Subscribe to SwimSwam Magazine

2026 NAIA National Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2026 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving National Championships

Women’s Top 10 After Day 3

  1. Keiser, 441
  2. SCAD, 344
  3. Cumberlands, 287
  4. Thomas (FL), 264
  5. Masters, 232
  6. Bethel (IN), 200
  7. Lindsey Wilson, 145
  8. Milligan, 113
  9. William Carey, 106
  10. Indiana Wesleyan, 86

Men’s Top 10 After Day 3

  1. Keiser, 484
  2. Cumberlands, 257
  3. Milligan, 254
  4. SCAD, 238
  5. Thomas (FL), 230
  6. William Carey, 209
  7. Ambrose, 184.5
  8. Masters, 177
  9. Life, 121.5
  10. Aquinas College, 118

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Natalia Janiszewska (Keiser) – 1:59.44
  2. Sophie Bell (Brenau) – 2:00.78
  3. Rachel Bradley (Keiser) – 2:01.91
  4. Clara Patterson (Masters) – 2:02.62
  5. Jette Haedicke (SCAD) – 2:03.58
  6. Katelyn Inman (Olivet Nazarene) – 2:04.84
  7. Elena Wlodarczyck (SCAD) – 2:04.98
  8. Alessia Claassen (St. Thomas) – 2:05.29

Natalia Janiszewska (Keiser) was the only athlete seeded sub-2:00 and was the only one to break the barrier in the morning heats. Swimming in the final circle seeded heat, she split 28.00/29.79/30.48/31.17 to finish about a half second off her entry time (1:59.44).

Sophie Bell (Brenau) continued her strong meet in the penultimate heat. Entered with 2:05.97, she dropped over five seconds to win the heat from lane 3 (2:00.78). Last night, she punched a new best time in the 100 back to finish in the runner-up position behind Janiszewska. That swim also represented a major drop from her entry time.

Keiser will have two of the middle lanes tonight, as Rachel Bradley swam 2:01.91 in the first circle-seeded heatto round out the top three. She had a smooth swim, splitting 30.88/30.82/30.86 on her last three 50s (2:01.91).

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Kervens Warnon (St. Thomas) – 1:46.13
  2. Flynn Smith (St. Thomas) – 1:47.28
  3. Brandon Holder (Cumberlands) – 1:47.34
  4. Marcel Setlak (Keiser) – 1:47.48
  5. Finlay Saunders (SCAD) – 1:47.65
  6. Nicklas Pedersen (Keiser) – 1:48.03
  7. Maxi Jacquet (St. Ambrose) – 1:48.13
  8. Ruthiik Satti (Cumberlands) – 1:48.18

The circle-seeded heats start off with some close finishes. First, Keiser’s Nicklas Pedersen (1:48.03) and Cumberlands’ Ruthiik Satti (1:48.18) finished just 0.15-seconds apart. Sathiik led though the 150, but Pedersen closed hard, 26.58 to 28.06, to get his hand on the wall first.

The next heat played out similarly. Finlay Saunders (SCAD) pulled ahead at the 150, but Brandon Holder (Cumberlands) descended his final 100 to finish first (1:47.34).

In the final heat, a pair of St. Thomas teammates finished 1-2, and will reprise their placement tonight. Top seed Kervens Warnon dropped over half a second from his seed time to lead the field by over a second (1:46.13). His teammate Flynn Smith also dropped from seed, stopping the clock in 1:47.28.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Katherine Dyer (Masters) – 50.73
  2. Valle Gonzalez Ares (SCAD) – 51.26
  3. Megan Sutanto (Masters) – 51.40
  4. Jaylyn Harrison (Bethel) – 51.43
  5. Mya Nemechek (New College of Florida) – 51.45
  6. Aixa Recchioni (Bethel) – 51.94
  7. Kylee Sears (Masters) – 52.01
  8. Martine Abrahamsen (St. Thomas) – 52.05

Jaylyn Harrison (Bethel) was the first to crack 52 seconds this morning, punching 51.43 to take the first circle seeded heat. She was joined by her teammate Aixa Recchioni (51.94). Both added about two tenths from their entry times.

Valle Gonzalez Ares won the next heat by nearly a second (51.26). When the dust settled, it turned out that she was the only swimmer from the heat to advance to finals. She qualified 2nd this morning.

Masters’ Katherine Dyer swam the only 50-point this morning (50.73). Masters went 1-2-3 in the final heat, with Megan Sutanto (51.40) and Kylee Sears (52.01) also qualifying for the top heat.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Levente Mozsarik (SCAD) – 43.67
  2. Titouan Bernot (Cumberlands) – 43.80
  3. Zoltan Tompos (SCAD) – 43.93
  4. Cory Werrett (St. Ambrose) – 44.11
  5. Hanno Boeckmann (Keiser) – 44.52
  6. Dawid Malik (Keiser) – 44.61
  7. Alexander Poulsen (Cumberlands) – 44.64
  8. Adam Salama (William Carey) – 44.66

The first two circle seeded heats saw a pair of close finishes. Hanno Boeckmann (44.52) and Alexander Poulsen (44.64) finished just 0.12-seconds apart. Immediately after, Titouan Bernot (43.80) and Zoltan Tompos (43.93) recorded a 0.13-second finish.

In the final heat, top seed Levente Mozsarik was over a second back of his entry time, but still managed to snag the middle lane for tonight’s final (43.67).

Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Nikki Hahn (SCAD) – 2:16.79
  2. Emma Phillips (St. Thomas) – 2:20.03
  3. Louise Jones (SCAD) – 2:20.75
  4. Boglarka Zsunics (Keiser) – 2:21.81
  5. Megan Schoenlein (Cumberlands) – 2:22.15
  6. Mackensize Bushey (Olivet Nazarene) – 2:22.61
  7. Maggie Auran (St. Thomas)/Moa Nyblom (Cumberlands) – 2:23.19
  8. —

Nikki Hahn (SCAD) recorded the top time of the morning by over three seconds, and the top time of the final heat by over five (2:16.79). Boglarka Zsunics finished 2nd in that heat (2:21.81) and sits 4th overall out of prelims.

The 2nd qualifier from this morning came from the first circle seeded heat. Emma Phillips swam a new personal best by about a second to take the heat (2:20.03). Louise Jones clocked 2:20.75 to win the next heat.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims

  • NAIA Record: 1:54.65, Noel de Geus, Keiser – 2023
  • Meet Record: 1:56.29, Noel de Geus, Keiser – 2024
  • 2025 Champion: Noel de Gaus, Keiser – 1:57.18

Top 8:

  1. Noel de Geus (Keiser) – 1:58.25
  2. Evan Nail (Masters) – 1:58.68
  3. Elijah Holliman (Milligan) – 1:58.98
  4. Caleb Fry (Milligan) – 1:59.42
  5. Hunter Boudreau (William Carey) – 2:00.09
  6. Xavier Trovesi (Life) – 2:00.78
  7. Robert Adam (Milligan) – 2:00.92
  8. Abel Eszenyi (SCAD) – 2:00.98

Milligan will have strong representation in this final. Caleb Fry got things rolling in heat 2 (1:59.42), followed by Life’s Xavier Trovesi (2:00.78) and Fry’s teammate Robert Adam (2:00.92).

In the next heat, 2025 champion Noel de Geus finished first in 1:58.25. It’s still a ways off from his NAIA record set in 2023, but ended up earning him the top spot in tonight’s final. Milligan got another finals qualifier in Elijah Holliman (1:58.98), who finished 2nd behind de Geus.

Top seed Evan Nail (Masters) clocked the third 1:58-point swim of the morning (1:58.68) to round out the top three. In the end, it took a sub-2:01 swim to make the top heat.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Luiza Bersi (Keiser) – 2:03.40
  2. Kayla Parry (Olivet Nazarene) – 2:05.82
  3. Avery Woods (Bethel) – 2:06.46
  4. Chloe Rhodenizer (Indiana Wesleyan) – 2:06.76
  5. Sarah Zoellner (Cumberlands) – 2:06.98
  6. Hannah Jyawook (Arizona Christian) – 2:07.48
  7. Sara Motyl (Lindsey Wilson) – 2:07.70
  8. Greta Aldrovandi (Keiser) – 2:07.72

Luiza Bersi has been perfect in her individual events so far at this meet and will look to add another title to her name in the 200 fly tonight. She clocked 2:03.40 to qualify first by over two seconds.

Kayla Parry just missed her entry time to win the first circle seeded heat and qualify 2nd overall (2:05.82). Avery Woods rounds out the top three (2:06.46) after finishing over three seconds back of Bersi in the final heat.

Behind Bersi, there look to be a couple of close races shaping up. The 3rd-5th and 6th-8th qualifiers are separated by less than half a second.

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

Top 8:

  1. Isaiah Aleksenko (Keiser) – 1:44.01
  2. Izaiah Trevino-Iozano (Masters) – 1:46.13
  3. Reuben Dobson (Ottawa) – 1:47.08
  4. Nedas Giedraitis (William Carey) – 1:47.39
  5. Elliot Best (St. Thomas) – 1:48.35
  6. Bo Kasten (SCAD) – 1:48.66
  7. Juan Ramirez Zapata (Cumberlands) – 1:49.19
  8. Yusuf Balaban (William Carey) – 1:49.42

Similar to the story in the women’s race, Isaiah Aleksenko is looking to stay perfect in his events so far at these championships. He clocked a season best in the 200 fly prelims (1:44.01), which is still over a second back of his NAIA record-worthy performance last year.

Izaiah Trevino-Iozano won the penultimate heat in a personal best (1:46.13), leading a trio of St. Thomas swimmers. Only Elliot Best (1:48.35) will advance to the top heat tonight.

The first circle seeded heat went to Reuben Dobson in a personal best time (1:47.08), followed by Bo Kasten. Zsombor Paksi, who was seeded 3rd in this event, was shut out of the top heat after added over two seconds (1:50.23).

Women’s 1650 Freestyle – Timed Finals

  • NAIA Record: 16:43.48 – Kathryn Rosberg, Simon Fraser – 2007
  • Meet Record: 16:43.48 – Kathryn Rosberg, Simon Fraser – 2007
  • 2025 Champion: Sky Marjamaa, SCAD – 17:15.42

Top 8 (Early Heats):

  1. Anna Van DeKeere (Thomas) – 17:56.51
  2. Frankie Dolby (SCAD) – 18:00.94
  3. Grace Bobeldyk (St. Ambrose) – 18:03.99
  4. Giulia Mantuan (Keiser) – 18:07.97
  5. Josefina Berraud Galea (St. Thomas) – 18:10.36
  6. Emma Romero (Loyola LA) – 18:14.07
  7. Mara Ellerkamp (Cumberlands) – 18:17.04
  8. Katelyn Williams (Milligan) – 18:25.80

Anna Van DeKeere had a strong performance in the first of the morning heats. She dropped over 10 seconds from seed time to set a new season best and the only time (so far) under 18:00 (17:56.51). Van DeKeere had a consistent swim, splitting between 32.40 and 32.98 for the majority of the time. Her time would have been seeded 8th on the psych sheet, so she has a shot at scoring in the top 8.

Men’s 1650 Freestyle – Timed Finals

Top 8 (Early Heats):

  1. Braedan Jacobs (Williams Carey) – 15:52.93
  2. Gerard Labernia Oms (Keiser) – 16:01.89
  3. Oliver Greaves (Lindsey Wilson) – 16:02.94
  4. Sergio Saldamando Martinez (Cumberlands) – 16:08.16
  5. Jarod Bruno (Keiser) – 16:09.36
  6. Zachary Anguish (Bethel) – 16:09.45
  7. Jack Finnie (St. Thomas) – 16:13.52
  8. Will Gilbert (Cumberlands) – 16:19.92

The top swim of the morning went to Braedan Jacobs who was the only man to break 16 minutes (15:52.93). His time was a season best by over 10 seconds. Jacobs settled into splitting in the 29.14 to 29.78 range after the 500 mark before speeding home in 28.46/26.44 in the last 100. His time would have been seeded 7th on the psych sheet, so depending on how the last heat shakes out he could challenge for a spot in the top 8.

Women’s 1-Meter Diving – Prelims

  • NAIA Record: 444.81, Cynthia Miller, Wisconsin-Milwaukee – 1987
  • 2025 Champion: Macy Schmidtgall, Indiana Wesleyan – 227.60

Top 8:

  1. Sinead Valero (Keiser) – 254.55
  2. Mireya Bonilla Flores (St. Thomas) – 236.75
  3. Kimberly Burkett (SCAD) – 234.05
  4. Mia Almeida (St. Ambrose) – 233.90
  5. Morgan Schraudner (Cumberlands) – 215.05
  6. Ann Taylor (Keiser) – 206.95
  7. Macy Schmidtgall (Indiana Wesleyan) – 204.70
  8. Sarah Graves (Bethel) – 198.35

Sinead Valero led 1 meter prelims by nearly 20 points (254.55). She already won the 3 meter event earlier this meet.

0
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

0 Comments
newest
oldest most voted

Don't want to miss anything?

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates!

Want to take your swimfandom to the next level?

Subscribe to SwimSwam Magazine!