POTSDAM, N.Y.—For the second year in a row, the SUNY Potsdam swimming and diving teams will kick off their season at the SUNY Cortland Relays. The Bears will face the Red Dragons on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Potsdam has new leadership at the top, though a familiar face in former assistant coach and Bears diver Jeremy LaClaire. He'll lead a program with 13 veterans and nine newcomers. Finn Boyle '26 returns to serve as LaClaire's assistant coach this season.
 
When LaClaire arrived at Potsdam as a student-athlete, he was looking for guidance. He got it from his team captains and coaching staff. He wants to do the same for his team.
 
"I hope to continue to provide that (guidance) as best I can as head coach," said LaClaire. "And continue to provide an environment where everybody feels that they can be welcome to swim and grow as an athlete and a person."
 
LaClaire appreciated the talent for organization brought to the program by previous coach Emily Murray and will incorporate it into his leadership style. He also liked the individual touch that longtime head coach Ken McLaughlin provided.
 
"What I take from Ken, is the ability to treat each situation individually," LaClaire said. "He was very good at meeting with each athlete and understanding that no matter how good of a butterflyer you are, if you don't like butterfly, you shouldn't be swimming butterfly. He let me dive even though I was trained as a sprinter in high school. My passion was in diving. So I dove for all my time here. I hope to continue that tradition of letting people truly choose their path."
 
LaClaire does have his own coaching priorities for this season.
 
"One thing that I'm really hoping to bring to this year is the aspect of exercise science and modern sports specific training," LaClaire said. "Swimming in particular is one of those sports that often times gets held up in the old school coaching ways. I hope to use my background in exercise science, to use a science-based approach. And make sure we're doing everything as efficiently as possible for the athletes. One other thing I think I bring is, being in the community for the last decade, I want to get more community engagement. Whether it be with the club teams like TRIBS Swimming. Whether it be with our local teams like Canton or Potsdam, the St. Lawrence Larries. And making sure that swimming is still a community sport."
 
Junior Amelia Bohr (Unionville, N.Y./Minisink Valley) (Distance) and senior Matthew Bridge (Theresa, N.Y./Indian River) (Freestyle) will serve as the Bears' captains. Bohr was also captain last season and Bridge is an ROTC cadet.
 
"I appointed them both of them based on leadership skills that I saw both in and out of the pool last year," said LaClaire. "I have the utmost confidence in both of their abilities to help lead the team and both of them to grow as leaders with this opportunity."
 
LaClaire's major goals for the season are to grow the program and make his athletes feel welcome.
 
"If every single athlete feels like when they walked on the pool deck, that is where they were wanted and belonged, then I've done my job. Every single person should feel like they are met as a person, then a student, then an athlete in order to feel complete in this program."
 
In addition to Bohr, eight others return to the women's team. Senior Leo Plaza (Hudson, N.Y./Taconic) was a B Finalist in both the 100 Butterfly and the 200 Backstroke at last season's SUNYAC Championships. Seniors Leah-Kristine Hunt (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) (Breaststroke), Madison Mitchell (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) (Freestyle), Nataelee Mullen (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) (Freestyle/Butterfly) and Allie Shoen (Owego, N.Y./Owego) (Freestyle) are all back. Junior Brooke Seaver (Syracuse, N.Y./Liverpool) (Backstroke) and sophomores Delaynie Jessie (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) (Freestyle/Backstroke) and Julie LaMantia (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) (Freestyle/Backstroke) complete the group of veterans.
 
Senior diver Abbey Annable (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) is new to the team this year and is joined by five freshmen. Olivia Ashley (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) (Freestyle/Butterfly) is the lone local addition. Emmeline Bartlett (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) (Freestyle), Miranda Berger (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) (Freestyle/Individual Medley), Kyliegh Burke (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Saint Dominic) (Butterfly/Freestyle) and Madelynn Drake (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) (Breaststroke/Freestyle) are the other newcomers.
 
The men have four veterans including Bridge. Sophomore Demetrio Schiavone (Altamont, N.Y./Guilderland) (Freestyle/Butterfly) was a B Finalist in the 200 Butterfly last February. Senior Tyler Schmitt (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) (Breaststroke/Sprint Freestyle) and sophomore Jackson Korn (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) (Freestyle) also return. Senior Ryan Rogers (Adams Center, N.Y./South Jefferson) and freshmen Lucas Calderon (Uniondale, N.Y./Uniondale) and Magnus Gros fill out the men's roster.
 
After the Cortland Relays, Potsdam will complete in eight meets before the conference championships. The Bears will host Bard on Halloween, the North Country Invitational on November 20-21, Clarkson on January 16 and Oswego on January 30. They will travel to the Hartwick Relays on November 7, the Cortland Invitational on December 4-5, Saint Michael's on January 9 and St. Lawrence on January 15. The SUNYAC Championships will take place in Buffalo on the campus of Erie Community College from February 17-20.