalli.
 
Looking past the top scores from a year ago, a few names Big Red swimming fans should watch include junior Jack Banks and sophomores Jacques Grove and Pietro Ubertalli, who each had solid offseason training stints. 
 
TALENTED FRESHMAN CLASS LOOKS TO CONTRIBUTE
Newman adds eight new swimmers this season: Connor Brown, Blake Conway, Julian Correa, Owen Dankert, Ethan Wang, Christopher Winn, Michael Wywrocki, and Haihan Xu. There is representation from across the United States, as three join the team from both coasts, while two are from the Midwest.
 
Newman says the Class of 2027 has different personalities and can potentially make an immediate impact.
 
"It had been fun and interesting watching them and seeing what they bring," he said. "There is a lot of talent in that group, and Jake and I have been happy seeing how they have contributed to practices."
 
The abundance of talent may come with some adjusting to the collegiate swimming atmosphere for all eight new faces. But Newman believes it will be the Zippy Invitational on Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, where it may all come together for this class. 
 
"It is going to be watching and waiting to see who pops. We might see it a bit in our dual meets early in the year, but I think Zippy's will show us who has got something in the tank to contribute on an Ivy League level."
 
DACOSTA, WOLFF NAMED 2023-24 CAPTAINS
Junior Sebastian Wolff and senior Paige daCosta will be co-captains for the 2023-24 season. Newman says both can be the leaders that will help the entire Big Red roster. 
 
"They are doing a great job leading the team by example but also by being vocal and providing that guidance for everyone on the team," he said.
 
IVY LEAGUE IMPROVEMENT, TEAM SUPPORT SET AS 2023-24 GOALS
As the leaves change, Newman and his staff have big goals for their squad, including putting more points on the board at the Ivy League Championships in March. They have also sat down with each swimmer and discussed individual goals to take them to the next level. 
 
But to make those goals a reality, Newman says it comes down to team support.
 
"Swimming is one of those sports where it is an individual sport, but if you are training by yourself, you are probably never going to reach your individual goal," he said. "And so, you need that team behind you to come up to that 6:15 a.m. practice and push you day in and day out to raise that intensity, and I think at the end of the day, that helps us reach our goal." 
 
SERIES VS BINGHAMTON
Cornell holds a perfect 17-0 record over the Bearcats dating back to the 1999-2000 season. The Big Red and the Bearcats battled in Vestal, N.Y. last season on Nov. 4, 2022, with Cornell taking home the win, 128-115. The team scored five first-place finishes in the meet, including two 1-2-3 finishes in the 200-Yard IM and 100-Yard Backstroke.
 
SERIES VS ST. BONAVENTURE
The Big Red is also undefeated all-time versus the Bonnies, sporting a 7-0 record. Cornell and St. Bonaventure squared off last season in Olean on Nov. 5, 2022, with the Big Red taking a 148-95 victory. Highlights included Matthew Warren and Soodong Kim going 1-2 in the 3-Meter Dive and a 1-2-3 finish for Cornell in the 200-Yard Meter Relay.
 
UP NEXT
After its meets against Binghamton and St. Bonaventure, Cornell will hit the road to open Ivy League competition in a dual meet against Dartmouth and Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 11, in Cambridge, Mass. Last season, the Big Red traveled to New Hampshire to battle both teams on Nov. 12, 2022, defeating the Big Green (190.50-109.50) but losing to the Crimson (89.5-210.5).