The Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Swimming program was picked to finish fourth in the 2023-23 Preseason All-SAC poll.

The Bears ended with 14 total points in the poll results, finishing behind Wingate, Carson-Newman, and Catawba, which had 24, 22, and 16 points, respectively.

In addition to the team’s ranking, Ella Penny, Anna Buchert, and Ann-Cathrine Beissel were also picked as the “SAC Swimmers to Watch” in the 2023-24 season.

The young lineup is led by the sophomore Penny; the Greer, S.C. native had a pair of top five finishes with a third-place result in the 200-yard backstroke and a fourth-place result in the 200-yard individual medley.

Buchert, a freshman from Spartanburg, S.C., was recruited as the 13th-best swimmer from South Carolina. She has already impacted the Bears with a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle and seventh-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle at the Kingsport Invitational.

Beissel, a freshman from Wuppertal, Germany, recorded a sixth-place finish in the 100-yard individual medley at the Kingsport Invitational. She was listed as the 18th-best swimmer on SG BAYER roster during the 2022-23 season.

At the 2022-23 SAC Swimming Championships, the Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Swimming program took a fourth-place finish with an 881-point performance.

Meanwhile, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Swimming program was picked to finish third in the 2023-24 Preseason All-SAC poll.

The Bears ended with 16 total points in the poll results, finishing behind Catawba and Carson-Newman who had 25 and 21 points, respectively.

In addition to the team’s ranking, Renato Herran, Brooks Higginbotham, and Levi McRea were also picked as the “SAC Swimmers to Watch” in the 2023-24 season.

The young lineup is led by the sophomore McRea, who had two seventh place finishes in the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyle events in the 2022-23 SAC Swimming Championships.

Herran, a sophomore from Plantation, Fla., had a few Top 10 results in the 2022-23 SAC Swimming Championships; it included a seventh-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke and a ninth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly.

Higginbotham, a freshman from Auburn, Ala., was recruited as the eighth-best swimmer from Alabama. He has already impacted the Bears with a fourth-place result in the 1650-yard freestyle and sixth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle at the Kingsport Invitational.

At the 2022-23 SAC Swimming Championships, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Swimming program took a third-place finish with a 1011-point performance.

Both squads seasons will continue Thursday, Oct. 12, with a dual meet against Catawba at Salisbury, N.C. starting at 5 p.m.