Wildcats Open New Swim Season at Vermont (Oct. 18, 1pm, AE TV)

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The defending America East Conference champion UNH women's swimming and diving team opens the 2025-26 season with a conference meet at Vermont on Saturday, Oct. 18 (1pm) at Forbush Natatorium on the UVM campus.

UNH (0-0, 0-0 America East) at Vermont (0-1, 0-0 America East)
Saturday, October 18, 2025 • 1pm
Forbush Natatorium • Burlington, Vt.
America East TV
Watch Live

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (subject to change)
•200 Med Relay
•1000 free
•200 free
•100 Back
•100 Breast
•200 fly
•50 free
•1 meter diving
•100 free
•200 back
•200 breast
•500 free
•100 fly
•3 meter Diving
•200 IM
•400 Free Relay

•UNH was selected No. 1 in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released Sept. 24. With 35 points (5 first-place votes), the Wildcats were selected ahead of preseason No. 2 Vermont (28 points, 1 first-place vote). READ MORE.

•The Wildcats return a number of standouts from last season's championship team. That includes America East Championship Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet and Rookie of the Meet Lydia Hart (Cornwall, Ontario), the first conference swimmer to earn both honors since 2014, and junior Grace Blume (Dedham, Mass.), the Diver of the Meet who won the 1-meter competition and placed second in the 3-meter.

•Senior Audrey Mahoney (Downers Grove, Ill.) was named the 2024-25 America East Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which was the sixth straight season a member of the UNH swimming and diving team has won the honor. A health management & policy major, Mahoney was named to the America East All-Academic team for the second straight season. She captured AE Championship gold in the 100 free and bronze in the 50 free and 200 free, while she was a key member of both free relay wins (400 free, 800 free).

•Senior Carolyn Nelson (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) was selected a team captain for the second straight season. She is joined by Mahoney and junior Grace Mahon (Orange, Conn.).

•One year ago today, the Wildcats won 11 of the 16 events and defeated UVM, 183-117, in the season opener at Swasey Pool. Over 140 alumni, along with family, friends, and faculty, filled Swasey Pool beyond seating capacity for the home opener against UVM, the 2024 AE champions. The event was part of the largest swim and dive reunion, celebrating over 30 years of excellence under head coach Josh Willman. Alumni from the classes of '96 through '23 were in attendance, including UNH Hall of Famers like Denise Leckenby, Lauren McCandless, Ian Smith, and other program record holders.

•Willman, who is the America East Conference's most highly decorated coach, won his 22nd career Coach of the Year award in 2025. He has been selected America East Coach of the Year a league-record 18 times and ECAC Coach of the Year four times.

•Nicole Benson returned to the program in August. Benson is in her third stint with the 'Cats; she was a volunteer assistant coach under Willman from 2004-11 before returning as a volunteer assistant for the 2018 season. She was part of three UNH America East Championships: 2013, 2014 and 2018. Benson, a standout swimmer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, most recently coached at Phillips Exeter Academy. READ MORE.

NEXT UP • FAMILY WEEKEND VS CCSU, OCT. 24 (5PM) & OCT. 25 (11AM)
•The UNH swimming and diving team opens the home portion of its season when it welcomes Central Connecticut State to Swasey Pool for Family Weekend. The Wildcats and Blue Devils square off Friday, Oct. 24, at 5pm and complete the two-day meet Saturday, Oct. 25, at 11am. The meet will be live streamed on America East TV.

BASIC NEEDS COAT DRIVE – FAMILY WEEKEND VS CCSU
• In partnership with the Basic Needs Support program, UNH Athletics is seeking winter clothing donations from fans during Family Weekend. Volunteers will be collecting gently used (in good condition) or new coats as well as new hats, gloves or scarves in the Field House lobby during the UNH/CCSU meet. READ MORE.

About UNH Swimming and Diving
In 2025, the UNH swimming and diving team won the America East Championship for the fifth time in the last six years. The Wildcats have a league-record 12 championships (1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025). UNH also went undefeated with a 7-0-1 record, marking the second time in program history (2005) the 'Cats recorded an undefeated season.

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