NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's swimming and diving team is set to open its 2025-26 season at Brown on Thursday, Nov. 13. Events are slated to begin at 5 p.m.
"We're eagerly anticipating the start of the 2025-26 season and building on last year's achievement of finishing 20th at the NCAA Championship—our best result since 2008," said
Jim Henry, Robert J.H. Kiphuth Coach of Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving. "Our training has been strong, and we're aiming to surpass the 12 school records set during the 2024-25 campaign. The senior class has provided exceptional leadership, and we can't wait to compete against Brown and Columbia this week."
2025-26 Schedule | 2025-26 Roster
New Season, New Records
The Bulldogs got the season off to a strong start as
Nicholas Chau broke the Kiphuth Exhibition Pool and team records in the 3-meter dive with a score of 398.25 in a scrimmage against UMass. Additionally, the 800-yard freestyle relay of
Noah Millard,
Jake Wang,
Henry Webb, and
Lars Kuljus broke the pool record with a time of 6:24.13.
Leading the Bulldogs
Yale is led this season by
Alexander Hazlett, who's been a standout performer during his time at Yale in both breaststroke and freestyle events. Hazlett is a First Team All-Ivy honoree after securing gold in the 200-yard medley relay alongside teammates
Lucius Brown,
Nick Finch, and
Deniel Nankov, setting a team record with a time of 1:24.00. Hazlett also showcased his talents on the national stage as a qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 IM. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Jecko IM Team Award and earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors for the 2022–23 season.
The Newcomers
The Bulldogs welcome six first years and two transfers to the roster this season.
Isac Faxius joins Yale from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and Kuljus transferred from Arizona.
Crash Ackerly,
Aedan Conners,
Ethan Guo,
Henry Webb,
Kavin Li, and
Allen Levitis are set to make their collegiate debuts, bringing strong credentials in and out of the pool.
An NCAA Championship to Remember
Millard and Finch headline a strong Bulldog roster and are coming off a year that saw each earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. Millard earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition after securing a top-10 finish in the 500 freestyle, and then followed it up with an impressive swim in the 1650 freestyle, where he placed fourth and received First Team All-America honors. Finch concluded his stellar first season as a Bulldog with an 11th-place finish in the 100 butterfly, earning Honorable Mention All-America honors. He also became the first Yale first year since 2015 to earn those accolades.
A Stellar Ivy Championship
The Bulldogs had sensational performances at the 2024–25 Ivy League Championships, capping off four days of incredible swimming with a total of 23 medals and finishing third with 1,212.5 points. Yale earned six medals on the final day, with standout gold medal wins by Millard in the 1650 freestyle, and the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Finch, Nankov, Wang, and Millard. Millard won the event with a league meet record, pool record, and NCAA A-cut time of 14:34.72, while the quartet won with league, pool, and team records, and an NCAA A-standard time of 2:48.74.
Excellence in the Pool and the Classroom
The Bulldogs earned 2024–25 Spring Team Scholar All-America accolades, the CSCAA announced in July. Yale also had 14 athletes on the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team. To earn the prestigious team honor, programs were required to achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher during the Spring 2025 semester. Individually, to qualify for First-Team Scholar All-America, student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and participated in their national championship. Second-Team selections must also have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and achieved an NCAA "B" time standard or qualified for a diving zone championship meet.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will remain on the road and face Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 15.
