GAMBIER, Ohio – Always looking to add on to its NCAA record total of 34 national championship trophies, the Kenyon College men's swimming and diving team is ready to get the 2026-27 season started. Over the last five seasons, the Kenyon men have logged two national runner-up finishes, two fifth-place showings, and one fourth-place finish. Prior to that, the program had teams finish within the nation's top three for 43 consecutive seasons. With the new season on the horizon, the Owls will get after it with a rather young roster, one that contains a dozen first-years and just four seniors. However, there is some noteworthy experience, as the Owls also return seven NCAA qualifiers, five of whom earned All-America honors one season ago.
2025-26 Review
During the first portion of the 2025-26 season, the Owls posted a 5-8 dual-meet record with three wins coming in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) competition and two others against Case Western Reserve University and NCAA Division I Xavier University. In the middle of all that, the Owls also snared the first-place spot at their annual Total Performance Invitational. Late in the season, the Kenyon men claimed the runner-up spot at the conference championship, bested only by Denison University. A few weeks after that, the Owls scored 299 points, earned one individual national title and placed fourth at the NCAA Division III Championship, held in Indianapolis.
Coaching Staff
Three quarters of last year's coaching staff returns for the upcoming campaign. The group is directed by Jess Book, who has been head coach of the men's program since the 2013 season. Over his 14 previous seasons, his Kenyon men's team's won three NCAC Championships and three NCAA Championships. A 2001 Kenyon graduate, Book was an All-American distance swimmer. He is joined on staff, again, by Associate Head Coach Dani Korman, a 2006 Kenyon graduate, and Head Diving Coach Jason Glorius. Both Korman and Glorius are in their fourth season on the Kenyon staff. The addition to that group for the 2026-27 season is Assistant Coach Nick Barrows, who was a swimmer at NCAA Division I Miami (OH) University, where he also served as a graduate assistant during the 2025-26 season.
"This is an exciting team with both upperclass experience and new faces," said Book. "The first-year class is large and looks to make an immediate impact in the pool. There are plenty of opportunities for them to develop and contribute. Our relays are also full of opportunities for people to step up into new roles or new leadership positions. I am excited to see this team grow throughout the coming year."
Preseason Poll
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) released its 2026-27 Dual Meet Preseason Poll at the start of October. Defending national champion Denison topped the poll, with 373 points, while Kenyon, which finished fourth at last season's NCAA Championship, grabbed the No. 5 spot in the poll, scoring 317 points. In between those two teams, New York University was ranked at No. 2 with 353 points and was followed by University of Chicago at No. 3 with 343 points. Emory University slotted at No. 4, earning 339 points.
Returning Title Winners
Four Kenyon swimmers and divers combined to win six individual event titles at the 2025-26 conference championship, but just two return for the upcoming season. The Owls lost Djordje Dragojlovic and Ethan Manske to graduation, but they return Noel Tumbasz and Chase Smith. Tumbasz, now a senior, was last year's NCAC champion in the 100-yard breastroke, while Smith, now a sophomore, was the conference's one-meter diving champion. Two seasons ago, Roman Savage, now a senior, took the NCAC title in the 100-yard butterfly. At the national level, the Owls do not have any returning champions. The lone title secured at last year's NCAA DIII Championship was by Dragojlovic, who took the 50-yard freestyle race, bringing his career total to 10 national titles (four individual and six relay).
Top returners by individual event (2025-26 times)
50 Freestyle: Spencer Stluka, 20.08 (All-American – 15th place at nationals)
100 Freestyle: Neil Abrahamson, 44.81
200 Freestyle: Roman Savage, 1:38.77
500 Freestyle: Roman Savage, 4:26.93 (All-American – 15th place at nationals)
1650 Freestyle: Matthew Amodio, 15:49.86
100 Backstroke: Kristof Szappanos, 49.83
200 Backstroke: Kristof Szappanos, 1:49.04
100 Breaststroke: Leo Karnitz, 54.31 (20th place at nationals)
200 Breaststroke: Noel Tumbasz, 1:59.70 (All-American – 11th place at nationals)
100 Butterfly: Roman Savage, 47.73 (All-American – 10th place at nationals)
200 Butterfly: Roman Savage, 1:47.98 (26th place at nationals)
200 Ind. Medley: Leo Karnitz , 1:52.49
400 Ind. Medley: Owen Gingras, 4:02.74
One-Meter Diving: Chase Smith, 509.35 (All-American – 6th place at nationals)
Three-Meter Diving: Chase Smith, 513.85 (All-American – 4th place at nationals)
Schedule Overview
- Season Opener: Saturday, October 17 at home against University of Indianapolis
- Total Performance Invitational (Gambier, OH): November 18-21.
- NCAC Championship (Granville, OH): February 10-13.
- NCAA Championship (Greensboro, NC): March 17-20.
How to Follow
Fans can follow Kenyon swimming and diving throughout the season via the following links:
