Bella Sims Posts 1:51.46 200 Back As Michigan Sweeps Division III Denison

Michigan vs Denison

• January 31, 2026
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Results PDF

The Michigan Wolverines hosted Division III powerhouse Denison for senior day. The Michigan women earned the 202-87 win while the Michigan men won the meet in a final score of 202-92. Michigan’s next meet is slated to be the Big Ten Championships, and Denison’s next meet is the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships.

Women’s Highlights

Highlighting the women’s side of the meet was Bella Sims who posted a 1:51.46 to win the women’s 200 backstroke. That was only 0.20 off her season best that she swam in October during a tri-meet that also featured UCLA and Northwestern. Her season best 1:51.26 sits at #9 in the NCAA this season.

Also leading the way for the Wolverines was Hannah Bellard, the newly minted Big Ten Record holder in the 200 fly. Bellard did not race the 200 fly this weekend, instead swimming to a personal best 1:43.83 in the 200 freestyle. That sits at #29 in the NCAA so far this season. Bellard also won the 100 fly, touching in a 51.78.

Letitia Sim won the 200 breaststroke in a 2:08.13, about a second and a half off her 2:06.52 season best that sits at #3 in the NCAA this season. Sim also swam alongside Milla Drakopoulos, Brady Kendall, and Ella Jo Piersma as the group swam to a win in the 400 medley relay touched in a 3:30.55.

Kendall went on to win an event of her own, posting a lifetime best in the 100 free as she touched in a 48.07. That was a huge swim for the senior who notably helped Michigan’s 400 free relay to 4th place at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Fellow senior Devon Kitchel also notched a personal best time. Kitchel won the 100 backstroke in a 52.99. That was her first time swimming the event in over two years.

The Denison women were led by Phoebe Ferguson who won the 200 IM in a 2:06.16, although she touched 4th as Michigan exhibitioned their swimmers. Finishing 2nd behind Ferguson was Drue Thielking in a 2:09.42. Thielking was also 2nd in the 200 breast in a 2:17.94, an event in which Michigan did not exhibition its swimmers.

Men’s Highlights

The Michigan men were also dominant on the day, led by Colin Geer. Geer won the 200 free in a 1:35.52 and the 200 breast in a 1:55.60. His 200 breast was only half a second off his lifetime best 1:55.07 that he swam last February at the First Chance Meet.

Also earning two individual wins for the Wolverines was Antoine Sauve who won the 50 free in a 19.94 and the 500 free in a 4:20.96. His best time in the 50 free sits at a 19.77.

Tyler Ray won the 200 fly in a 1:40.62, just over a second off his season best 1:39.60 that sits at #4 in the NCAA this season. His swim against Denison marked the 5th fastest of his career. Ray also helped Michigan’s 400 medley relay to a win. That relay also included Eitan Ben Shitrit, Matt Kroll, and Luka Mladenovic. The group combined to touch in a 3:09.12.

Ben Shitrit led that relay off in a lifetime best of a 47.03 in the 100 backstroke. Later in the session, he went on to win the individual 100 backstroke in a 47.24. He also touched 1st in the 200 IM in a 1:45.02, although he was exhibitioned as Denison’s Liam Nelson went on to earn the win in a 1:54.51.

Nelson was the top scorer for Denison as he won the 200 IM. In addition to that race, Nelson also finished 3rd in the 100 breast in a 55.77 and was 5th in the 200 breast in a 2:05.59. Nelson made the NCAA Division III ‘B’ final in both events last March, helping the Denison men go on to win the D3 team title.