Towson swimming and diving unveils challenging 2026-27 schedule
TOWSON, Md. — Towson University men’s and women’s swimming and diving will enter the 2026-27 season with a strong returning core and a schedule designed to test both programs before the Coastal Athletic Association Championships. Head coach Anthony Bruno announced the full slate Friday, giving the Tigers four home dual meets, one home diving invitational, five road dual meets and two road invitationals during the regular season. Towson will also have opportunities to send qualifiers to the U.S. Open and NCAA postseason competition.
The schedule comes after an impressive 2025-26 campaign for both Towson programs. The men’s team finished second at the CAA Championships, while the women’s team placed third, giving the Tigers two top-three conference finishes. Bruno earned CAA Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors, while diving coach Sergey Meshcherskiy was named both the CAA Men’s and Women’s Diving Coach of the Year after Towson produced the conference’s top divers on both sides.
Towson’s men’s team brings back one of the strongest returning groups in the conference. Jed Garner returns after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, while Christion Davidson is back after winning CAA gold medals in the 500 and 1,500 freestyle. Benjamin Eischeid, Stephen McDonald, Isak Brkanovic and Nathan Decker also return after earning CAA medals in individual and relay events last season.
The women’s roster also features several proven championship performers. Addie Scott headlines the group after winning the CAA title in the 200 freestyle and taking silver in the 500 freestyle. Towson also returns its entire silver-medal 800 freestyle relay team of Scott, Ryland Zuniga, Summer Bontrager and Emelia Erikson, giving the Tigers experienced depth in one of the conference’s most important relay events.
Towson will open the season Sept. 26 at Burdick Pool against Delaware as part of Alumni and Parents Weekend. Diving is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with swimming set for 12:30 p.m. The Tigers will remain home to face Georgetown on Oct. 2 before making their first road trip of the season to La Salle on Oct. 3.
The Tigers will then shift into invitational competition with the Thomas Murphy Invitational at Loyola from Oct. 23-25. Each day will feature preliminary heats at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m., giving Towson an early opportunity to compete in a championship-style format. That experience could prove valuable later in the season as the Tigers prepare for the CAA Championships and potential NCAA competition.
Towson’s midseason schedule includes another significant test at George Mason’s Patriot Invitational from Nov. 18-21. The meet begins with relays on Wednesday night before moving into three days of preliminary and final sessions. Qualified Towson swimmers will then have an opportunity to compete at the U.S. Open at the University of Texas from Dec. 2-5.
The Tigers will close the calendar year with two notable road duals. Towson visits George Mason on Dec. 18 before the men’s team makes the short trip to Annapolis for a New Year’s Eve showdown against Navy at 11 a.m. That matchup should provide one of the more interesting in-state swimming meets of the season, especially with both programs traditionally producing strong championship-level talent.
Towson returns home Jan. 13 to face Howard before traveling to George Washington two days later. The final home dual of the season comes Jan. 23 against CAA rival Drexel, which will also serve as Senior Day at Burdick Pool. Towson will then close its regular-season dual-meet slate Jan. 30 at UMBC, giving the Tigers another Maryland matchup before postseason preparation begins.
The postseason begins with the Cavalier Invitational at Virginia from Feb. 4-6, while Towson will host the Tiger Winter Diving Invitational at noon Feb. 6. The biggest target on the schedule arrives later in February when Hampton hosts the 2027 CAA Championships at the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex from Feb. 24-27. After finishing second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side last season, Towson should enter that meet with legitimate championship aspirations.
Qualified divers will advance to NCAA Zone A Diving competition at Rutgers from March 8-10. The NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships will follow March 17-20 at the University of Texas, with the men’s championships scheduled for March 24-27 at the same venue. Garner’s return gives Towson an established NCAA-level performer on the men’s side, while several other Tigers will have opportunities throughout the season to put themselves in position to join him on the national stage.
Towson’s home schedule should also give local swimming fans several opportunities to see one of the stronger programs in the region. Admission to all Tigers home swimming and diving events at Burdick Pool is free, including dual meets against Delaware, Georgetown, Howard and Drexel. With both programs coming off top-three conference finishes, the 2026-27 season has the potential to be another significant year for Towson in the pool.
MSB Take
Towson is entering this season in a very strong position because it combines established championship talent with a schedule that should steadily prepare the Tigers for February. The men’s team already has an NCAA qualifier in Garner and a multi-event CAA champion in Davidson, while the women return Scott and an intact medal-winning relay group. That type of returning experience should allow Towson to set its expectations higher than simply matching last season’s conference finishes.
The schedule is also well constructed. Dual meets against Maryland-area programs such as Navy, UMBC and Howard provide strong regional competition, while the Thomas Murphy and Patriot invitationals give Towson the multi-day format it will see during championship season. By the time the Tigers arrive in Hampton for the CAA Championships, they should have faced enough varied competition to know exactly where they stand.
Towson finished second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side last year, so the next logical step is pushing for conference championships. With several medalists back, accomplished coaches on deck and multiple opportunities to qualify athletes for national competition, this could be one of the most interesting Towson swimming and diving seasons in recent years.
