GCU men expect to be in thick of MW title race - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Friday, October 24

Manoa, Hawaii

Grand Canyon

Hawaii

Photo by: Jenna Quinn

10/22/2026 5:55:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Paul Coro

Lopes open season Friday, Saturday at MW challenger Hawai'i

By: Paul Coro

The return of men's swimming and diving in the Mountain West lines up every team evenly in the starting block as seasons get underway this month.

Four months from now at the MW Championships in Houston, the race for the conference team title might not have much more separation.

As Grand Canyon heads into its first dual meet at Hawai'i on Friday and Saturday, Lopes 19-year head coach Steve Schaffer is envisioning a team that could attack the wall at the end of this long-distance race.

"It's going to be really evenly matched," Schaffer said. "It's just going to be a barn burner. Anybody can win it, including us. It's just really going to come down to who's really the best on the day."

The first head-to-head test is a rewind of last season's battle for the Big West Championship title before the Rainbow Warriors and the Lopes moved to the Mountain West, where GCU competes in 19 of its 20 sports. Hawai'i edged GCU then and is now one of two 2025 conference champion teams with Air Force, which won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, also moving to the Mountain West with Wyoming and UNLV, all three of which formerly competed against GCU in the WAC.

The Lopes claimed four conference event championships last season but will lean on 10 newcomers to replace major scorers Carter Dooling and Mario Perez.

That group features sophomore Jack Luken, who is having a Phoenix homecoming with his transfer from Michigan. The Desert Vista High School graduate spent a redshirt year and three competitive seasons with the Wolverines, specializing in distance events over the past two years.

"Jack looks like he could be one of the best distance guys in the conference," Schaffer said.

Pawel Uryniuk, a graduate student from Poland, also brings high-level experience after previously swimming on three LSU relays in the NCAA Championships. He is a standout sprinter and will compete in the butterfly.

"He'll be one of our best swimmers," Schaffer said. "He can do a little bit of everything. He's going to be very good."

The newcomer group also features a trio of Israeli freshman sprinters in Guy Biton, Nir Hay and Steph Omelchenko. With Alex Volkov graduated, Omelchenko steps into the role of top backstroker with freshman Benjamin Madson and former Arizona State transfer Asher Havenhill right there with him. Madson signed with GCU after his initial signing with California Baptist, which dropped men's swimming. Hay and Biton can both race freestyle with Hay also helping at butterfly.

Another freshman, Samuele Vianello of Chiampo, Italy, will help with mid-distance freestyle.

"He was a surprise when he got here and we really got to see him swim," Schaffer said. "He looks really good."

The returnees are highlighted by seniors Guillermo Carrey of Spain and Jasu Ovaskainen of Finland, who made up half of the 400-yard medley relay team that won the Big West Championship last season.

Carrey, in his fourth GCU season, can contribute in sprint freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and 200 freestyle events.

"He'll be one of the best sprinters in the conference," Schaffer said of Carrey. "He's improved a little bit every year. He keeps getting stronger. He's just a really talented kid, and he wants to make NCAAs."

Junior Batu Servi of Turkey (distance) also returns with senior Joe Stephenson of Houston (individual medleys), who is a versatile team leader.

It will be difficult to make up for the breaststroke void of Dooling, but Tucson native Alex Edquid has stepped to the forefront there with TCU transfer Luka Cavic uniquely able to do breaststroke and mid-distance freestyle.

"Alex worked really hard over the summer and really improved," Schaffer said. "He's going to start the year as the breaststroker on our 800 medley relay, and we'll see what else develops."

The diving contingent took a hit with an offseason injury to promising freshman Kale Barnes of Maryville, Tennessee. Seniors Bryce Porter of Mesa, Arizona, and Luke Struiksma of Lakewood, California, bring experience with another freshman, Dante Grossa, beginning his career after a move from Grand Rapids, Michigan.