Courtesy: MP Sports
MPSF WOMEN’S AWARDS:
2026 MPSF SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
MARIA EROKHINA · SENIOR · NORTHERN COLORADO
University of Northern Colorado senior Maria Erokhina (Paphos, Cyprus) was the only female swimmer in the MPSF to qualify for the NCAA Championship this year, and the first to do so in school history, competing in the 100 and 200 Breast. Erokhina was the MPSF Champion in the 100 Breast (59.96) with the lone MPSF record on the women’s side, in addition to setting the facility record in Pharr, TX. In leading the Bears to a third-place team finish, Erokhina was also the MPSF Champion in the 200 Breast (another facility record), silver medalist in the 200 IM, and swam a leg for the MPSF Champion 200 and 400 Medley Relays. She accumulated five first team all-conference awards, while breaking school records in four of those events (100 & 200 Breast, 200 & 400 Medley Relay). She was twice named MPSF Athlete of the week (Feb. 11, Oct. 28). Erokhina represents Northern Colorado’s first-ever MPSF annual award recipient.
2026 MPSF DIVER OF THE YEAR
GRACE WESCHE · SENIOR · NORTHERN ARIZONA
Northern Arizona University senior Grace Wesche (Flagstaff, AZ) was the only MPSF female diver to compete at the NCAA Championship this year, finishing 21st on the three-meter board, the highest all-time NCAA finish for an NAU diver. Wesche placed fourth on the three-meter and ninth on one-meter at zones to punch her NCAA ticket in both events, where only one NCAA Zone E Diver placed above her on the three-meter. She was a three-time All-MPSF diver this year, highlighted by a first team honor with a third-place finish on one-meter (283.65), to go with sixth-place on three-meter (261.30) and fourth on platform (238.30). She also recorded a top-five finish on one-meter and top-10 on platform in a rigorous field at the UCLA Diving Invitational during the season. Wesche is the first MPSF Swimming & Diving annual award recipient for a Northern Arizona student-athlete.
2026 MPSF FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
NATALIA FLORIAN · FRESHMAN · NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State freshman Natalia Florian (Budapest, Hungary) scored 71 individual points at the MPSF Championship, the most among first-year athletes, in helping the Aggies to a second-place team finish in their debut season in the conference. Florian swam a leg for the MPSF’s first-place 800 free relay, splitting 1:48.78, en route to a school and facility record time of 7:12.55. Florian reached the finals and placed seventh in both the 200 free (1:50.82) and 200 back (2:02.00), earning 23 points in each event, along with another nine points after a 17th-place 500 Free (4:59.83). She continued her postseason at the CSCAA NIC, where she swam for a top-10 400 relay team. Her 2:00.60 in the 200 back earlier in the season (Nov. 21) ranked in the MPSF’s top-10 this year. Florian is New Mexico State’s first MPSF annual award recipient.
2026 MPSF SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR
LISA EBELING · 10th-YEAR · NORTHERN COLORADO
University of Northern Colorado 10th-year Head Coach Lisa Ebeling coached the Bears to a third-place finish at the MPSF Championship, their first season returning to the conference since 2012. Northern Colorado won seven MPSF titles, including Maria Erokhina’s 100 and 200 Breast, Kyra Rabess’ 1650 Free, Ellyson Lombardi’s 200 fly, along with three relays. The historical season for UNC ended with a first-ever NCAA appearance, as Erokhina qualified in both the 100 and 200 Breast, and was the only female to break an MPSF record this year (100 breast-59.96). UNC also competed in the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, highlighted by a runner-up 200 fly from Lombardi, as the Bears finished eighth of 46 overall. UNC broke seven school records this year, five occurring at the MPSF Championship. Ebeling and Erokhina are the first MPSF annual award recipients from Northern Colorado.
2026 MPSF DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
NIKKI KELSEY · 30th-YEAR · NORTHERN ARIZONA
Northern Arizona University diving coach Nikki Kelsey coached Grace Wesche into the NCAA Championship, the MPSF’s lone female diver to qualify. Wesche was a three-time All-MPSF honoree, who proceeded for a fourth-place finish on three-meter at zones. From there, she finished 21st at NCAAs, the highest-ever national placement for a Lumberjack. Crucial to NAU’s MPSF team championship, NAU collected six of the nine first team all-conference diving awards, highlighted by a top-three podium sweep of the one-meter board. Margaret Wesche was an All-MPSF first team honoree on all three boards by posting a pair of second-place dives and one third-place result. Mackenna Stocker was the MPSF One-Meter Champion and finished third on three-meter. Kelsey, who was previously a nine-time WAC and four-time NIC Coach of the Year, is the first MPSF Diving Coach of the Year from Northern Arizona.
MPSF MEN’S AWARDS:
2026 MPSF SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
SIMON CASEY · JUNIOR · WYOMING
University of Wyoming junior Simon Casey (Athens, GA) broke into the Cowboy record book with three individual school records (200 Free, 100 Back & 200 Back), with two being set at the NCAA Championship meet, and three relay records (200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay), with two set at the MPSF Championship meet. Casey helped add 159 team points for the Cowboys at the MPSF Championship meet. He finished first or second in five events at the MPSF Championship with four placements on the All-MPSF first team, including winning the 800 and 400 Free Relays, along with the 200 Free and 200 Back with automatic qualification to NCAAs. At the NCAA Championship, Casey finished 35th in the 200 Back (1:41.38) and 39th in the 200 Free (1:33.70) to win his heat with school record times. Casey represents Wyoming’s first-ever MPSF Swimmer of the Year recipient.
2026 MPSF DIVER OF THE YEAR
MARIO DEL VALLE · JUNIOR · CAL BAPTIST
Cal Baptist junior Mario Del Valle (Guadalajara, Mexico) won two events at the MPSF Championships, posting a 411.20 on platform and 398.45 on three-meter, and took second-place on one-meter with 409.95 to earn three All-MPSF first team awards. Del Valle also won the platform at the Zone 5 regionals and qualified for all three diving events at the NCAA Championships, where he placed in the top-25 on one-meter. He completed a three-event sweep with then two MPSF season-bests at the Air Force Diving Invitational (Jan. 29-31) in a competitive field which included BYU, Denver, Wyoming and Air Force (408.40 on platform, 378.85 on three-meter, and 372.35 on one-meter), to earn MPSF Athlete of the Week honors. Del Valle is the first student-athlete from Cal Baptist to earn an MPSF annual award.
2026 MPSF FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
JACKSON KOGLER · FRESHMAN · WYOMING
University of Wyoming freshman Jackson Kogler (Stillwater, MN) was the only freshman in either gender to win an individual MPSF title (200 IM) at this year’s conference championship. He set the MPSF record in the 200 IM in 1:43.70 and earned automatic NCAA qualification. Kogler broke the 200 IM school record and became top-three in school history in the 100 Back, 200 Back and 400 IM. He helped add 126 team points for Wyoming at the MPSF Championship. One of only five freshmen to compete at NCAAs in the 400 IM and one of six in the 200 IM, Kogler finished 28th in the 200 IM (1:44.45) and 32nd in the 400 IM. He is the first Wyoming swimmer to compete at NCAAs as a freshman and only the second Cowboy freshman, swimmer or diver, to do so in school history. Kogler and Casey are the first-ever student-athletes from Wyoming to earn an MPSF annual award.
2026 MPSF SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR
ROB CLAYTON · 28th-YEAR · AIR FORCE
Air Force 28th-year Head Coach Rob Clayton guided the Falcons to their first-ever MPSF team championship in 2026. Air Force won three MPSF Swimming titles and accumulated eight additional top-three swims for 11 total podium results. Individually, MPSF Championships by the Falcons came from James Winterrfield in the 100 fly and Tanner Wilson in the 100 and 200 Breast. Wilson achieved a time of 1:54.28 in the 200 Breast for a new MPSF record and automatic NCAA Championship qualification, where he placed 28th, while also qualifying in the 100 breast. Winterfield’s 100 fly also broke the MPSF and facility records in 46.06, while punching his NCAA ticket. Clayton and Kyle Van Valkenburg represent the first MPSF Swim & Dive annual award recipients from Air Force.
2026 MPSF DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
KYLE VAN VALKENBURG · THIRD YEAR · AIR FORCE
Air Force third-year diving coach Kyle Van Valkenburg helped lead the Falcons to their first-ever MPSF team championship in 2026. In his first season, Lucas Gerten became a three-time All-MPSF first team honoree with a pair of second-place dives (platform, three-meter) and one third-place dive (one-meter) at the MPSF Championship. He posted seven titles while breaking the Academy record on all three boards during the year. The Falcons earned five other all-conference awards, with Brady Nichol finishing in the top-eight on all three boards for second team honors. Gerten earned a spot in the finals on all three boards at zones, recording two 13th-place and one 12th-place dive. Nichol was right behind in 14th on platform. Van Valkenburg and Clayton represent the first MPSF Swim & Dive annual award recipients from Air Force.
