NCAA Division II Championships, Day 2 Prelims: Emilia Ronningdal Looks to Regain IM Crown
As a freshman in 2023, Emilia Ronningdal burst onto the Division II scene by winning the 200 individual medley at NCAAs. She finished third and fifth the last two years.
But in the first prelims session of the 2026 meet Wednesday, Ronningdal took the top seed in her quest to return to the top step of the podium.
Ronningdal led the way in 2:00.15 at Evansville’s Deaconess Aquatic Center, setting the stage for a busy second night of finals.
The finals session will include the fastest heats of the 1,000 free for both men and women, plus men’s 1-meter diving and the 200 medley relays.
Women’s 200 individual medley
Emilia Ronningdal of Nova Southeastern led thew ay for the Sharks, clocking in at 2:00.15. She had been the fifth seed entering the meet.
Second was Gwen Bergum of Drury in 2:00.56. The top seed entering the meet, Livia Rodrigues of West Florida, was fifth in the morning. Just ahead of her was Indy’s Celina Schmidt in third and Emily Mears-Bentley of Findlay.
Drury has there A finalists, with Nikol Maniko joining Bergum in sixth and Maria Fe Munoz in eighth.
Tampa’s Caroline Foltz, the fourth seed, slipped to 11th in prelims in 2:03.36, exactly two seconds slower than her seed.
Only Ronningdal and Fe Munoz, who finished fifth and sixth last year respectively, return as A finalists.
Event 5 Women 200 Yard IM
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NCAA DII: N 1:55.63 3/9/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 1:55.63 3/9/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Ronningdal, Emilia SR Nova S'eastern 2:01.97 2:00.15
r:+0.72 26.22 56.29 (30.07)
1:31.13 (34.84) 2:00.15 (29.02)
2 Bergum, Gwen JR Drury 2:01.22 2:00.56
r:+0.76 26.50 57.09 (30.59)
1:31.44 (34.35) 2:00.56 (29.12)
3 Schmidt, Celina 5Y Indy 2:00.03 2:01.64
r:+0.67 26.27 57.21 (30.94)
1:31.98 (34.77) 2:01.64 (29.66)
4 Mears-Bentley, Emily SR Findlay 2:04.53 2:01.77
r:+0.66 25.85 56.33 (30.48)
1:32.81 (36.48) 2:01.77 (28.96)
5 Rodrigues, Livia FR West Florida 1:59.85 2:01.80
r:+0.72 25.55 55.64 (30.09)
1:31.82 (36.18) 2:01.80 (29.98)
6 Maniko, Nikol SO Drury 2:02.57 2:02.51
r:+0.67 26.14 56.75 (30.61)
1:32.99 (36.24) 2:02.51 (29.52)
7 Meister, Sidni JR Tampa 2:03.68 2:02.65
r:+0.76 26.34 55.16 (28.82)
1:31.49 (36.33) 2:02.65 (31.16)
8 Fe Munoz, Maria SR Drury 2:02.52 2:02.82
r:+0.64 25.95 56.35 (30.40)
1:32.34 (35.99) 2:02.82 (30.48)
Men’s 200 individual medley
Jeremias Pock laid down a marker in prelims by going 1:43.09, the Indy sophomore validating his top seed entering the meet in the quest to improve from second place last year. He was a tenth ahead of the winning time from last year’s final, set by Ivan Adamchuk of Drury.
The only other swimmer under 1:44 was Drury’s Alvaro Zornoza Quiros, who went 1:43.94. Adamchuk was fifth, a spot behind Drury teammate Belhassen Ben Miled in what could be a score for the Panthers, though last year’s A finalist Joao Nogueira was only 10th despite bettering his seed time.
Also one to watch is Volodymyr Gavrysh, fresh off his 200 free record Tuesday night. He went 1:44.90, the McKendree sophomore clubbing more than three seconds off his seed to get into the A final.
Indy has Pock in the A final, though Nico Basten was ninth, .07 out of the A final, and Silas Buessing was just 16th. Tampa has two in the A final in Will Beckstead-Holman and Nicholas Cavic, though Mathias Holmann was locked out of the B final in 17th.
Event 6 Men 200 Yard IM
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NCAA DII: N 1:41.61 3/14/2018 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 1:41.61 3/14/2018 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Pock, Jeremias SO Indy 1:43.63 1:43.09
r:+0.62 22.25 48.15 (25.90)
1:17.59 (29.44) 1:43.09 (25.50)
2 Zornoza Quiros, Alvar JR Drury 1:44.87 1:43.94
r:+0.65 22.23 47.70 (25.47)
1:18.08 (30.38) 1:43.94 (25.86)
3 Gavrysh, Volodymyr SO McKendree 1:48.09 1:44.90
r:+0.59 22.49 48.58 (26.09)
1:20.02 (31.44) 1:44.90 (24.88)
4 Ben Miled, Belhassen FR Drury 1:47.68 1:44.97
r:+0.69 22.37 48.15 (25.78)
1:18.61 (30.46) 1:44.97 (26.36)
5 Adamchuk, Ivan JR Drury 1:46.14 1:45.22
r:+0.71 21.86 47.93 (26.07)
1:19.10 (31.17) 1:45.22 (26.12)
6 Vester, Ben SO Colorado Mesa 1:47.24 1:45.34
r:+0.68 23.25 50.43 (27.18)
1:20.69 (30.26) 1:45.34 (24.65)
7 Beckstead-Holman, Wil SR Tampa 1:45.52 1:45.41
r:+0.63 22.19 48.22 (26.03)
1:18.99 (30.77) 1:45.41 (26.42)
8 Cavic, Nicholas FR Tampa 1:47.07 1:45.58
r:+0.67 22.06 48.18 (26.12)
1:19.97 (31.79) 1:45.58 (25.61)
Women’s 50 freestyle
It was all pretty safe on the women’s side, with 22.93 required for the A final. Troie Grubbs of Findlay set a season-best time of 22.55 to lead it, .04 up on Kristina Orban of Nova Southeastern. Kirabo Namutebi of UIndy, last year’s runner-up and the top seed entering, is safely in the final in 22.66.
It was good but could’ve been better for Nova Southeastern. The Sharks got two in the A final, with Zsofia Kurdi fourth. But Maya Esparza was two tenths slower than her seed time to finished ninth and in the B final. She was seventh last year. Maxine Egner, seeded 10th, went 23.13 and finished 17th.
In the A final, look out for double backstroke champ Agata Naskret, now plying her trade for West Florida, in seventh. She went 22.91 in the morning. Her seed of 22.53 was third-ranked entering the meet, though she’ll have to do it from an outside lane.
Event 7 Women 50 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA DII: N 21.92 3/12/2025 Bryn Greenwaldt, Augustana
Meet: M 21.92 3/12/2025 Bryn Greenwaldt, Augustana
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Grubbs, Troie SR Findlay 22.97 22.55
r:+0.68
2 Orban, Kristina SO Nova S'eastern 22.30 22.59
r:+0.66
3 Namutebi, Kirabo JR Indy 22.14 22.66
r:+0.63
4 Kurdi, Zsofia 5Y Nova S'eastern 22.80 22.68
r:+0.71
5 Nimander, Zinna SO Delta State 22.87 22.83
r:+0.65
6 Morin, Tilde SR Tampa 22.93 22.87
r:+0.73
7 Naskret, Agata SR West Florida 22.53 22.91
r:+0.71
8 Weatherford, Vanessa JR Oklahoma Christi 22.86 22.93
r:+0.63
Men’s 50 freestyle
Top seed Maurice Grabowski defended that status while giving little indication he’s vulnerable, going 19.19 to set the fastest time. He had been 19.13 in-season. Second was Findlay’s Camilo Marrugo Montano in 19.43. Reigning champion Tibor Tistan of Tampa was third in 19.52. He won in 19.12 last year with Grabowski second.
The A final includes two from Colorado Mesa, with Guillaume Guth and Richard Schmiedefield fourth and fifth, though being 17th and 18th stings. There were ties for sixth and eighth. Last year’s bronze medalist, Leo Nolles of Northern Michigan, was 10th.
Event 8 Men 50 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA DII: N 18.88 3/9/2022 Matej Dusa, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 18.88 3/9/2022 Matej Dusa, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Grabowski, Maurice SR Lynn 19.13 19.19
r:+0.62
2 Marrugo Montano, Cami 5Y Findlay 19.53 19.43
r:+0.68
3 Tistan, Tibor SR Tampa 19.64 19.52
r:+0.67
4 Guth, Guillaume JR Colorado Mesa 19.56 19.54
r:+0.67
5 Schmiedefeld, Richard SO Colorado Mesa 20.05 19.57
r:+0.70
6 Minuer, Lucas SR Drury 19.58 19.65
r:+0.64
6 Scotto Divetta, Evan SR Grand Valley 19.54 19.65
r:+0.71
8 Minichowski, Maksymil JR Catawba 19.85 19.67
r:+0.62
8 Cabral, Yuri JR Drury 19.80 19.67
r:+0.66
Swim-Off Required ----------------------------------------------
