Denver Doubles Up at Summit League Championships
The University of Denver secured men’s and women’s Summit League Championships on Saturday evening, after a hard-fought four days of competition. The University of South Dakota finished second, and the University of Nebraska-Omaha third, on both the men’s and the women’s sides.
Here’s a day-by-day recap of the meet.
Wednesday
The University of Denver got things started with a win in the women’s 200 medley relay, as the team of Ali Beay, Tenaya Winter, Julia Saxman and Isabella Cardenas combined for a time of 1:39.18. The University of South Dakota got the win on the men’s side, with the team of Joaquin Contreras-Fallico, Ethan Labounty, Dylan Alt and Nicholas Rounds putting together a time of 1:25.70. Denver was victorious again in the 800 freestyle relay, as a team of Winter, Samantha Synsvoll, Isabella Burton and Sabrina Rachjaibin finished in 7:17.72. Denver also earned their first win of the men’s meet, as Matija Pantic, Kurt Owens, Pierce Bickerton and Dylan Mes finished with a time of 6:31.84 in the 800 free relay. Omaha’s Owen Kipp placed first in the 1-meter diving, with a score of 323.35.
Thursday
Denver picked up right where it left off on Day Two, as Rachjaibun (4:49.40) took victory in the 500 free. San Diego sophomore Alexander Parkinson (4:22.31) got the win on the men’s side. Denver dominated the 200 IM, with Synsvoll (2:00.13) and Morton (1:47.44) both earning wins. Saxman (22.75) helped continue the momentum for Denver in the 50 free, before San Diego’s Rounds (19.15) won the 50 free for the men. Denver kept up its strong night with a win in the 200 free relay, as a team of Saxman, Winter, Beay, and Cardenas finished in 1:31.31. South Dakota got the win on the men’s side, with a team of Rounds, Nicholas Schreiber, Matthew Sorbe and Jordan Hogue finishing in 1:18.55. Denver’s Savanna Berry scored a win in the women’s 1-meter diving with a score of 261.25.
Friday
Denver continued its fantastic showing with wins in the 100 fly, as Saxman (52.86) and sophomore Hamish McLellan (46.53) got to the wall first. Rachjaibun (4:12.97) and Morton (3:49.45) earned their second wins in the 400 IM, giving Denver crucial points. Synsvoll (1:48.33) continued to build on her strong meet, earning the win in 200 free, with Bickerton (1:37.69) taking victory on the men’s side.
San Diego’s Taylor Buhr (1:01.30) won the 100 breast for the women, before Denver’s Kito Campbell (52.61) got the win on the men’s side. Beay (54.42) won the 100 back to give Denver yet another big win, while Rounds (45.21) won his second event for San Diego. The Denver women’s historic night ended with a relay win in the 400 medley relay, as a team of Beay, Winter, Saxman, and Cardenas finished in 3:40.34. South Dakota got its second relay win of the meet, as a team of Contreras-Fallico, Brock Russell, Alt and Rounds put together a time of 3:09.08. Denver’s Colin Breuer won the 3-meter diving, with a score of 335.
Saturday
The meet’s final day began with a South Dakota sweep of the 1650 free, as Emily Diprospero (16:48.52) and Alexander Parkinson (15:04.40) earned wins.
Denver junior Darian Koler finished the 200 back in 1:57.76 to earn a win. Contreras-Fallico (1:42.68) took the event on the men’s side. Saxman finished in 50.14 to give Denver the win in the 100 free, before Rounds collected his third individual win. South Dakota’s Buhr (2:13.36) and freshman Brock Russell (1:57.26) won the 200 breast to sweep the breaststroke events for the Coyotes. Rachjaibun earned her third win in the 200 fly, while Samuel Smith (1:47.77) picked up the first win of the meet for Southern Indiana. A win in the 400 free relay helped Denver clinch victory, as a team of Winter, Saxman, Burton, and Cardenas finished in 3:22.08. South Dakota finished on a high note on the men’s side, as a team of Rounds, Schreiber, Hogue, and Sorbe out-touched Denver to earn the win in 2:55.82. Denver’s Berry placed first in the women’s 3-meter diving, with a score of 286.05.
Rounds was named the championship MVP on the men’s side, while Rachjaibun earned the honor on the women’s side. Berry was the diving MVP for the women, and Kipp was the honoree for the men. Saxman and Russell won Newcomer of the Championships awards, while South Dakota’s Grace Schultz and Tanner Reed were named Scholars of the Championships. Denver’s Aaron D’Addario was named Women’s Diving Coach of the Year, while Omaha’s Eric Sprague won the award for the men. Denver’s Alicia Hicken-Franklin was named Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year, and Jason Mahowald was named Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
2026 Summit League Swimming and Diving Team Scores
Men
- University of Denver – 862
- University of South Dakota – 832
- University of Nebraska-Omaha – 577.5
- South Dakota State University – 458
- University of St. Thomas(M.N) – 349.5
- University of Southern Indiana – 275
- Eastern Illinois University – 169
Women
- University of Denver – 971
- University of South Dakota – 799
- University of Nebraska-Omaha – 533
- South Dakota State University – 458
- University of Saint Thomas(M.N) – 410.5
- University of Southern Indiana – 252.5
- Eastern Illinois University – 161
