2026 COLORADO SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIPS
- January 31, 2026
- U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Denver Athletics
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Denver men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs wrapped up the dual meet portion of its schedule with the 2026 Sprint Eliminator on Saturday afternoon at Cadet Natatorium.
Team Scores:
Women’s:
Denver: 202
Air Force: 176
Men’s:
Denver: 150
Air Force: 228
Event Winners:
Women’s 200 Medley Relay – Ali Beay, Tenaya Winter, Julia Saxman, Isa Cardenas – 1:40.51
Women’s 200 Free – Samantha Synsvoll – 1:49.95
Women’s 500 Free – Sabrina Rachjaibun – 5:00.46
Men’s 500 Free – Finn Holdredge – 4:35.97
Women’s 50 Fly – Julia Saxman – 24.26
Men’s 50 Fly – Hamish McLellan – 21.51
Women’s 50 Free – Julia Saxman – 23.32
Women’s 200 IM – Samantha Synsvoll – 2:05.08
Women’s 200 Free Relay – Julia Saxman, Tenaya Winter, Ali Beay, Isa Cardenas – 1:33.97
How it Happened:
Denver’s women opened the meet with a win in the women’s 200 medley relay when the quartet of Ali Beay, Tenaya Winter, Julia Saxman and Isa Cardenas combined for a time of 1:40.51 to take the first race of the morning.
Samantha Synsvoll continued her impressive freshman campaign with a 1:49.95 to win the women’s 200 free. Sabrina Rachjaibun earned the final spot on the podium with a 1:52.45.
Kurt Owens led the Denver men in the 200 free with a 1:39.10 to take second.
Following all the 50 prelims, Rachjaibun kept the train rolling for the Denver women with a victory in the 500 free, reaching the final wall in 5:00.46.
After the conclusion of the 50 semis, Finn Holdredge gave the Denver men its first event win of the afternoon with his time of 4:35.97 in the 500 free. Dylan Mes earned a podium spot as well, finishing in 4:37.40.
Saxman grabbed her first individual event win of the day in the 50 fly final, clocking in at 24.26 in the sprint. Cardenas took second with her 24.74.
Hamish McLellan made it a sprint fly sweep with his time of 21.51 to out-pace the three Falcons in the finals field.
Beay (26.21) and Max Roslin (22.97) finished second in the women’s and men’s 50 back, respectively. Kito Campbell (24.89) also earned a second-place finish in the 50 breast final.
Saxman got to the winner’s circle again in the 50 free final with her time of 23.32. McLellan and Benjamin Stone earned a 2-3 finish for the Pioneer men in the sprint free race.
Shifting back to the every-meet races, Synsvoll led a Denver podium sweep in the women’s 200 IM with her time of 2:05.08. Lilly Zippel finished second in 2:06.92 and Mina Ada Solaker rounded out the podium places in third with a 2:07.48.
In the men’s 200 IM, Nico Morton led Denver with a second-place finish and a time of 1:50.75.
Denver’s women closed out the meet with a win in the 200 free relay. Saxman, Winter, Beay and Cardenas swam the event in 1:33.97 to edge out the Air Force A-relay by 0.05 seconds.
Up Next:
Denver’s final meet before the postseason will see the Pioneers host the First Chance Invitational next weekend inside El Pomar Natatorium. The two-day event begins on Friday with diving at 11 a.m. MT and swimming action starting at 3 p.m. MT. Saturday’s swimming events begin at 10 a.m. MT.
Courtesy: Air Force Athletics
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., – Air Force diving earned a pair of top five finishes on the platform as they closed out the Air Force Diving Invitational, while swim came up short to Denver University, 202-176, at the Colorado Sprint Championships.
Before the meet began, the Falcons held a senior recognition ceremony to honor the class of 2026: Katie Andrist, Lily Bachl, Zoe Bresnahan, Hanani Dona, Mandy Fleetwood, Abigail Hardy, Maeve Linscott, Ella Rudik, and Kai-Min Tsuei for their contributions to Air Force women’s swimming.
“Shoutout to our amazing senior class on finishing up their last home meet at USAFA,” said head swimming coach Colleen Murphy. “This group is special and they have done amazing things for the program.”
On the diving side, Lexi Gregory picked up a fourth-place finish with a finals score of 221.40 on the platform. Teammate Lulu Semakula followed right behind in fifth after scoring 215.45. C3C Chloe Perkins managed to score 208.60 for the ninth spot.
The Colorado Sprint Championships are scheduled in an eliminatory fashion, with preliminary, semi, and final rounds.
“We would have liked to get the win today, but came up short in the longer events,” explained Murphy. “The 50s strokes were extremely competitive, and it was great watching our team race through each round.”
In the 100 back, Air Force dominated the final, with three representatives. Freshman Eliza Black clocked a time of 25.94 for the top spot, while Brynn Bond (26.44) and Kai-Min Tsuei (26.45) went for third and fourth.
Naomi Furman recorded a 50 breast finals time of 28.33 to earn first place. Senior Fleetwood went 28.78 to place second and Linscott took fourth at 29.40.
Murphy expressed, “Furman and Black had great wins and our relays raced tough. We are looking forward to some great swims next week.”
For second in the 50 free final, Ryan Mills touched the wall at 23.34 with Bachl collecting bronze with her time of 23.42.
The Falcons saw Amber Martin (25.44) and Mills (26.05) reach the 50 fly final and take third and fourth place, respectively.
Sadie Hartig locked in a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM at 2:07.55. Elizabeth Sistrunk (2:09.12), Hanani Dona (2:09.44), and Ella Rudik (2:10.23) placed behind.
Both the Falcons’ relay teams, the 200 medley (1:41.38) and 200 free (1:34.02), earned silver.
Air Force will head up I25 to compete at the Denver First Chance Invitational in El Pomar Natatorium on Friday Feb. 6-Saturday Feb. 7.
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., – Air Force swimming celebrated senior day and picked up a 228-150 win at the Colorado Sprint Championships, while diving closed out the Air Force Diving Invitational with a podium finisher.
Before the meet, Air Force honored seniors Louie Body, Danny Detjen, Bridon Rosales, Anthony Sebastian, Camden Swigart, and James Winterfield for their contributions to the program.
Falcon diver Brady Nichol logged a bronze finish on the platform, scoring 336.90 and qualifying for NCAA Zones. Rounding out the top five was Lucas Gerten with a score 311.75. Korbin Moyer tied for sixth place at with an NCAA Zone qualifying score of 297.15, while Vann Hotchkiss earned a score of 277.65 to take tenth.
The Colorado Sprint Championships are scheduled in an eliminatory fashion, with preliminary, semi, and final rounds. Head Coach Rob Clayton said, “The guys swam very well today. We were much better in the small details, winning nearly every close race. This was a huge step forward for the team as we prepare for all the tight finishes we will see at the MPSF Championships.”
The 200 medley relay team of Dylan Ferguson, Rosales, Tanner Wilson, and Jordan Falls swam a 1:29.24 to open the meet with a win.
The 200 free saw Joe Christ earn first with a time of 1:37.66, while Tyler Surratt (1:40.43) and Matthew Doty (1:41.16) placed third and fifth. Clayton said, “Christ had a sensational win.”
Freshman Doty locked in first place of the 50 back after touching the wall at 22.78. “Doty was outstanding in the 50 back…it was a new event for him and he crushed it,” explained Clayton.
In the 50 breast finals, Rosales clocked a time of 24.85 for the top spot, while Jacob Duckworth (25.38) and Mack Nuval (25.50) took third and fourth, respectively.
At 20.22, Falls claimed first in the 50 free finals, with Joe Christ earning fourth with a time of 20.80.
Senior Winterfield secured first at 1:49.07 in the 200 IM and was joined in the top five by Doty (1:52.70) and Cole Wilson (1:53.40).
Clayton expressed, “Seniors Rosales and Winterfield were outstanding, winning their events at their final home meet.”
A trio of Falcons were representatives in the 50 fly finals, with Winterfield leading the pack in second at 21.91, and followed by T. Wilson (22.24) and Jonas Dark (22.28) in third and fourth place.
To close the Sprint Championships, T. Wilson, Tyler Surratt, Falls, and Christ swam a first place 200 free relay, combining for a time of 1:21.66.
“Falls had three wins on the day, bringing the relay from behind to win the medley relay and then he was the fastest split in the pool that led us to win the free relay,” mentioned Clayton.
Air Force will travel north up I25 to compete at the Denver First Chance Invitational at El Pomar Natatorium on Friday Feb. 6-Saturday Feb. 7.
