NORFOLK, V.A. - The Chowan University men's and women's swim teams made their 2026-2027 season debut at Batten University on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks got standout performances from both newcomers and returners on both sides of the lane. Chowan picked up a combined 13 event wins in the meet with the men picking up 8 podium finishes and the women getting four top finishes. Both teams closed out the meet with freestyle relay wins.
The men's team picked up a 129-80 season opening win over the host team, Batten University while the women put up solid numbers in a double-dual loss to Batten (124-59) and Hollins University (123-75).
THE BASICS
Location: Norfolk, Virginia | Batten University | Natatorium
Records: Chowan Men (1-0), Chowan Women (0-2)
RESULTS
Chowan Men - 129 Batten University Men - 80
Chowan Women - 75 Hollins Women 123 | Chowan Women 59 Batten Women 124
FULL RESULTS HERE
INSIDE THE LANES
Women
Vanja Romic picked up where she left off last season, opening this year's season with a first place finish in the 100 breaststroke. Romic handedly won with a time of 1:12.39, a full :14 ahead of the second place finisher.
The women added to their scoring in the 50 freestyle. Hasnae Idrissi finished the race with a second place finish of 28.70 to pace the Hawks. Ariana Vizcaya finished 4th, touching the wall at 30.48 while teammate Elizabeth Waltz finished 7th at 38.04.
Sara Turanjanin also posted a top place finish in the 100 yard freestyle. She touched the wall at 58.71 to take the top spot in the event while Vizcaya and Waltz finished 6th and 8th in the race. Idrissi finished second in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:09.91 before Romic added another top finish in her signature event, the 200 IM. Romic posted a time of 2:22.05 to take the top spot. Turanjanin also finished second in the 100 yard backstroke, finishing up with a 1:04.69. Idrissi finished the race in 4th place with a time of 1:07.99.
The women wrapped up the meet with a top place finish in the 200 freestyle relay after posting a time of 1:52.86. Romic, Turanjanin, Vizcaya, and Idrissi teamed up to take home the top finish, rounding out a solid opening meet for the Hawks women's team. The Hawks took home four top finishes, led by Romic, Turanjanin, and the freestyle relay team of Romic, Turanjanin, Vizcaya, and Idrissi.
Men
The men took home 8 podium finishes in a 129-80 win over Batten University. The men opened their scoring in the first event, taking home the win in the 200 yard medley relay. Chase Faw, Michael Grenier, Melchizedek Kolomiyets, and D'Andre Blanchard posted a time of 1:41.87 for the relay win.
Kolomiyets picked up the win in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:53.08 while teammates Stefan Reedy posted a time of 2:00.16 to finish third. Quintin Mitchell finished 4th with a time of 2:01.65.
Chase Faw picked up a second place finish in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 59.05. Grenier picked up another win for the Hawks in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.64. Blanchard swam the 5th fastest 50 freestyle time in program history with a 21.46. That time was good enough for a podium win. Dimitrije Markovic posted a second place finish with a 22.96 time and Faw finished 4th with a time of 24.38. David De Simon finished 5th in the race.
Blanchard swam to another 1st place finish in the 100 yard freestyle, coming in at 47.51. That time is the 4th fastest time in program history. Christopher Goode finished 5th in the race. Kolomiyets took home the 200 yard backstroke win for the Hawks with a time of 2:11.60 with teammate Reedy finishing just behind him in second at 2:12.27. Grenier and Markovic picked up individual wins in the 200 yard breaststroke and the 500 freestyle respectively to add to the Hawks point total.
Blanchard, Markovic, Goode, and Reedy finished the day with a first place finish in the 200 yard freestyle relay after touching the wall at 1:31.40. Faw, Mitchell, Kolomiyets, and Grenier finished third in the race with a time of 1:33.30.
UP NEXT
The Hawks will travel to Barton College on Saturday, November 14th for their next meet. The women will face off against UNC-Pembroke and Barton in a dual meet while the men will face off against the Bulldogs.
