VALPARAISO VS WABASH VS ILLINOIS WESLEYAN
- January 24, 2026
- Crawfordsville, Ind.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Valpo Athletics
The most successful dual meet season in decades for the Valpo swimming program saw the Beacons add to their victory total on both the men’s and women’s side Saturday. The men took down host Wabash and Illinois Wesleyan, while the women defeated their sole opponent in Illinois Wesleyan as well.
The Results
- The Beacon men earned a 164-70 victory over Wabash Saturday and won 172-14 over Illinois Wesleyan, improving their dual meet record to 7-3 this year.
- The seven victories are the most for the Valpo men in a single campaign since they earned eight wins in the 1988-89 season.
- On the women’s side, Valpo bested Illinois Wesleyan by a 142-60 final to push its record to 6-4 this year.
- That is the best winning percentage and most wins for the Valpo women since the 1991-92 team posted a perfect 13-0 record in dual meets.
Saturday’s Swims
- Valpo took top honors in 19 of Saturday’s 22 events.
- On the women’s side, Olivia Tressler (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis) earned a pair of individual victories, touching the wall first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:16.74 and in the 200 back with a time of 2:14.59.
- Five other Beacons earned individual event wins: Ally Unruh (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) in the 1650 free (17:51.69), Una Dizdarevic (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park) in the 50 free (25.32), Faith Bargwell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rockford) in the 200 fly (2:20.95), Audrey Morgan (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) in the 100 free (54.39) and Roxanne Adams (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Homeschooled) in the 200 breast (2:32.50).
- The Valpo women won both relay events as well. Sophie Schoch (Medina, Ohio/Medina), Natalie Eaton (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks), Kailyn Benoit (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) and Morgan claimed the 400 medley relay with a time of 4:06.22, while Dizdarevic, Bargwell, Bri Keese (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) and Morgan captured the 200 free relay in 1:40.68.
- On the men’s side, Evan Curran (Golden, Colo./Golden) led the way with a pair of individual event wins, coming home in front in the 200 free (1:46.26) and the 500 free (5:00.36). Curran also anchored Valpo’s winning 400 medley relay, joining Caleb Smesko (Green, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Carson Parker (Silver Lake, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) and Asa Sadowsky (Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port [Milwaukee]) to cover that distance in 3:32.21.
- Six other Valpo men earned individual event victories: Logan Walliker (Washington, Ill./Washington) in the 1650 free (16:37.98), Isaac Dinari (Houston, Texas/Memorial) in the 50 free (21.78), Jackson Oostman (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) in the 200 IM (1:58.13), Nate Bolinger (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) in the 200 fly (1:58.91), Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) in the 100 free (48.91) and Gabe Vasquez (Houston, Texas/Memorial) in the 200 breast (2:13.99).
- Dinari, Ben Mettler (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton), Luke Snider (Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School) and Martin closed the meet with a winning time of 1:27.14 in the 200 free relay.
Next Up
Valpo takes to the pool for the final time in the regular season next Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. CT at the Butler Invitational in Fishers, Ind. The meet was originally scheduled for this Sunday, but was postponed due to projected inclement weather. With that postponement, the scheduled men’s dual meet at Ball State slated for Jan. 31 has been canceled.
Courtesy: Wabash Athletics
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — The Wabash College swimming and diving team honored its senior class and recorded a wide range of top-five finishes Saturday afternoon during its final home meet of the season, competing against Illinois Wesleyan University and NCAA Division I Valparaiso University at the Class of 1950 Natatorium.
Prior to the start of the meet, Wabash recognized seniors John Allen, Morgan Govekar, Carson Hiester, Dane Market, and Aidan Mason.
Wabash split its men’s dual results, defeating Illinois Wesleyan 171-37 while falling 164-70 to Valparaiso. Valparaiso also earned a 172-14 victory over Illinois Wesleyan in the tri-meet format.
The Little Giants opened the meet with a top-five relay finish in the 400-yard medley relay. Wabash’s “A” team of sophomore Ryan West, freshman Lew Sams, freshman Owen Thomas, and junior Quinn Sweeney placed third with a time of 3:36.19. A second Wabash relay of junior Nicholas Plumb, freshman Abbas Hakim, freshman Andres Tejada, and junior William Renie finished fifth in 3:44.73.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Wabash again placed two teams inside the top five. The Little Giants’ “A” relay of Sweeney, sophomore Jace Caldwell, sophomore Lucas Ferreira, and freshman Zach Baty finished third in 1:31.27.
Individually, West turned in one of Wabash’s top performances of the afternoon by winning the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:54.66. He also added a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle, touching the wall in 1:48.16.
The Little Giants placed multiple swimmers among the top five in the 200 freestyle. In addition to West’s third-place finish, Renie finished fifth in 1:50.65, Plumb took sixth, and Ferreira followed closely behind.
Sams earned a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.27. He was joined in the top five by Market, who placed fourth in 2:10.63, and sophomore Kowalski, who finished fifth at 2:10.93.
Wabash also recorded top-five results in the 100 freestyle. Renie led the Little Giants with a third-place finish in 50.57, while Sams finished fifth at 51.18.
Distance events produced additional top-five finishes for Wabash. Freshman Aidan Gubbins placed fifth in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 17:40.33.
The Little Giants added top-five efforts in the 200 butterfly, where Sweeney finished fourth in 2:03.30, and in the 200 backstroke, where sophomore Lucas Ferreira placed fifth with a time of 2:04.29.
In breaststroke competition, Wabash placed several swimmers inside the top five in the 200 breaststroke. Market finished fourth at 2:18.70, sophomore Cooper Kowalski placed fifth in 2:22.95.
Wabash dominated the diving events, sweeping the top three spots on both boards. Junior Liam Fuller won the one-meter diving competition with a score of 178.35, followed by junior Michael Cruzado in second at 174.00 and junior Farrukh Akhatjonov in third with 120.80 points. The trio repeated the sweep on the three-meter board, with Cruzado taking first at 164.05, Fuller placing second with 158.30, and Akhatjonov finishing third with 102.90.
Wabash wraps up the dual-meet portion of its 2025-2026 schedule with a road competition at IU Indy next Saturday.
Courtesy: Illinois Wesleyan Athletics
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams completed their duals at Wabash College Saturday, Jan. 24. The men’s team fell to Wabash, 171-37, and Division I Valparaiso University, 172-14, while the women’s team dropped its contest against Valpo, 142-60.
The meet saw senior Natalie Porter (Danville, Ill.-Danville) claim two victories for the Titans. Porter won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.51, and took first in the 500-yard freestyle, clocking in at 5:23.46.
The 400-yard medley relay kicked off the meet with a runner-up finish. The quartet of junior Sam Borre (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant), senior Kayleigh Kuschewski (Batavia, Ill.-Batavia), and freshmen Ellen Hoover (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) and Abby Schnittker (Lombard, Ill.-Willowbrook) posted a time of 4:16.47.
Schnittker completed a one-two punch in the 200 free for the Titans, as she touched in with a career-best time of 2:03.35. Schnittker also added a runner-up time in the 100 free (55.42).
The duo of Porter and Borre claimed the top two spots in the 500-yard freestyle, as Borre followed Porter in with a time of 5:31.88.
In the 200-yard butterfly, Hoover clocked in at 2:21.25, just 0.3 seconds off the winning time, to finish in second.
Senior Julianna Boyle (Carol Stream, Ill.-Glenbard North) notched a top-three finish in the 50-yard freestyle, as her time of 27.02 was good for third.
Kuschewski recorded two top-three times. The senior finished second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:18.11), and touched in at 2:23.55 in the 200-yard individual medley, good for a third-place finish.
On the men’s side, IWU saw four top-five finishes. Sophomore Tate Thomas (Joliet, Ill.-Joliet West) finished in fourth place in the 1650-yard freestyle, clocking in at 17:34.24. The Joliet, Ill. native followed with a third-place finish in the 500 free (5:08.81). Sophomore Jacob Nacional (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook) came in just behind his teammate in the event, as his time of 5:11.56 was good for fourth.
Jenkins added a top-five finish in the 50 free, as his time of 23.11 was good for fourth.
The Titans return home to take on Monmouth College Saturday, Jan. 31. Action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., with IWU celebrating Senior Day prior. The Green and White will honor its senior class of Julianna Boyle, Jay Jenkins, Kayleigh Kuschewski, and Natalie Porter.
Women’s 1650 Free
4. Julianna Boyle, 19:56.28
5. Emilee Spicer, 21:16.67
Men’s 1650 Free
4. Tate Thomas, 17:34.24
7. Jacob Nacional, 18:14.21*
Women’s 200 Free
1. Natalie Porter, 2:02.51
2. Abby Schnittker, 2:03.35*
5. Ellen Hoover, 2:07.99*
Women’s 50 Free
3. Julianna Boyle, 27.02
6. Julia Jozwiak, 28.00
8. Emilee Spicer, 31.57
Men’s 50 Free
4. Jay Jenkins, 23.11
Women’s 200 IM
3. Kayleigh Kuschewski, 2:23.55
5. Isabella Cano, 2:32.34*
Women’s 200 Fly
2. Ellen Hoover, 2:21.25
Women’s 100 Free
2. Abby Schnittker, 55.42
5. Sam Borre, 58.64*
6. Julia Jozwiak, 59.22
7. Isabella Cano, 1:00.21
8. Claire Paule, 1:01.19
Women’s 200 Back
2. Kayleigh Kuschewski, 2:18.11
Men’s 200 Back
7. Jay Jenkins, 2:08.74
Women’s 500 Free
1. Natalie Porter, 5:23.46
2. Sam Borre, 5:31.88
4. Claire Paule, 5:35.79
Men’s 500 Free
3. Tate Thomas, 5:08.81
4. Jacob Nacional, 5:11.56
Women’s 200 Breast
5. Caroline Stenger, 2:48.19
