The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Men’s Swimming & Diving program was selected as the America East preseason favorite in the conference poll released Sept. 23, 2026. The defending champion received all four possible first-place votes because coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams. UMBC’s women’s swimming and diving program was picked fourth with 13 points.
UMBC Men’s Swimming & Diving will host its annual Black & Gold/Alumni Meet Saturday at 1 p.m., marking the start of the men’s season.
UMBC Men’s Swimming & Diving enters as defending champion
UMBC won the America East Swimming & Diving Championship in February with 805.5 points, finishing 57.5 points ahead of Binghamton. The title marked the program’s 15th in 20 seasons of America East competition and its first since 2023.
The championship ended the men’s program’s longest title drought since joining the conference in 2004. Braden Weise won two gold medals and earned the meet’s Most Outstanding Rookie honor. Head coach Matt Donovan’s staff was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Coaching Staff.
UMBC women’s program picked fourth
The women’s swimming and diving team was selected fourth in the preseason poll with 13 points. UMBC finished fourth at the 2026 championships with 446 points.
Ashley Gutshall qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 50-meter freestyle, setting UMBC, America East, and meet records with a winning time of 22.25 seconds. Erma Duratovic earned bronze in the event with a time of 23.14 seconds, while Ember Stennett earned the fifth medal of her career last season.
Gutshall and Duratovic teamed with Claire Oettinger and Evie Grim to win bronze in the 200 freestyle relay, finishing in 1:32.82.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The preseason poll places the defending America East champion UMBC Men’s Swimming & Diving team atop the conference. The four first-place votes reflect the program’s strong finish last season, while the women’s team enters after placing fourth at the championships.
The Black & Gold/Alumni Meet provides the first opportunity to see the men’s program begin its season.
Read the official announcement from UMBC Athletics.
Source: Original report
