2026 Summit League Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, February 18–Saturday, February 21
- Location: Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, Iowa City, IA
- Defending Champions: Denver women (11x); Denver men (10x)
- Teams: Denver, Eastern Illinois, Nebraska-Omaha, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Indiana, St. Thomas
- Schedule of Events (PDF)
- Championship Central
- SwimSwam Fan Guide
- Live Results
- Live Video: Summit League Network
- Recaps
Day 4 Results
The Pioneer men and women of Denver each came away with the 2026 Summit League Championship titles as the women captured their 13th straight Summit League title, while the men won their 5th straight, and their 12th league championship in the last 13 seasons after outlasting South Dakota by 30 points.
Women’s Recap
The Pioneer women finished 1-2 in the meet’s final diving event, the women’s 3-meter, as junior Savannah Berry (286.05) and senior Kaitlin Calvery (283.35) picked up 37 points for Denver, finishing ahead of a pair of Omaha divers in Bella Price (265.70) and Brooke Robbins (259.60).
Denver found similar success in the women’s 200 back, as junior Darian Koler and freshman Samantha Synsvoll each turned in the lone sub-2:00 performances to take the top two spots on the podium in 1:57.76 and 1:59.19, respectively.
A pair of Denver freshmen topped the 100 freestyle final, as Julia Saxman took the event win in 50.14, while her teammate, Isabella Cardenas, finished closely behind in 50.38. The top six finishers all swam under 51 seconds, as only three swimmers swam under that mark in prelims.
South Dakota’s Taylor Buhr claimed the 200 breast over Omaha’s Addisyn Storms by just over a second, after out-splitting Storms by more than a second on the final 100 to touch first in 2:13.36. Storms, the freshman, was runner-up in 2:14.58.
The Pioneer women continued their impressive final day with Sabrina Rachjaibun taking the 200 butterfly in 1:59.96. South Dakota’s Dawsyn Green was the only other swimmer in the event to swim under 2:05, finishing 2nd in 2:01.05.
South Dakota’s Emily Diprospero led the women’s 1650 free from start to finish, taking the win in 16:48.52, earning a 1-3 finish for the Coyotes with Camilla Brogger-Andersen finishing 3rd in 17:00.13.
The Denver quartet of Tenaya Winter (51.40), Saxman (49.93), Isabella Burton (50.87), and Isabella Cardenas (49.88) finished nearly two seconds ahead of South Dakota’s relay in 3:23.85, to put the final touch on their dominant 2026 championships showing in 3:22.08.
Men’s Recap
Though ultimately coming up short, the South Dakota men battled through the final race, winning four individual races and the 400 free relay on the final day of action to give themselves a chance.
South Dakota’s Joaquin Contreras-Fallico was untouchable in the 200 backstroke, charging to a near three-second win in 1:42.68. The coyotes took four of the top six spots in the 200 back, including a 3-4 finish from Trey Smith (1:45.78), and Xander Taylor (1:47.22).
The Coyotes continued their final day charge with Nicholas Rounds leading the 100 free, and putting a stamp on his swimmer of the meet showing, taking the event win in 42.98, the only swimmer under 43.9.
Brick Russell, the South Dakota freshman, earned the men’s 200 breast title in 1:57.26, the only swimmer in the field under 1:56. Denver still earned valuable points by finishing 2-3 with Nicolas Morton (1:58.00), and Kito Campbell (1:58.57).
Alexander Parkinson not only won the men’s 1650, but also clinched an NCAA berth with his 15:04.40 performance, over 20 seconds faster than Denver’s Finn Holdredge in 15:25.02.
Southern Indiana’s Samuel Smith battled for a tight win in the 200 fly, out-touching South Dakota State’s Braxton McGrath (1:47.98) and Denver’s Ian O’Neil (1:48.03) to pick up the event title in 1:47.77.
South Dakota’s foursome of Rounds (43.06), James Schreiber (43.99), Jordan Hogue (44.25), and Matthew Sorbe (44.52), topped Denver (2:56.79) to take the final win of the meet in 2:55.82.
Final Scores:
Women:
- Denver- 971
- South Dakota- 799
- Nebraska- Omaha- 533
- South Dakota State- 458
- St. Thomas- 410.5
- Southern Indiana- 252.5
- Eastern Illinois- 161
Men:
- Denver- 862
- South Dakota- 832
- Nebraska-Omaha- 577.5
- South Dakota State- 458
- St. Thomas- 349.5
- Southern Indiana- 275
- Eastern Illinois- 169
