HOUSTON – The University of St. Thomas swim program opened its 2026-27 season Friday, Oct. 9, on the first day of the Fall Splash at Rice University's Gibbs Recreation Center. The meet featured Incarnate Word and Loyola, among others.

Head coach Hanna Huston said the season opener was about what she expected. The day was a little all over the map, with some really strong, surprising swims mixed in with some flat ones, which was not a surprise with the team coming off two weeks of hard training.

Several newcomers stepped up on day 1. Ayden Galvan dropped a best time in the 100 free, touching in 49.58. David Leggett looked strong in his first short course yards meet, splitting a 21.44 on the relay. Aiden Stivers and Jeremiah Logan both had big days and really got after it in the pool.

On the women's side, Kaitlyn Grover and Carly Weeks held it down in the sprints. Erin Maddan capped off a busy day with a team record in the 200 fly, finishing in 2:23.72.

"We had some really good moments today and some swims that showed where we still have work to do," Huston said. "That's pretty typical for a first meet, especially with the training we've been doing. I was happy to see our newcomers step up and compete. We'll look to build on that tomorrow."

Up Next
The Celts return to the pool Saturday, Oct. 10, for day 2 of the Fall Splash at the Gibbs Recreation Center.