Youngstown, Ohio - The Youngstown State men's and women's swimming and diving programs kicked off their 2025-26 campaigns inside the Beeghly Natatorium on Friday afternoon.

The divers began Friday's festivities, and the Penguins started off with a bang as they swept victories in both the women's three-meter dive and men's one-meter dive events. Freshman Rafael Serey-Cormier set a new program record in his first collegiate competition as he won the men's one-meter dive with a score of 305.70. Zachary Lao placed second with a score of 275.93. Hanna Held won the women's three-meter dive with a score of 266.40.

The Penguins men started hot with the first swimming event of the day, as the 200-medley relay crew of Quinn Cynor, Adrian Andres-Moreno, Jacob Gramer, and Noah Smith placed first with a time of 1:28.39, just edging out Oakland's fastest relay team by four-tenths of a second. YSU's fastest female 200-medley relay squad of Lara Lilic, Hannah Murray, Ximena Young, and Chloe Moore, all newcomers, finished runner-up with a time of 1:46.97.

Derin Donmez firmly began her Penguins career with a victory in the 1650 free with a time of 17:08.97, just under five seconds quicker than the second-place finisher. Olivia Sweetman placed third in the event with a time of 17:20.73. Poyraz San Askin placed second in the men's 1650 free with a time of 15:47.63.

YSU swept victories in the 200 free, including another new record being set. Quinn Cynor rewrote the men's record book with a time of 1:36.48 on his way to a victory. Olivia Sweetman placed first in the women's race with a time of 1:52.34, beating the second-place finisher from Oakland by just under two-tenths of a second.

The Penguins also swept victories in the 200 butterfly events as well. YSU went one-two in the women's race, as Orla Maccines secured her first individual event victory as a Penguin with a time of 2:04.55, while Allison Ramirez Romero finished runner-up with a time of 2:08.08. Valer Kennedy won his first collegiate race for the men as he clocked a time of 1:48.90.

Maccines also won the 100 butterfly for the women, finishing in 56.21, while her teammate Allison Ramirez Romero placed third with a time of 57.51. Valer Kennedy placed third in the men's 100 butterfly with a time of 49.33.

Hannah Murray won her first individual race as a Penguin in the 100 breaststroke, clocking a time of 1:03.89. James Slessor placed second in the men's 100 breaststroke event, finishing with a time of 55.50.

Murray would also go on to win the women's 200 IM with a time of 2:04.75.

Chloe Moore won the women's 50 free with a time of 24.03, while the YSU men placed second and third in their event, with Jacob Gramer placing second with a time of 20.58 and Reid Withey placing third with a time of 20.88.

The Penguins had strong showings in both the men's and women's 500 free events. Olivia Sweetman won the women's section with a time of 5:01.41 while her teammate Derin Donmez placed third, clocking a time of 5:03.26. Poyraz San Askin led the Penguins men with a runner-up finish, clocking a time of 4:40.01, while Seif Elbatal placed third with a time of 4:41.17.

Chloe Moore placed second for the Penguins women in the 100 free as she clocked a time of 52.21, while Quinn Cynor also finished runner-up for the men in the 100 free, swimming a time of 44.74.

In the 200 breaststroke events, Hannah Murray finished runner-up for the YSU women with a time of 2:19.36, while Dominic Panozzo finished third for the YSU men with a time of 2:04.95.

Both the Penguins men and women corralled third-place finishes in the 100 backstroke events, as Lara Lilic placed third for the women with a time of 59.12, and Elliot Elmore clocked a time of 49.44 in the men's race, also placing third.

To wrap up the night, the Penguins male 400-free relay squad of Quinn Cynor, Noah Smith, Lorenz Beck, and Jacob Gramer won with a time of 2:59.80, just two-hundredths of a second faster than Oakland's second-place squad, while on the women's side, the crew of Olivia Sweetman, Chloe Moore, Orla Maccines, and Ximena Young finished third with a time of 3:30.27.

Overall, Oakland's women defeated YSU by a score of 150-130, and the Oakland men defeated the Penguins' men by a score of 167-114.

Both schools will battle again tomorrow at 10 a.m. inside Beeghly Natatorium.

For news and updates throughout the 2025-26 season, follow @YSUSwimDive on X.