Denver Picked To Defend Men’s & Women’s Summit League Titles In Preseason Polls

Courtesy: Summit League

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Denver Pioneers were chosen to win both the Summit League Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships as the Pioneers topped both preseason polls released Wednesday by the league office.

The Pioneer men, who captured their eighth #SummitSD title in nine years a season ago, collected six first-place votes, garnering 48 points. South Dakota and one of the league’s two newcomers, Lindenwood, each received one first-place vote and were tabbed to share second with 38 points.

Omaha, who made its debut season on the men’s side last season, was slated to finish fourth with 30 points. Just behind the Mavericks with 28 points was South Dakota State, who was picked to finish fifth. St. Thomas followed the Jackrabbits in sixth with 19 points, while Eastern Illinois was tabbed seventh with 14 points. Southern Indiana, who joins Lindenwood as a league newcomer, rounded out the poll in eighth with nine points.

On the women’s side, Denver, who received 49 points, collected all seven of their possible first-place votes and were followed by South Dakota with 38 points. Lindenwood was just behind the Coyotes in third, tallying 35 points. Omaha followed the Lions in fourth with 33 points, while South Dakota State was tabbed fifth with 26 points. St. Thomas (20 points) and Eastern Illinois (14 points) was slated to finish sixth and seventh, respectively, while Southern Indiana rounded out the poll in eighth with nine points.

Lindenwood and Southern Indiana both join the Summit League this season as affiliate members in the sport as they begin their respective transitions from the Division II level. The Lions finished fifth (1,139 pts) in the men’s Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2022, while the women finish third (1,616 pts) in last season’s conference championship meet. Southern Indiana is fielding men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams for the first time in department history.

Points were compiled on a 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis and coaches could not vote for their own team.

Summit League Men’s Preseason Swimmers and Divers to Watch
*as selected by league coaches

Denver
Marco Nosack – Sophomore | Breast/IM | Beaverton, Ore.
• Named the 2022 Summit League Men’s Swimmer of the Year, earning All-Summit League honors in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Breast, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay
• Ranks second all-time in the #SummitSD record books in the 400 IM (3:50.83, NCAA B Standard) and fifth all-time in the 200 IM (1:47.11)
• Achieved another NCAA B Standard time in 2022 , posting a time of 1:58:41 in the 200 breaststroke

Jon Brouillette – Sophomore | Diver | North Platte, Neb.
• 2022 All-League honoree in the 1-meter (2^nd place, 293.25) and 3-meter (2^nd place 315.40) diving competitions
• Finished 18^th in the NCAA E Championships with a score of 573.50
• Wrapped up the regular season by earning Diver of the Week honors after recording three scores of 260-plus in the 1-meter

South Dakota
Mack Sathre – Senior | Breast/IM | Sartell, Minn.
• Earned All-Summit League honors in five events (three individual, two relay) at the 2022 Summit League Championships
• Finished first in the 100 IM (49.74), second in the 200 IM (1:48.70), third in the 100 butterfly (49.19) and helped the 200 Free Relay team to a first-place finish (1:20.47) along with a second-place finish in the 400 Free Relay (2:59.71)

Jaden Cardona – Freshman | Diver | Lake Stevens, Wash.
• A three-time state meet placer in the 1-meter springboard
• Washington State runner-up in Class 4A as a senior after finished 11^th as freshman and fifth as a sophomore
• Holds school record of 484.70 and competed three times at the USA Diving nationals

Lindenwood
Elliott Irwin – Junior | Fly/Free | Canberra, Australia
• Set program record in the 100 Fly in 2020 with a time of 43.38
• Registered a 50 Free time of 19.57 at the DSU Christmas Invite

David Molina-Fregenal – Sophomore | Diver | Madrid, Spain
• Broke program record in the 3-meter dive at the 2021 GLVC Championship
• Season-best in the 1-meter dive (11 dives) came in the Drury Invitational with a score of 474.46
• Also posted scores of 300.75 in the 1-meter (six dives) and 289.40 in the 3-meter (six dives)

Omaha
Luke Asbury – Sophomore | Back/Free | Wildomar, Calif.
• All-League honoree in the 200 back (1:49.85) after placing third overall
• Placed in the top eight in the 200 fly (1:54.56) and 100 back (49.87) at the League Championships
• Posted three of Omaha’s top-10 times in the 100 and 200 back

Ian Blackstock – Sophomore | Diver | East China, Mich.
• Posted a season-best score of 251.78 in the 1-meter against Northern Iowa and a score of 268.55 in the 3-meter at the League Championship
• Registered program’s top four scores in the 3-meter last season

South Dakota State
Austin Smith – Sophomore | Free/Breast | Shakopee, Minn.
• Named an All-Summit League honoree in the 100 IM and 800 Free Relay at the 2022 Summit League Championships
• Guided the 800 Free Relay squad to a second-place finish (6:40.79) and placed third in the 100 IM 51.25
• Broke school records in the 100 Fly and 100 IM last season

Zach Boyd – Senior | Diver | Omaha, Neb.
• Earned fifth-place finishes in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions at last season’s League Championships
• Swept the diving events in a dual action at USD, posting winning scores of 286.35 in the 3-meter and 260.50 in the 1-meter
• Was named the men’s diver of the week twice last season

St. Thomas
Alex Foti – Sophomore | Free | Waukesha, Wis.
• Notched a program record in the 1000 free (9:38.09) and 1650 free (15:58.34) at the Summit League Championships
• Posted four first-place finishes in the 500 free and three first-place finishes in the 1000 free during the 2021-22 season

Joe Rudd– Sophomore | Breast/Fly/IM | Duluth, Minn.
• Recorded a program record in the 200 breast at the #SummitSD Championships
• Captured a first-place showing in the 100 breast, two first-place finishes in the 200 breast and one first-place finish in the 200 IM a year ago

Eastern Illinois
Sebastian Rosales – Freshman | Free/Back/Fly | Richmond Hill, Ga.
• Placed fifth in the 50 fly prelims (25.94) at the Georgia LC Senior State Championship in Athens
• Posted a power index of 26 and ranked 46^th in the state of Georgia

Conner Colston – Sophomore | Free | Fremont, Ohio
• Posted three first-place finishes last season, winning the 100 free (47.70) in a meet against Valparaiso
• Swam anchor leg on 200 free relay team (1:22.34) at the Summit League Championships, which ranks third in the EIU career record book

Southern Indiana
Garrett Crist – Freshman | Multis | Bargersville, Ind.
• A three-time All-Conference and two-time All-State competitor out of Center Grove High School
• Named to the NISCA All-American swim team in 2021, nabbing two individual county and sectional championships to lift CGHS to three county championships and one sectional championship
• USA Swimming Long Course Nationals qualifier, USA Swimming Futures qualifier and an Indiana State High School and Club Championships finalist

Lane Pollock – Freshman | Dive | Boonville, Ind.
• Collected 12 athletic letters and tallied two state appearances, one in diving and one in swimming
• Led Boonville High School in back-to-back conference championships

Summit League Women’s Preseason Swimmers and Divers to Watch
*as selected by league coaches

Denver
Natalie Arky – Redshirt Senior | Back/Fly | Highlands Ranch, Colo.
• Named the 2022 Summit League Women’s Swimmer of the Year after contributing to five victories during the 2022 #SummitSD Championships
• Captured individual #SummitSD titles in the 100 backstroke (54.08) and 200 backstroke (1:56.21) and was a runner-up finisher in the 100 butterfly (55.47)
• Achieved NCAA B standards in the 100 butterfly (53.27, ninth fastest time in league history), 100 backstroke (52.96, fifth fastest time in league history) and 200 backstroke (1:53.37, fourth fastest time in league history).
• Qualified for and competed in the NCAA Championships, placing 44^th in the 200 backstroke (1:55.63) and 47^th in the 100 backstroke (53.19).

Olivia Gordon – Junior | Dive | Las Vegas Nev.
• Earned All-League honors by finishing second in the 1-meter (266.75) at the 2022 Summit League Championships
• Also placed fourth in the 3-meter dive with a score of 271.85

South Dakota
Cassie Ketterling – Graduate | IM | Oak Creek, Wis.
• Earned All-Summit League honors in three individual and four relay events
• Top Coyote finisher in the 100 IM (56.92) along with the 400 IM (4:24.04) and placed second in the 200 breast (2:19.12) at the League Championships

Stella Fairbanks – Junior | Dive | Highland, Mich.
• Named the 2021-22 Summit League Women’s Diver of the Year following a win in the one-meter event (281.45) and a runner-up in the three-meter competition (289.80), qualifying for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships
• Was named the #SummitSD Diver of the Week five times this season and has been named the diver of the week 10 times in her first two seasons as a Coyote

Lindenwood
Joselle Mensah – Sophomore | Free | Bad Vilbel, Germany
• Earned All-American honors and helped the 200 Free Relay team to a second-place finish at the Division II NCAA Championship
• Placed 13^th in the 100 Free (50.78) and fourth in the 400 Free Relay (3:23.17)
• Also earned a 12^th-place finish in the 100 Breast (1:02.71) and fifth in the 800 Free Relay (7:34.44) at the DII Championships

Elle Christie – Senior | Dive | Baldwin, Mo.
• Coming off an injury after winning multiple events throughout last season
• Placed first in the 100 back (1:05.65) at a dual meet against South Dakota
• Also helped record a first-place 400 Medley Relay time of 3:56.97 in another dual against USD, starting at the first leg

Omaha
Annika Harthoorn – Sophomore | Fly/Back | Norfolk, Neb.
• Won the 100 Fly at the #SummitSD Championships with a school record time of 54.85
• All-League honoree in the 200 MR, 400 MR and 400 FR
• Top eight finisher in the 100 Back (56.57) and the league championships

Darby Drake – Junior | Dive | Traverse City, Mich.
• A one-time diver of the week after placing second in the 1-meter (263.63) and third in the 3-meter (217.35) against Nebraska
• Placed fourth in the 1-meter (257.25) at the League Championships

South Dakota State
Elisabeth Timmer – Senior | Free/IM | Savaneta, Aruba
• School record holder in the 100 and 500 Free
• A top-eight finisher in the past three League Championships, including All-League accolades twice during last season’s championship in the 50 free (23.12, third place) and 200 Free Relay (1:34.16, third place)
• Member of the Aruba World Championship team

Aleni Stoakes – Senior | Dive | Lincoln, Neb.
• Earned first Summit League Diver of the Week award after posting scores of 200.78 on the 1-meter board and 181.57 in 3-meter competition at a season-opening dual at Nebraska
• Finished as runner-up in 3-meter diving and placed third on the 1-meter board at both the Augustana Invitational and Coyote Invite

St. Thomas
Grace Urkiel– Junior | Breast/IM | Rosemount, Minn.
• Set program record I the 50 breast at the #SummitSD Championships with a time of 29:51
• Earned all-league honors by placing third in the 100 breast at the League Championships

Allison An – Senior | Dive | Owatonna, Minn.
• Finished with an eighth place performance in the 3-meter five (225.35) at the League Championships
• Tallied first in the 1-meter against Augustana and Green Bay

Eastern Illinois
Camryn Lewis – Junior | Free | Kennesaw, Ga.
• Placed fourth in the 50 free at the #SummitSD Championships with a school record time of 23.14
• Swam on the 200 Free Relay that posted a time of 1:36.80, which ranks fifth in the EIU record books
• Added three first-place finishes during the season twice winning the 50 free and once in the 100 free

Kennedy Darensbourg – Junior | Free | Fredericksburg, Va.
• Posted season best times in the 200 free and 500 free and the league championship
• Had three first-place finishes during last season and won once in the 500 free along with twice in the 1000 free

Southern Indiana
Mattie Smith – Freshman | Free | Morgantown, Ky.
• Named All-Region and Academic All-State in four straight years and crowned regional champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle in 2022
• Also named 2022 Regional Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Year
• A Kentucky High School Championship finalist and Kentucky regional champion

Autumn Turley – Freshman | Dive | Hobart, Ind.
• Accumulated six athletic letters in cross country, track/pole vault, diving and golf
• An Indiana High School Diving sectional qualifier
• Led Hobart High School to a Western Invite championship and Hobart Invite championship