NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Bethany College men's and women's swimming and diving teams have been picked to finish eighth and ninth in the 2026-27 Presidents' Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, respectively.
The women's team was selected ninth in the preseason poll for the second year in a row with 11 points. The defending PAC Champion Grove City (Pa.) College earned the top spot in the poll with 73 points and nine first-place votes. Saint Vincent (Pa.) College scored 61 points to place second while Westminster (Pa.) College received the last first-place vote and 60 points to land the Titans at third. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College and Allegheny (Pa.) College round out the top five with 46 points and 40 points, respectively.
The men's team was picked eighth for the second straight season with 15 points. Grove City topped the men's poll again with eight first-place votes and 64 points while Saint Vincent earned 54 points and one first-place vote. The Bearcats were followed by Washington & Jefferson with 49 points, Westminster with 45 points, and Hiram (Ohio) College with 35 points.
The Bison placed four athletes on the Swimmers and Divers to Watch list including Academic All-PAC senior
Angelina Clayborn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) and sophomore
Jailyn Cline (Brilliant, Ohio/Buckeye Local) on the women's team, and Academic All-PAC sophomore
Corbin Henry (Martinsburg, W.Va.) and sophomore
Adam Kotson (Flushing, Ohio/The Linsly School) for the Bethany men.
James Coleman enters his first season as head coach for the swimming and diving programs and returns four letterwinners and two Academic All-PAC honorees from last season. In 2025-26, the women's team finished eighth overall in the PAC Championships with 18 points coming in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events while the men's team competed individually at last year's conference championships.
2026-27 PAC Women's Swimming and Diving Preseason Poll
School - Points (First Place Votes)
1. Grove City - 73 (9)
2. Saint Vincent - 61
3. Westminster - 60
4. Washington & Jefferson - 46
5. Allegheny - 40
6. Chatham - 33
7. Franciscan - 23
8. Hiram - 22
9. Bethany - 11
Saint Francis - Ineligible for PAC Championship as school transitions from Division I
2026-27 PAC Men's Swimming and Diving Preseason Poll
School - Points (First Place Votes)
1. Grove City - 64 (8)
2. Saint Vincent - 54
3. Washington & Jefferson - 49
4. Westminster - 45
5. Hiram - 35
6. Chatham - 28
7. Allegheny - 26
8. Bethany - 15
Saint Francis - Ineligible for PAC Championship as school transitions from Division I
The Bison opened the 2026-27 season on Wednesday, October 14 as they travel to Washington, Pennsylvania to take on Washington & Jefferson in a Presidents' Athletic Conference meet at 6 p.m. in Henry Memorial Natatorium.
