New Paltz, NY — When Matthew Distler took over the State University of New York at New Paltz swimming program during the 2019-20 season, he didn't expect his first full season as a head coach would start a year and a half later.

The swimming programs, along with other winter teams, were scheduled to have a competitive season in 2020-21 before SUNYAC's cancellation of the winter season in August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When SUNY New Paltz' 2021-22 season kicks off at Cortland's Harriet Holsten Pool on Saturday, it will be the first competitive meet for the team since it traveled to Buffalo for the SUNYAC Championships in February 2020.

In 2019-20, its last competitive season, the Hawks went 3-4 in its seven team scoring meets and finished third out of nine teams in the SUNYAC championships. Since then, the roster has undergone a near overhaul. Just five men and six women, including returning graduate student Leo Litovsky, remain from those two teams. The program's 18 incoming freshmen — 10 men and eight women — as well as 11 other recruits from 2020 that have not swam for SUNY New Paltz means there will be 29 new faces in the program.

Even with those circumstances, the excitement for a brand new season has not been lost. 

"I have been really enjoying practices so far and can't wait to see how we do as we start having meets," Distler said. "We have a great group of student athletes that have shown a lot of potential during the first month of the season."

"The great part about this team is the amount of leaders we have," added freshman Luke Hoyt. "Our coaches and captains are great, and I've seen a lot of support within our practice lanes in the pool. I think there are many people who fill the leadership role at different times which is awesome."

Expectations on the season for such a young team are hard to assess, but Distler has made developing a "winning culture and identity" a main goal for his team. In fact, there are early beliefs that the Hawks could do very well in the SUNYAC Championships this season.

"I'm very excited about our team this year," Hoyt said. "We have a large incoming class and a lot of great talent. I think the depth will help us bring in a lot of points at SUNYACs. It's only the first month of practice and I have seen the team atmosphere grow which is great moving forward. I'm working on dropping my times and filling whatever role I need in order to score points for the team."

The Hawks start their season at the same event they started the previous two seasons at the Cortland Pumpkin Relays. The men's team placed third in 2019 and second in 2018, while the women's team placed fourth and third in the past two seasons, respectively. After racing six and four other teams in the opening race in the last two seasons, the Hawks and Red Dragons will only be joined by Wells College this year.

"I expect the team to have a bit of jitters, but mostly I expect that we will be excited when we get on deck for the first time since COVID began," Distler said. "Swim meets are fun, and I think this Saturday will be a welcome reminder of that fact after a month straight of just practice."

Returning student athletes will look to improve on their individual performances while new swimmers will try to start their collegiate careers on a strong foot. While Hoyt will not participate in the meet at all, as he continues his fall season with the Hawks cross country team, running in the SUNYAC Championships Saturday, he is still prepared for when he starts his season.

"The first race is going to be where we can shake off some rust and remember what racing feels like," he said. "We have done a few time trials in practice and think the team is ready. The first meet is all about gaining experience and orienting yourself in the sport, especially for the incoming swimmers who haven't competed in an intercollegiate race before."

"I expect our younger student athletes to rise to the occasion in their first meet as college swimmers," Distler added. "Many of our underclassmen and women have been performing extremely well in practice, and I am excited to see how they perform this Saturday. I think they are eager as a group to get the first meet under their belts."

After the opener, SUNY New Paltz will travel to the pools of Western Connecticut State, Hartwick, Vassar, and The College of New Jersey, before ending the regular season in Elting Pool with four straight home meets, starting with Pace University on Jan. 12. The SUNYAC Championships are set for Feb. 16-19 in Buffalo, NY.

"I would be happy if I could look back and see that we established a strong identity as a team, that our underclassmen showed growth not only in their races, but as individuals," Distler said.

The Cortland Pumpkin Relays are set to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Hawks Swimming 2021-22 Season Preview Video

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