The Midwest Conference released its 2019-20 Swimming and Diving Coaches Polls on Friday and the Forester men and women were each second in the rankings.
Voting is done by the MWC head swimming and diving coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight schools in the league in order of predicted finish at the 2019 MWC Championship Meet. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
The Lake Forest men were the runners-up while the women placed third at the 2019 MWC Championship Meet. Returning conference champions on the men's side include Max Rowland (500-freestyle, 400-IM), Alec Pittman (1650-freestyle), Thomas Anderson (200-butterfly), and three members of the 200-freestyle relay team. On the women's side Lizzie Johns won the 1-meter diving competition and was the Diver of the Year and Susan Guo is the two-time defending champion in the 100-butterfly. Vadim Tashlitsky's teams have finished among the top two in the league 17 of a possible 22 times during his first 11 years as head coach with the Lake Forest women capturing a title in 2012 and the men in 2014 and 2015.
Lake Forest will compete in 10 meets before traveling to Grinnell College for the 2020 MWC Championships February 14-16.
Men's Preseason Coaches Poll
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Grinnell College (7) | 56 |
| 2 | Lake Forest College (1) | 50 |
| 3 | St. Norbert College | 39 |
| 4 | Monmouth College | 37 |
| 5 | Lawrence University | 31 |
| 6 | Illinois College | 29 |
| 7 | Ripon College | 23 |
| 8 | Beloit College | 16 |
| 9 | Knox College | 7 |
Women's Preseason Coaches Poll
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Grinnell College (7) | 56 |
| 2 | Lake Forest College | 48 |
| 3 | Lawrence University (1) | 46 |
| 4 | St. Norbert College | 34 |
| 5 | Illinois College | 32 |
| 6 | Monmouth College | 25 |
| 7 | Ripon College | 21 |
| 8 | Beloit College | 18 |
| 9 | Knox College | 8 |