Steubenville, Ohio - The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released their Preseason Coaches' poll for Women's Swimming & Diving earlier this season. Franciscan was picked to finish seventh after finishing in that position last season.
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2026-27 PAC Women's Swimming and Diving Preseason Coaches' Poll
(Predicted order of Championships finish)
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School (first-place votes)
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Points
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2025-26 Championships finish
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1. Grove City College (9)
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73
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1st (of 9) at PAC Championships, 1,153 pts.
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2. Saint Vincent College
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61
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2nd (of 9) at PAC Championships, 606 pts.
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3. Westminster College (1)
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60
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3rd (of 9) at PAC Championships, 457 pts.
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4. Washington & Jefferson College
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46
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5th (of 9), at PAC Championships, 311 pts.
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5. Allegheny College
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40
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4th (of 9) at PAC Championships, 410 pts.
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6. Chatham University
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33
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6th (of 9) at PAC Championships, 291 pts.
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7. Franciscan University
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23
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7th (of 9) at PAC Championships, 199 pts.
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8. Hiram College
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22
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9th (of 9) at PAC Championships, 8 pts.
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9. Bethany College
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11
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8th (of 9) at PAC Championships, 18 pts.
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Saint Francis University*
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4th (of 7) at NEC Championships, 349 pts.
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* - Ineligible for PAC Championship as school reclassifies from Division I
Swimmers to Watch
Five Barons were named PAC Swimmers to Watch for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Barrett Fennessy (Fr. Winter Haven, Fla./Homeschooled) is a freshman this year at Franciscan studying Political Science. She looks forward to leading the Barons by competing in multiple events. Before becoming a Baron, Fennessy was a four-time FHSAA Regional Qualifier and two-time Varsity Captain for her previous team.
Haley Fifield (So. Manassas, Va./Seton) is a second-year Communication Arts major. She has joined the swim team since her freshman year of college, and leads in freestyle and backstroke. Last year, Fifield ended her season with a performance score of 413.35.
Jenna Forcey (Fr. Louisville, Ky./Seton Home Study) is a freshman this year at Franciscan majoring in History. She looks forward to leading the Barons with her experience in freestyle and butterfly. Before becoming a Baron, Forcey was swim captain her junior year of high school, won the Presidents' Cup for sportsmanship, and coached swim for three years.
Sophia Gellner (Sr. Liberty Township, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick) is a senior studying Biochemistry. As a four-year member of the Franciscan swim team, Gellner has found her passion in the freestyle and breaststroke. For both the seasons of 2024-25 and 2025-26, Sophia made the PAC Academic Honor Roll. Last year, Gellner finished her season with a performance score of 369.20.
Gabrielle Lewis (So. Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) is a second-year Clinical Psychology major. She has competed with the Franciscan swim team since her freshman year, and thrives in distance freestyle. Before becoming a Baron, Lewis finished top eight in the 500 free junior and senior high school at Section Championships. Last year, Gabrielle finished her season with a performance score of 385.40.
New Faces
Alongside Barrett Fennessy and Jenna Forcey, other new faces for the team this season are Natalie Cascio, Emily May, Rebecca Miller, Sophia Moceri, Madeline O'Mara, and Alexandra Yurasko.
The Favorites
With nine votes, Grove City earned the #1 ranking in this year's poll. During the 2025-2026 PAC conference championships, the team finished first scoring 1,153 points. Grove City will be the site of the PAC Championships once again at the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool, which has been the home of the PAC Championships since 1990. The four-day event will be from Wednesday-Saturday, February 17-20.
Up Next
The kick off meet for the Barons this season is on Saturday, November 7th at 1 PM. Franciscan will be traveling to PennWest California to start its season. This will be the teams' first meeting in the pool.
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