SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University Vice President for Student Life and Athletics Marcal Lazenby announced the return of men's and women's swimming, with the programs set to begin competition as club sports during the 2027-28 academic year before transitioning to NCAA Division II competition for the 2028-29 season.
 
The return of men's and women's swimming marks another step forward in Saint Leo's continued commitment to providing opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level. Former collegiate swimmer and current Manager of Aquatics and Fitness at Saint Leo Megan O'Reilly will serve as both teams' head coach. She swam collegiately for The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. before graduating for the University of South Florida in May of 2022. She went on to earn a second degree from USF in 2024. She is currently working on her master's from Saint Leo University and is scheduled to graduate this May. 
 
"Saint Leo University is always evaluating the quality and scope of its athletic offerings," said Lazenby. "The return of men's and women's swimming provides another opportunity for talented student-athletes to pursue their academic and athletic goals at Saint Leo while bringing back two programs with proud histories within our university community."
 
Those interested in joining either program moving forward can reach out to Coach O'Reilly by email at megan.oreilly@saintleo.edu.
 
Swimming has a longstanding history at Saint Leo. The men's and women's swimming programs competed as NCAA Division II programs before both teams were discontinued following the 2022-23 season. The return of both programs will allow Saint Leo to once again provide student-athletes with the opportunity to represent the Lions in the pool. Both programs have a proud history of success at both the conference and national levels. The men advanced to 12-straight NCAA Championship appearances from 2012-23. Henrik Dahrendorff became just the third NCAA Individual Champion in Saint Leo history as he captured the NCAA Division II title in 200 breaststroke in 2019. The men's program had 25 swimmers earn All-America honors including four-time First Team All-American Matheus Assis. The women's team made 13 NCAA Championship appearances, including 10 consecutive appearances from 2014 through 2023, and produced numerous NCAA All-Americans and Sunshine State Conference standouts. Among the program's most decorated swimmers was Natalia Garriock, a four-time CSCAA All-American who captured the 2018 Sunshine State Conference individual championship in the 100 butterfly and established multiple Saint Leo and conference records during her career. The program also produced NCAA All-Americans such as Nicole Weber, Julie Carusone, Annie Lindstrom and Annett Daka, while numerous Lions earned CSCAA Scholar All-America recognition for their achievements in the classroom.
 
Beginning in 2027-28, both programs will compete at the club level, providing an opportunity to establish the foundation of the programs, build rosters and prepare for their transition to NCAA Division II competition the following season.
 
As preparations begin for the return of swimming, Saint Leo will focus on recruiting student-athletes who are interested in becoming part of the next chapter of Lions swimming. The programs will provide swimmers with the opportunity to pursue academic excellence while competing at the collegiate level and contributing to the continued growth of Saint Leo Athletics.
 
"As we look ahead to 2027-28 and beyond, we are excited about the possibilities these programs present," said Lazenby. "We look forward to welcoming a new generation of Lions swimmers and building two outstanding programs that our university community can be proud of."