CHICAGO -- The 4th-ranked University of Chicago men's swimming and diving team opens the 2025-26 season this weekend with a pair of meets on Friday and Saturday at the Myers-McLoraine Pool in the Ratner Athletic Center. The Maroons took down #25 Lewis on Friday, and they are set to host Illinois Tech and Wheaton (IL) for a Tri-Meet at 1 PM on Saturday.

#4 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO NOTES:

* #4 UChicago opens its 2025-26 campaign after bringing home a 3rd-place finish in the 2025 NCAA Championships.
* The Maroons won four individual National Championships, broke two NCAA records, broke nine school records, and earned 15 All-American awards at the National Championship meet.
* The four National Championships for the Maroons are the most in UChicago program history, and the third-place finish is their third-consecutive top-3 finish.
* Cooper Costello was a 5-time All-American and 3-time National Champion last season. He also broke the NCAA Record in two of his three National Championship swims in the 100 Fly and 800 Free Relay.
* John Butler earned three All-American awards and won a pair of National Championships in the 400 Free Relay and 800 Free Relay.
* Alex Schwartz joined Butler and Costello on the 800 Free Relay National Championship team, and he added 1st-Team All-American honors in the 500 Free.
* Jonathan Tang and Igor Benderskii round out the remaining returning national champions for the Maroons as the duo set the school record in their National Championship swim in the 200 Free Relay.
* The Maroons swept the National Championship in all three Freestyle Relay events last season. Prior to 2025, UChicago had only won two relay National Championships in program history.
* After their season-opening weekend in their home pool, UChicago will travel to St. Louis for one of their two road meets of the season against #10 WashU on November 1.

ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NOTES:

* Illinois Tech enters the weekend with a 1-0 record in dual meets on the season.
* The Scarlet Hawks took down UW-Whitewater with a 143-128 victory earlier this year.
* Illinois Tech earned a second-place finish in the Liberal Arts Conference Championships last season, falling only to DII Saint Ambrose.
* Zeng Wye Liew was the top performer in the season opener for the Scarlet Hawks with 1st-place finishes in the 100 Fly, 200 IM, and 400 Medley Relay.
* Aidan Chance, Dan Rose, and Giorgio Turchetti also won multiple events for Illinois Tech.
* Following their meet with the Maroons and the Thunder, Illinois Tech will travel to Waukesha, Wisconsin to battle the Carroll (WI) Pioneers on November 8.

WHEATON COLLEGE (IL) NOTES:

* Saturday will be the opening meet of the season for Wheaton (IL).
* The Thunder finished in third in the CCIW Championships last season.
* Jed Ritchie earned CCIW First-Year Student of the Meet last season after winning the CCIW title in the 400 IM and 200 Butterfly.
* Jac Cummings also won a CCIW title in the 100 Back in his freshman season last year for the Thunder.
* Isaac Eilmes rounded out the CCIW titles for Wheaton (IL), bringing home the 1650 Free title.
* Following their meet with the Maroons and the Scarlet Hawks, Wheaton (IL) will travel to Milwaukee to battle the UW-Milwaukee Panthers on October 31.

SERIES HISTORY:

* UChicago has a 4-0 all-time record against Illinois Tech, including the Maroons' 209-79 win over the Scarlet Hawks last season.
* The Maroons' closest meet against the Scarlet Hawks was back in 2023 when UChicago won 160-120.
* UChicago has a 5-1 all-time record against Wheaton (IL), including the Maroons' 231-55 win over the Thunder last season.
* The Maroons have won five consecutive meets against Wheaton (IL), but the Thunder picked up their lone win was in 2017 with a 139-66 victory.