Wagner College announced Wednesday that it will add men’s swimming and diving as its 26th intercollegiate varsity sport.
The Seahawks will begin competition in the 2021-22 season as a member of the Northeast Conference, which last week announced it will begin sponsoring men’s swimming and diving as a championship sport this year. Swimming and diving is Wagner’s 11th men’s varsity sport and will compete in Division I.
Colin Shannahan, who is the head coach of Wagner College’s women’s swimming and diving team, will take control of the men’s squad.
“We are thrilled to add men’s swimming & diving into the fold,” Wagner College director of athletics Walt Hameline said in a college statement. “With an experienced coach such as Colin Shannahan already on staff and the official announcement from the NEC, the time was now to move forward. This was something we had been looking into for an extended period of time and everything aligned for us to add to our Seahawk family.”
Shannahan is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year, leading them to a conference title in 2013-14. A captain and school record holder at Columbia University, Shannahan know well the lay of the land in swimming around New York City.
“Today’s announcement is exciting for Wagner College and the Northeast Conference, but also for the sport of men’s swimming and diving,” Shannahan said. “As a former men’s coach at URI, I experienced firsthand our program being discontinued and am proud that Wagner is taking a proactive approach to disavow this national trend. We will continue to build upon our aquatic success at Wagner Athletics, and I am confident that the combined swimming and diving program here at Wagner will provide an unmatched opportunity to compete at the division 1 level in New York City. I cannot wait to get started.”
Great to see an addition of a division 1 swim program for a positive change!
Happy to see a school adding swimming instead of dropping it!
Finally an add!!