The Bison men’s swimming and diving team returns a deep and talented roster in 2024-25, led by a trio of multiple-time All-Patriot League performers in Chris Kopac, Justin DiSanto, and Andy Dorsel. Bucknell must replace two perennial all-conference honorees in John Gehrig and Chris Fabian, but this year’s roster features 18 returnees with their names in the record books, accounting for 63 different top-10 marks.
Seniors Kopac, DiSanto, Dorsel, and Nick Shopis are this year’s captains, and those four along with Will Hedges and Ed Park are part of a six-man senior class that coach Dan Schinnerer praises for their work ethic in and out of the pool.
“This is a very strong senior class with guys who have done a great job from day one of walking in the door and making an impact,” said Schinnerer. “Certainly performance-wise, they have been difference-makers, but this group is just what you want as a coach. It’s not just about showing up on meet day. They all train the right way, and they take care of their academics the right way. We’re excited to have them in a leadership role. The six of them are all setting the tone for the team.”
The Bucknell record book is flooded with members of the Class of 2025. Kopac’s name appears in a whopping 11 events, including eight individual and three relays. The Ashburn, Va., native broke the eight-year-old school record in the 200 freestyle on the way to a bronze medal at the Patriot League Championships last season. He was the league runner-up in that event in 2022, and last year he led the team with 76 championship points after placing third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, and seventh in the mile. He is now a three-time All-Patriot League selection and a two-time Academic All-Patriot League honoree.
Kopac, Dorsel, and junior Shane Wynne are all back from last year’s record-setting 800 free relay. Like Kopac, Dorsel is also a three-time All-Patriot Leaguer and a returning PL bronze-medalist after placing third in the 400 IM last season. He ranks third all-time at Bucknell in the 200 IM, 200 fly, and 200 breast, and fourth in the 400 IM.
DiSanto has achieved the rare feat of contributing to school records in all five relays. His 200 and 400 medley relays and 200 and 400 free relays are still the active top marks, and as a freshman he helped set the record in the 800 free relay that was broken last season. DiSanto, who also has the second-fastest 100 free and fifth-fastest 100 breast times in school history, has earned two All-Patriot League citations and was an Academic All-Patriot League selection in 2023.
Hedges equaled Chadd Cummings’ school record in the 100 breast at last year’s Patriot League Championships at Navy, and he also has the second-fastest time (behind only Cummings) in the 100 breast. Shopis has been a member of two top-10 relays, and he is back after being slowed a bit by injury last year. Park is a senior who has not yet been in a Patriot League Championship lineup, but Schinnerer praises his high energy and investment in his teammates.
Eleven juniors return this season, giving the Bison a significant veteran presence.
“Since 2022 when we graduated a really big senior class, we’ve had this pyramid where we’ve had more underclassmen than upperclassmen over the last few years,” said Schinnerer. “COVID was somewhat to blame for that, but this is the first year where we’re kind of back in line with more balance among the classes. So I think that helps with the experience and the maturity of the team.”
The junior class features a pair of outstanding distance freestylers in Alex Crossing and William Shoemaker, who both hold top-10 times in school history in the 500, 1000, and mile. Wynne earned a Patriot League bronze medal in the 200 fly as a freshman, and he owns the fourth-fastest time in school history in that event. Wynne helped set the school record in the 800 free relay last February, and he is also seventh all-time in the 100 fly and eighth in the 200 fly.
Braden Beagle posted the third-fastest 200 back time in Bucknell history in a runner-up finish at the 2023 ECAC Championships. Matt Raudabaugh enters his junior year with the No. 5 time in team history in the 100 breast, and he was a silver medalist in the 200 IM at ECACs last season.
Two outstanding divers also return in the junior class in Jack Krug and Jackson Vinarub. Both earned Patriot League Diver of the Week honors last season. Vinarub was ninth on the 3-meter board and 13th in the 1-meter at last year’s Patriot League Championships, and he holds the No. 3 spot in the 1-meter and No. 5 in the 3-meter on Bucknell’s all-time performance lists. Krug ranks fifth and eighth all-time.
“Jack and Jackson have done a nice job and have the ability to improve on the boards,” said Schinnerer. "Alex Crossing and Will Shoemaker have done some great stuff for us on the distance freestyle side, and are guys who I think will continue to make great progress. Matt Raudabaugh made some very nice progress last year between his freshman and sophomore year, and Shane Wynne battled some injury last year, but I think he is in position to make a big step forward as a junior.”
As first-years in 2023-24, Drew Greene, James Lombardi, Finn Russell, Colin Smith, and Riley Twiss all put their names on at least one top-10 list. Twiss joined the strong distance free group and posted the fourth-fastest time in school history and the team’s fastest of the season in the 500 free. He also recorded top-10 times in the mile (6th), 200 (7th), 1000 (9th), and 400 IM (9th). Twiss led the Bucknell first-year class with 59 points at the Patriot League Championships, highlighted by a berth in the finals and an eighth-place finish in the 500 free.
Connor Thurston is back for a second season with the diving unit after showing great promise as a rookie. He holds Bucknell’s fourth-best score in the 3-meter dive and placed 14th on both boards at the league meet last season.
Six first-year swimmers will add to the squad’s depth this winter, and Schinnerer likes the balance in his freshman class of Dante Buonadonna (IM/free/breast), Damian Czartoryjski (free), Finn Franks (free/fly/IM), Caleb Hagadorn (breast), William Harpster (breast/free), and Avery Kuhn (breast/free).
“We see this group as being able to impact our depth in a lot of spots,” said Schinnerer. “We’re definitely excited about the potential in this group, and we’re looking forward to getting into the season and seeing where they are when we start racing.”
The Bison men went 6-3 in dual meets last season and are now 19-8 since the start of the 2021-22 campaign. The squad took fourth at the Patriot League Championships in 2024. Navy and Army continue to lead the PL pack, and last year Bucknell and Loyola went back-and-forth for the No. 3 spot, with the Greyhounds edging out the Bison by only 55.5 points.
“For two years we had gotten ahead of Loyola, and then they beat us last year, which is very much on the minds of the guys this season,” said Schinnerer. “We’ve developed a pretty good rivalry with Loyola and also recognize that Boston University and Lehigh are very good teams who are also looking to move back up.”
The Kinney Natatorium staff will be busy this year with nine home meets on the schedule, including the 2025 Patriot League Championships on Feb. 19-22. The season kicks off with a home dual against Boston University this Saturday, and later in the year the Bison host two invitationals along with duals against six other Patriot League rivals in American, Lafayette, Navy, Army, Loyola, and Lehigh.
Returning Men on All-Time Top-10 Performers Lists
Braden Beagle, Jr.
- 3rd, 200 Back (1:47.29)
Alex Crossing, Jr.
- 5th, 500 Free (4:27.47)
- 6th, 1000 Free (9:26.36)
- 7th, 1650 Free (15:38.82)
Justin DiSanto, Sr.
- 2nd, 100 Free (44.17)
- 5th, 100 Breast (54.85)
- 1st, 200 Medley Relay (1:26.83)
- 1st, 400 Medley Relay (3:12.99)
- 1st, 200 Free Relay (1:19.46)
- 1st, 400 Free Relay (2:56.34)
- 2nd, 800 Free Relay (6:30.50) (former school record)
Andy Dorsel, Sr.
- 3rd, 200 Breast (1:59.02)
- 3rd, 200 Fly (1:47.08)
- 3rd, 200 IM (1:47.38)
- 4th, 400 IM (3:51.78)
- 10th, 100 Fly (49.23)
- 1st, 800 Free Relay (6:30.17)
Drew Greene, So.
- 7th, 100 Free (44.78)
- 7th, 200 Medley Relay (1:29.93)
- 7th, 200 Free Relay (1:21.24)
Will Hedges, Sr.
- T1st, 200 Breast (1:58.85)
- 2nd, 100 Breast (54.51)
- 7th, 400 Medley Relay (3:17.83)
Chris Kopac, Sr.
- 1st, 200 Free (1:35.72)
- 2nd, 500 Free (4:22.08)
- 3rd, 1000 Free (9:19.60)
- 3rd, 1650 Free (15:25.10)
- 4th, 100 Breast (54.72)
- 4th, 200 IM (1:47.70)
- 5th, 100 Free (44.56)
- 8th, 400 IM (3:53.94)
- 1st, 800 Free Relay (6:30.17)
- 2nd, 400 Free Relay (2:57.16)
- 8th, 200 Free Relay (1:21.45)
Jack Krug, Jr.
- 5th, 1M Dive (281.70)
- 8th, 3M Dive (290.65)
James Lombardi, So.
- 7th, 200 Breast (2:00.53)
- 9th, 100 Breast (55:08)
Matt Raudabaugh, Jr.
- 5th, 100 Breast (54.85)
Finn Russell, So.
- 3rd, 50 Free (20.14)
- 3rd, 100 Fly (48.26)
- 2nd, 200 IM (1:27.71)
- 2nd, 200 Medley Relay (1:27.71)
- 2nd, 200 Free Relay (1:19.76)
William Shoemaker, Jr.
- 4th, 1000 Free (9:23.50)
- 5th, 1650 Free (15:33.52)
- 10th, 500 Free (4:29.78)
Nick Shopis, Sr.
- 6th, 400 Free Relay (2:59.62)
- 8th, 200 Free Relay (1:21.45)
Colin Smith, So.
- 8th, 200 Free Relay (1:21.45)
Connor Thurston, So.
- 4th, 3M Dive (300.55)
Riley Twiss, So.
- 4th, 500 Free (4:27.10)
- 6th, 1650 Free (15:35.24)
- 7th, 200 Free (1:38.33)
- 9th, 1000 Free (9:29.68)
- 9th, 400 IM (3:54.87)
Jackson Vinarub, Jr.
- 3rd, 1M Dive (289.65)
- 5th, 3M Dive (300.20)
Shane Wynne, Jr.
- 4th, 200 Fly (1:47.82)
- 7th, 100 Fly (48.97)
- 8th, 200 IM (1:48.27)
- 1st, 800 Free Relay (6:30.17)
- 6th, 400 Free Relay (2:59.62)