2025 NCAA Division II Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2025 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championship

It’s time for the last night of finals at the 2025 NCAA Division II Championships. Tonight, we’ve got finals of the 1650 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay, and men’s 1-meter diving.

Follow along for live updates throughout the evening, and at the end of the night, we’ll see who is crowned the NCAA Division II champion for both men and women.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Connecticut (2008)
  • Meet Record: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Connecticut (2008)

Top 8:

  1. Tori Meklensek (SFU) – 16:20.35
  2. Justice Beard (UMSL) – 16:24.86
  3. Andrea Gomez Espinosa (INDY) – 16:25.93
  4. Hailey Williams (NSU) – 16:31.78
  5. Olivia Hansson (MESA) – 16:45.95
  6. Allison Vassilakos (WAYN) – 16:50.99
  7. Keira Kennedy (SFU) – 16:53.92
  8. Anika Wright (NMU) – 16:55.29

Simon Fraser senior Tori Meklensek picked up her 2nd individual title of the meet, touching 1st in the women’s 1650 free in a time of 16:20.35. She opened the first 500 in 4:57.94 before hitting the 1000 turn in 9:56.48. She was 3rd last year with a time of 16:36.32, so she’s made some big leaps this season.

Meklensek won the 500 free (4:44.87) earlier in the meet, in addition to placing 2nd in the 1000 free (9:44.93) and 3rd in the 200 free (1:46.60).

Indy’s Andrea Gomez Espinosa, also a senior, came into the wall 3rd in 16:25.93. She was in 2nd for a significant portion of the race, but University of Missouri-St. Louis sophomore Justice Beard roared home with a final 50 split of 26.95 to steal silver. Gomez Espinosa won the 1000 free earlier in the meet with a time of 9:44.90, beating out Meklensek by 0.03 there.

Beard was the quickest of the top 3 through the 500 (4:55.45), before having the big last 50 resurgence. Wayne State senior Allison Vassilakos took the race out strongest in 4:54.31, but ultimately fell to 6th overall at the finish.

MEN’S 1650 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII: 14:55.12 – Fabio Dalu, McKendree (2021)
  • Meet Record: 14:55.12 – Fabio Dalu, McKendree (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Jacob Hamlin (TAMP) – 14:51.81 *NCAA D2 Record* 
  2. Paul Demesy (WCU) – 15:04.21
  3. Christian Davidson (MKU) – 15:12.00
  4. Fernando Dehaudt (WIN) – 15:17.76
  5. Luca Alessandrini (NSU) – 15:19.88
  6. Nazar Herashchenko (CATC) – 15:21.95
  7. William Debroux (WAYN) – 15:22.31
  8. Ben Wainman (SVSU) – 15:24.66

University of Tampa sophomore Jacob Hamlin has done it again, breaking his third NCAA Division II Record of the week at the 2025 NCAA Championships. His winning performance also represents a sweep of his individual events at this competition, meaning he’s gone 4-for-4 over the weekend.

Hamlin finished the men’s 1650-yard freestyle in 14:51.81, which broke the old record by exactly 3.21 seconds. He held the previous record with a time of 14:55.02, which he put on the board at the Gamecock Invite in November. Prior to his November record-setting swim, the mark was held by Fabio Dalu of McKendree University, who swam 14:55.12 to win the 2021 NCAA D2 title.

Paul Demesy, a junior at West Chester University, punched a time of 15:04.21 to grab 2nd. His swim drops over 7 seconds from his previous best (15:11.53), which he recorded en route to a 3rd place finish at these championships last year.

McKendree sophomore Christian Davidson rounded out the podium in 15:12.00, eclipsing his previous lifetime best of 15:17.44 in the process.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 48.16 – Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)
  • Meet Record: 48.16 – Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)

Top 8:

  1. Luna Mertins (LYNN) – 48.07 *NCAA D2 Record* 
  2. Kristina Orban (NSU) – 48.63
  3. Kiara Pozvai (HSU) – 49.35
  4. Abigail Williams (SFU) – 49.63
  5. Lucy Hedley (GVSU) – 49.68
  6. Montana White (APU) – 49.74
  7. Zsofia Kurdi (NSU) – 49.94
  8. Bryn Greenwaldt (AU) – 49.95

Lynn 5th-year, Luna Mertins, scorched a new Division II NCAA record in tonight’s 100 free final, touching the wall in a time of 48.07. She came into the meet with the fastest time in the division this season (48.33), swam 48.95 this morning, and then broke the record tonight. She opened the record-breaking swim in 22.92 before closing in 25.15.

Mertins was 3rd in the 50 free (22.34), 2nd in the 100 back (52.37), and 1st in the 100 fly (51.78) earlier in the meet.

Nova S’eastern freshman Kristina Orban (48.63) was the only other swimmer under 49 seconds, as she split 23.49/25.14 to earn a comfortable silver medal. Henderson State’s Kiara Pozvai rounded out the top three with a solid time of 49.35 for bronze.

Bryn Greenwaldt of Augustana had a busy day. She competed in two NCAA Championships in one day. She swam the prelims of the 100 free (49.03) this morning, then headed to the track meet, where she placed 8th in the high jump final. Afterward, she rushed back to the pool, and placed 8th in this 100 free final (49.95).

Greenwaldt has already made history in Indianapolis this week, breaking the Division II NCAA record in the 50 freestyle and becoming the first woman to go sub-22, posting a 21.92 in prelims.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 41.25 – Karol Ostowski, Drury (2021)
  • Meet Record: 41.25 – Karol Ostowski, Drury (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Matthew Bosch (GVSU) – 42.42
  2. Maurice Grabowski (LYNN) – 42.59
  3. Leo Nolles (NMU) – 42.71
  4. Volodymyr Gavrysh (MKU) – 42.96
  5. Maksymilian Minichowski (CATC) – 43.09
  6. Yassine Sebbata (WIN) & Evan Scotto Divetta (GVSU) – 43.25
  7. N/A
  8. Gavin Lindley (NSU) – 43.29

After taking half a second off his best time this morning (42.49), Grand Valley’s Matthew Bosch hacked a few more hundredths off tonight with a time of 42.42. That time earned the senior his first individual title of the meet, and he split 20.44/21.98 en route to doing so. He was 4th in this event last year with a time of 43.24.

Lynn’s Maurice Grabowski (42.59), Northern Michigan’s Leo Nolles (42.71), and McKendree’s Volodymyr Gavrysh (42.96) all joined Bosch under the 43-second threshold.

This year’s field was faster, top to bottom, in comparison to last year. A year ago, Henderson State teammates Lamar Taylor and Jack Armstrong clocked a pair of 42.6s to mark a 1-2 finish for the Reddies. Furthermore, 43.97 was 8th last year in comparison to 43.29 this time around.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)
  • Meet Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)

Top 8:

  1. Agata Naskret (MESA) – 1:53.25 *NCAA D2 Record* 
  2. Tammy Greenwood (OCU) – 1:55.56
  3. Mia Krstevska (INDY) – 1:56.19
  4. May Lowy (NSU) – 1:57.56
  5. Katerina Matoskova (MESA) – 1:59.10
  6. Maria Fe Munoz (DRUR) – 1:59.25
  7. Sidni Meister (TAMP) – 1:59.86
  8. Sierra Gillan (TAMP) – 2:01.92

Colorado Mesa’s Agata Naskret is simply on fire.

The backstroke star won her second individual title on the meet, and once again, did so in record-breaking fashion. She swam a time of 1:53.25, demolishing the previous NCAA record of 1:54.48 by more than a full second. Her first and last 50s made the difference, as she was well under the old record pace for those splits. She was slightly above on the middle two 50 splits, but it ultimately did not matter.

This is Naskret’s third individual record of the meet, as she broke the 100 record twice earlier in the week. She first shattered the mark leading off CMU’s winning 400 medley relay (51.53), then went on to lower it to 51.52 to win the individual event. She actually lowered the 100 record three times this season, as she became the first-ever Division II swimmer under 52 seconds with a 51.96 back in November.

Oklahoma Christian’s Tammy Greenwood took 2nd place, finishing in 1:55.56. Her time of 1:55.56 marks a new lifetime best, surpassing her 1:56.29 performance from last month’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships. Indy’s Mia Krstevska (1:57.56) wrapped up the top three. 

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:40.34 – Ben Sampson, Colorado Mesa (2024)
  • Meet Record: 1:40.34 – Ben Sampson, Colorado Mesa (2024)

Top 8:

  1. Ivan Adamchuk (DRUR) – 1:41.18
  2. Raf Hendriks (STCL) – 1:42.16
  3. Alvaro Zornoza Quiros (DRUR) – 1:42.37
  4. Parker Knollman (TAMP) – 1:42.59
  5. Patryk Rozenek (MKU) – 1:42.94
  6. Silas Buessing (INDY) – 1:43.79
  7. Roland Nagy (BRYU) – 1:44.16
  8. Andrew Scoggin (MESA) – 1:45.43

Drury earned some crucial points in the men’s 200 back, finishing 1st and 3rd in the championship final. Ivan Adamchuk led the way in 1:41.18 with Alvaro Zornoza Quiros grabbing 3rd. Sandwiched in between the two teammates was Raf Hendriks of St. Cloud State, who finished with a time of 1:42.16.

Adamchuk was 5th last year (1:42.97), and Hendriks was 6th (1:43.95), so they not only made significant leaps forward in time but also in placement.

It was a deep final all around, with 1:45.43 earning 8th place, compared to 1:46.59 last year.

Tampa, who is in a tight team race with Drury, earned a 4th place finish in the form of Parker Knollman. Knollman notched a time of 1:42.59, which is just shy of his best time (1:41.99) from last year’s final. He was 3rd in this event last year.

Since Tampa has no representatives in the upcoming 1m diving event, it’s almost certain that Drury will win the men’s team title.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 2:08.86 – Jonette Laegreid, Drury (2024)
  • Meet Record: 2:09.12 – Bailee Nunn, Dury (2017)

Top 8:

  1. Jonette Laegreid (DRUR) – 2:08.59 *NCAA D2 Record*
  2. Mellie Wijk (DRUR) – 2:11.64
  3. Claire Conover (DRUR) – 2:12.66
  4. Celina Schmidt (INDY) – 2:13.60
  5. Claire Gass (NSU) – 2:13.63
  6. Gwen Bergum (DRUR) – 2:15.17
  7. Alena Rozova (UWF) – 2:16.12
  8. Madelyn Koehle (WCU) – 2:16.98

Drury’s Jonette Laegreid claimed the FOURTH Division II NCAA record of the night. She put her hands on the wall in 2:08.59 to win the women’s 200 breast, which dips under her own record from last November. The freshman won the 100 breast (1:00.06), placed 3rd in the 200 IM (1:59.98), and touched 11th in the 400 IM (4:20.08) earlier in the meet.

Laegreid split 29.38/32.30/33.19/33.72 en route to her new record, compared to her previous record splits 29.76/32.9532.84/33.71. She was out over a second faster at the halfway mark tonight, 1:01.68 versus 1:02.71, and that proved to pay off in the end.

Drury represented half of tonight’s championship final, and produced a 1-2-3 finish to boot. Mellie Wijk (2:11.64) and Claire Conover (2:12.66) finished a few seconds behind Laegreid to complete the gold-silver-bronze sweep.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:51.71 – Anton Lobanov, Nova Southeastern (2015)
  • Meet Record: 1:51.71 – Anton Lobanov, Nova Southeastern (2015)

Top 8:

  1. Davi Mourao (DRUR) – 1:52.51
  2. Jermias Pock (INDY) – 1:53.04
  3. Jared Mindek (TAMP) – 1:55.60
  4. Brayden Cole (INDY) – 1:56.51
  5. Connor Bichsel (MS&T) – 1:56.69
  6. Inigo Marina (NSU) – 1:57.08
  7. Owen Stender (DAVE) – 1:57.10
  8. Miles Schulze (OUAC) – 1:57.68

Drury’s Davi Mourao, a senior, glided to the wall in 1:52.51 to win the D2 men’s 200 breast title. After breaking 52-seconds in the 100 to place 2nd earlier in the meet, he dropped nearly two seconds from his entry time (1:54.38) to snare gold. Indy freshman Jeremias Pock placed 2nd in 1:53.04, almost a full second slower than his season-best 1:52.08.

100 breaststroke winner Brayden Cole touched 4th in 1:56.51. The Indy 5th-year tore apart his previous best time of 1:58.18 in prelims, where he posted a time of 1:55.62.

Tampa’s Jared Mindek produced a 3rd place finish in a time of 1:55.60. It was a new personal best for the senior, who owned a previous mark of 1:56.13 from November’s Gamecock Invitational.

MEN’S 1-METER DIVING – FINAL

  • NCAA DII: 618.70 – Dario DiFazio, Oakland (1994)
  • Meet Record: 618.70 – Dario DiFazio, Oakland (1994)

Top 8:

  1. Israel Zavaleta (DRUR) – 603.25 pojnts
  2. Julio Osuna Kelly (WAYN) – 602.00 points
  3. Corwin Lindeman (CLAR) – 518.35 points
  4. Ethan Coronado (CLAR) – 508.95 points
  5. Max Wasiniak (WAYN) – 501.95 points
  6. Yubal Parra (CSI) – 495.95 points
  7. Zakary Kennedy (CLAR) – 487.80 points
  8. James Nord (STCL) – 468.65 points

A close competition unfolded in the men’s 1m diving event, with Israel Zavaleta of Drury and Wayne State’s Julio Osuna Kelly separating themselves from the rest of the field early on. Zavaleta ultimately won by just 1.25 points, putting up a score of 603.25 to Osuna Kelly’s 602.00.

Clarion’s Corwin Lindeman bagged bronze with a score of 518.35 points.

Women’s 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

  • NCAA DII: 3:18.04 – Queens NC (2018 and 2019)
  • Meet Record: 3:18.04 – Queens NC (2018 and 2019)

Top 8:

  1. Nova S’eastern – 3:19.09
  2. Colorado Mesa – 3:19.27
  3. Lynn – 3:19.86
  4. Findlay – 3:20.97
  5. McKendree – 3:21.37
  6. Drury – 3:21.40
  7. Simon Fraser – 3:21.62
  8. Wingate – 3:21.80

Nova S’eastern’s Zsofia Kurdi (50.00), Emilia Ronningdal (49.84), Marcia Goncalves (50.07), and Maya Esparza (49.18) combined for a 3:19.09 to win the 400 free relay title ahead of Colorado Mesa (3:19.27) and Lynn (3:19.86).

Colorado Mesa led at the 100, courtesy of Agata Naskret‘s 49.37 lead-off split. They maintained the lead through 350-yards, but Esparza’s 49.18 anchor for Nova S’eastern proved to be too much Colorado Mesa. As a refresher, Naskret demolished the 200 back NCAA record (1:53.25) earlier in the night.

Lynn rounded out the top three with the only other sub-3:20 swim, 3:19.86. The whole field was fairly tight, with less than 4 seconds separating 1st through 8th.

This race was absolutely key for Nova S’eastern, as it won them the team title. They finished the meet with 475 points compared to Drury’s 463 points, and they trailed by 2 points heading into this event.

Men’s 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

  • NCAA DII: 2:49.98 – Queens NC (2019)
  • Meet Record: 2:49.98 – Queens NC (2019)

Top 8:

  1. Grand Valley – 2:52.58
  2. Drury – 2:52.61
  3. McKendree – 2:52.64
  4. Tampa – 2:53.01
  5. Lewis – 2:54.21
  6. Wingate – 2:54.25
  7. Florida Southern – 2:54.25
  8. NMU – 2:54.62

The men’s 400 free relay was a nail-biter. The top three teams were only separated by 0.06, and the entire field was separated by just 2.04 seconds.

Grand Valley ultimately came out on top in 2:52.58, with Drury (2:52.61) and McKendree (2:52.64) less than a fingertip behind at the final touch.

Grand Valley got out to the early lead through the first exchange, but McKendree snagged the lead through the halfway point and maintained it through to the final exchange. Tonight’s individual 100 free champion, Matthew Bosch of Grand Valley, blasted a 41.90 anchor split to claim a comeback victory for his team.

See a full breakdown of how the race unfolded, by the numbers:

Splits Comparison:

Grand Valley Drury McKendree
First Leg Evan Scotto Divetta – 42.87 Yuri Cabral – 43.69 Volodymyr Gavrysh – 43.43
Second Leg Aaron Dies – 43.80 (1:26.67) Alvaro Zornova Quiros – 42.92 (1:26.61) Tyson Upton – 42.97 (1:26.40)
Third Leg Carsyn Christoffel – 44.01 (2:10.68) Alejandro Villarejo – 43.26 (2:09.87) Arthur Souza – 43.13 (2:09.53)
Anchor Leg Matthew Bosch – 41.90 (2:52.58) Matteo Vissotto – 42.74 (2:52.61) Alireza Yavari – 43.11 (2:52.64)

Final Women’s Team Scores

  1. Nova S’eastern – 475 points
  2. Drury – 463 points
  3. Colorado Mesa – 376 points
  4. Indy – 346 points
  5. Lynn – 233 points
  6. Tampa – 220 points
  7. Simon Fraser – 211 points
  8. Grand Valley – 198 points
  9. Findlay – 185 points
  10. Clarion – 140 points

Final Men’s Team Scores

  1. Drury – 525 points
  2. Tampa – 451 points
  3. McKendree – 349 points
  4. Grand Valley – 291.5 points
  5. Indy – 290 points
  6. Wingate – 174.5 points
  7. Lewis – 163 points
  8. St. Cloud State – 159 points
  9. Colorado Mesa – 156 points
  10. Lynn – 152 points

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Swimmer
7 minutes ago

Probably a silly question – has Queens moved to a different division? I can see they hold almost all of the records but aren’t anywhere to be seen (I’m from the UK so no idea how this stuff works). Does this happen often and how is it decided which division a school is in?

lol
7 hours ago

In bigger news, sweetness is back

Bull Puoy
7 hours ago

Score update?

Miself
Reply to  Bull Puoy
7 hours ago

Men
Drury 471
Tampa 421
Women
Drury
437
Nova
435