Trio of Podium Sweeps Highlight More Denver Dominance On Day 2 of Summit League Champs

2025 Summit League Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, February 19–Saturday, February 22
• Location: Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, Iowa City, IA
• Defending Champions: Denver women (11x); Denver men (10x)
• Live Results
• Live Video: Summit League Network
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Teams: Denver, Eastern Illinois, Nebraska-Omaha, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Indiana, St. Thomas
• Results: Day 1 | Day 2

The Denver men and women extended their leads in the team race on Day 2 of the Summit League Championships as both teams aim to extend their title streaks.

Women’s Recap

The Denver women opened the session on Thursday night by winning the first two events and piling up points.

In the 500 free, Sabrina Rachjaibun was victorious for the Pioneers in a personal best time of 4:49.15, moving up one spot after finishing as the runner-up to teammate Nika Spehar last year.

South Dakota’s Emily DiProspero was the runner-up in 4:52.17, and then Denver held down the next three spots with Tenaya Winter (4:52.57), Spehar (4:55.50) and Daniela Alfaro Saldana (4:57.16).

In the next event, the 200 IM, Denver senior Jessica Maeda completed the career sweep, winning the event for the fourth straight year in what was a 1-2-3-4 sweep for the Pioneers.

Maeda led the way in 2:00.86, just shy of her personal best set in 2023 (2:00.59), while Mina Ada Solaker was the runner-up for the second straight year in 2:01.60.

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝘁𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝘁𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝘁𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸🥇🥇🥇🥇
Congrats to Jessica Maeda on her fourth-straight @TheSummitLeague 200 IM title.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/s9KpyKAfkn

— Denver Swim & Dive (@DU_SwimDive) February 21, 2025

Omaha’s Payton Easley took two-tenths off her best time to win the women’s 50 free in 22.79, improving on her 4th-place finish from last year while defending champion Emily Kahn of South Dakota was a close runner-up in 22.84.

Denver had swimmers finish 4-5-6-7 in the ‘A’ final, giving them 54 points in the heat and extending the team advantage.

Omaha had another win in the team diving event, and then South Dakota closed things out with a repeat victory in the 200 free.

Kahn (22.98), Christina Spomer (22.99), Sara Mayer (22.88) and Carson White (22.58) combined for a time of 1:31.43 for the Coyotes, with Kahn, Spomer and White all featuring on last year’s winning team. Omaha snagged the runner-up spot after a blistering 22.22 anchor from Easley.

Women’s Team Standings

1. Denver – 418
2. South Dakota – 266
3. Omaha – 240
4. St. Thomas – 162
5. Southern Indiana – 138
6. South Dakota State – 92
7. Eastern Illinois – 86

MEN’S RECAP

The Denver men ran the table on Thursday, winning all five events with three of the four individual winners doing so in repeat fashion.

Kieran Watson successfully defended his title in the men’s 500 free with a narrow victory over teammate Dylan Mes, 4:21.49 to 4:21.63, while Joseph Hancock (4:26.35) and Finn Holdredge (4:28.60) made it a 1-2-3-4 sweep for the Pioneers.

Watson set his lifetime best of 4:19.52 en route to winning last year’s title.

In the 200 IM, Denver senior Marco Nosack won the title for the third time in his career, reclaiming it after falling last season after going back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

Nosack, who set a PB of 1:45.81 at last year’s meet, won in 1:46.74 over teammate Nicolas Morton (1:47.60).

Denver continued their romp in the 50 free, sweeping the podium with Frank Tirone (19.62), Brandon Chapman (19.96) and Hamish McLellan (20.13) going 1-2-3. Tirone’s swim marked a new best time, having broken 20 seconds for the first time in the prelims (19.72).

With the top three finishers in the 50 free on their side, Denver had no trouble winning the 200 free relay, with Tirone (19.78), Luke Milburn (20.54), McLellan (19.75) and Chapman (19.72) combining for a time of 1:19.79 to top Omaha (1:20.42) and South Dakota (1:20.82).

In the 1-meter diving event, Denver’s Zyad Morsy won the title for the second straight year, scoring 345.40 to dominate the field, with Omaha’s Ian Blackstock a distant runner-up (289.55).

Men’s Team Standings

1. Denver – 428
2. Omaha – 245
3. South Dakota – 204
4. South Dakota State – 167
5. St. Thomas – 145
6. Southern Indiana – 139
7. Eastern Illinois – 100