NCAA Division II Championships, Day 3 Prelims: Kristina Orban Positioned for Double
One of the big pieces in Nova Southeastern’s pursuit of a fourth straight NCAA Division II title is Kristina Orban. And Thursday is the big day for the sophomore in the water, with two individual events.
Orban came through the morning prelims with flying colors, securing the second seed in the 100 butterfly and the top seed in the 200 freestyle that she won last year, though she didn’t attempt the double last year.
The Sharks sit atop the women’s team standings after the first two days with a chance to move on Thursday. The night session includes the women’s 3-meter diving finals and the 400 medley relays.
All the prelims action:
NCAA Division II Championships Team Scores
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 10 1. Nova S'Eastern 163 2. Tampa 129.5 3. Drury 94 4. Indy 87 5. West Florida 81 6. Findlay 72.5 7. Catawba 59 8. Wingate 55 9. Grand Valley 53 9. Colorado Mesa 53 9. Delta State 53 12. Simon Fraser 48 13. Lynn 31 14. Umsl 22 14. Saginaw Valley 22 16. Mines 16 17. Oklahoma Christi 12 18. Davenport 10 19. Carson-Newman 7 20. Concordia 5 20. Csu East Bay 5 22. McKendree 4 23. Emmanuel 3
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 11 1. Drury 152 2. Tampa 149 3. Colorado Mesa 139 4. Indy 120 5. McKendree 86.5 6. Findlay 66 7. Grand Valley 64 8. Lynn 61 9. Wingate 58 10. Clarion 54 11. Florida Southern 49 12. Catawba 41 13. Nmu 34 14. Delta State 31 15. St. Cloud St.-M 29 16. Rollins 27.5 17. Wayne State 27 18. West Chester 20 19. Mines 8 20. Davenport 7 21. Florida Tech 6 22. Barry U 2 23. Missouri S & T 1
NCAA Division II Championships Links
Women’s 100 butterfly
Kristina Orban entered the meet as the only swimmer under 53 seconds. She remains thus, going 52.77 in prelims. She was .98 seconds clear of Wingate freshman Mathilda Sandberg, who made a big jump from the 10th seed to second in 53.75. CSU East Bay’s Tehani Kong was third in 53.90.
Both of the swimmers who came in 53-second seeds made the finals, Findlay’s Emily Mears-Bentley in fifth and Lydia Douthit of Lynn in sixth. Tampa has a swimmer in the A final with Madalee Roberts fifth, as does Indy with Caprice Schlueter eighth.
Event 12 Women 100 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA DII: N 51.78 3/13/2025 Luna Mertins, Lynn
Meet: M 51.78 3/13/2025 Luna Mertins, Lynn
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Orban, Kristina SO Nova S'eastern 52.94 52.77
r:+0.66 24.23 52.77 (28.54)
2 Sandberg, Mathilda FR Wingate 54.65 53.75
r:+0.72 25.16 53.75 (28.59)
3 Kong, Tehani JR CSU East Bay 54.44 53.90
r:+0.71 25.24 53.90 (28.66)
4 Mears-Bentley, Emily SR Findlay 53.57 54.06
r:+0.65 25.51 54.06 (28.55)
5 Roberts, Madalee FR Tampa 54.24 54.32
r:+0.68 25.11 54.32 (29.21)
6 Douthit, Lydia SO Lynn 53.51 54.33
r:+0.78 25.74 54.33 (28.59)
7 Scheibelhoffer, Olivi SO Findlay 54.91 54.34
24.87 54.34 (29.47)
8 Schlueter, Caprice FR Indy 54.40 54.51
r:+0.81 25.44 54.51 (29.07)
Men’s 100 butterfly
Lynn has a chance to jump in the team standings thanks to Maurice Grabowski, the 50 free champ who finished second in prelims of the 100 fly on Thursday in 46.10. He is the second choice behind Findlay’s Camillo Marrugo Montano in 45.93. Lynn also has Vitaly Kostin in fifth.
Tampa has two A finalists, led by Will Beckstead-Holman in third in 46.55 and Tibor Tistan in eighth. Colorado Mesa has Oskar Sawicki in the A final in sixth.
Drury has just one B finalist, with Ivan Adamchuk 12th. Ditto UIndy, with Elias Noe 16th, his prelims time a second slower than his seed.
Event 13 Men 100 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA DII: N 44.32 3/14/2019 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 44.32 3/14/2019 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Marrugo Montano, Cami 5Y Findlay 45.70 45.93
r:+0.66 21.16 45.93 (24.77)
2 Grabowski, Maurice SR Lynn 46.12 46.10
r:+0.62 20.73 46.10 (25.37)
3 Beckstead-Holman, Wil SR Tampa 46.83 46.55
r:+0.60 21.64 46.55 (24.91)
4 Morales, Gabriel JR Carson-Newman 47.14 46.64
r:+0.41 21.89 46.64 (24.75)
5 Kostin, Vitaly 5Y Lynn 46.81 46.72
r:+0.67 21.87 46.72 (24.85)
6 Sawicki, Oskar SR Colorado Mesa 46.76 46.73
r:+0.67 21.24 46.73 (25.49)
7 Pieterse, Antonie SO Roberts Wesleyan 46.94 46.76
r:+0.66 21.82 46.76 (24.94)
8 Tistan, Tibor SR Tampa 47.84 46.82
r:+0.66 21.07 46.82 (25.75)
Women’s 400 individual medley
Grand Valley’s Katie O’Connell took home the top seed in 4:18.04 in the morning, .03 up on Tampa’s Burlingtyn Bokos. Bokos had entered the meet as the top seed. Second seed Celina Schmidt barely got into the A final, five seconds slower than her seed in 4:21.85 for just seventh place for UIndy.
It was worse for others. Third seed Anna Bream of Colorado School of Mines didn’t make the top eight, losing six seconds from her seed to finish ninth. Seventh seeded Livia Rodrigues of West Florida struggled mightily and didn’t make it back at all, 9.91 seconds slower than her seed for 31st. Rodrigues had been fourth in the 200 IM.
Drury has two in the A final, with Maria Fe Munoz third in 4:18.57 and Gwen Bergum fourth in 4:19.30. It was a full two-second gap back to Vittoria Proietti in fifth for Grand Valley.
Event 14 Women 400 Yard IM
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NCAA DII: N 4:08.56 3/10/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 4:08.56 3/10/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 O'Connell, Katie SR Grand Valley 4:17.12 4:18.04
r:+0.75 27.87 59.51 (31.64)
1:32.61 (33.10) 2:05.41 (32.80)
2:42.01 (36.60) 3:18.77 (36.76)
3:48.89 (30.12) 4:18.04 (29.15)
2 Bokos, Burlingtyn SO Tampa 4:16.17 4:18.07
r:+0.79 26.64 56.94 (30.30)
1:29.06 (32.12) 2:01.53 (32.47)
2:38.95 (37.42) 3:17.20 (38.25)
3:48.07 (30.87) 4:18.07 (30.00)
3 Fe Munoz, Maria SR Drury 4:18.99 4:18.57
r:+0.67 27.11 57.47 (30.36)
1:30.27 (32.80) 2:02.86 (32.59)
2:39.31 (36.45) 3:15.82 (36.51)
3:47.24 (31.42) 4:18.57 (31.33)
4 Bergum, Gwen JR Drury 4:20.85 4:19.30
r:+0.74 27.60 59.55 (31.95)
1:32.99 (33.44) 2:05.64 (32.65)
2:41.70 (36.06) 3:17.88 (36.18)
3:49.38 (31.50) 4:19.30 (29.92)
5 Proietti, Vittoria JR Grand Valley 4:18.49 4:21.30
r:+0.78 28.26 1:00.11 (31.85)
1:32.50 (32.39) 2:04.16 (31.66)
2:43.38 (39.22) 3:22.10 (38.72)
3:52.05 (29.95) 4:21.30 (29.25)
6 Dreghici, Jessica FR Simon Fraser 4:21.32 4:21.69
r:+0.75 27.84 59.89 (32.05)
1:33.54 (33.65) 2:06.08 (32.54)
2:43.75 (37.67) 3:22.92 (39.17)
3:52.86 (29.94) 4:21.69 (28.83)
7 Schmidt, Celina 5Y Indy 4:16.50 4:21.85
r:+0.69 27.76 59.33 (31.57)
1:33.92 (34.59) 2:08.82 (34.90)
2:43.82 (35.00) 3:20.05 (36.23)
3:51.56 (31.51) 4:21.85 (30.29)
8 Corcoran, Megan SO Carson-Newman 4:26.48 4:22.05
r:+0.77 27.14 58.64 (31.50)
1:30.86 (32.22) 2:03.34 (32.48)
2:41.65 (38.31) 3:20.58 (38.93)
3:51.90 (31.32) 4:22.05 (30.15)
Men’s 400 individual medley
Jeremias Pock is chasing a second straight 400 IM title. The UIndy sophomore led the way in prelims at 3:46.21, though he’ll have company. Within a half-second is Ben Vester of Colorado Mesa in 3:46.70, a reduction of more than three seconds off his seed time. Vester was 12th last year.
Pock’s runner-up last season, Connor Bichsel of Missouri S&T, was sixth in 3:48.07. McKendree freshman Tyler Bardak is the third seed in 3:47.45, .02 up on Drury’s Joao Nogueira, who was fifth last year. Teammate Belhassen Ben Miled was fifth.
In all 12, swimmers broke 3:50. Two A finalists – Ben Miled and Catawba’s Jules Remy – entered with seed times over 3:50, same for Tampa’s Nicholas Cavic in ninth. Indy’s Silas Buessing, the second seed, slipped to 10th. Colorado Mesa was dealt a blow with Luka Samsonov, the seventh seed, slipping to 20th.
Event 15 Men 400 Yard IM
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NCAA DII: N 3:40.22 3/14/2024 Benjamin Sampson, Colorado Mesa
Meet: M 3:40.22 3/14/2024 Benjamin Sampson, Colorado Mesa
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Pock, Jeremias SO Indy 3:43.80 3:46.21
r:+0.66 23.93 51.48 (27.55)
1:20.78 (29.30) 1:49.15 (28.37)
2:20.01 (30.86) 2:51.16 (31.15)
3:19.52 (28.36) 3:46.21 (26.69)
2 Vester, Ben SO Colorado Mesa 3:49.81 3:46.70
r:+0.67 24.41 52.22 (27.81)
1:22.30 (30.08) 1:51.13 (28.83)
2:22.68 (31.55) 2:54.64 (31.96)
3:21.19 (26.55) 3:46.70 (25.51)
3 Bardak, Tyler FR McKendree 3:48.50 3:47.45
r:+0.62 23.86 51.47 (27.61)
1:21.24 (29.77) 1:50.68 (29.44)
2:22.40 (31.72) 2:53.95 (31.55)
3:21.29 (27.34) 3:47.45 (26.16)
4 Nogueira, Joao SR Drury 3:49.61 3:47.47
r:+0.65 24.25 52.13 (27.88)
1:21.53 (29.40) 1:50.22 (28.69)
2:21.46 (31.24) 2:53.32 (31.86)
3:21.06 (27.74) 3:47.47 (26.41)
5 Ben Miled, Belhassen FR Drury 3:50.36 3:47.91
r:+0.69 23.45 51.37 (27.92)
1:19.93 (28.56) 1:48.66 (28.73)
2:20.18 (31.52) 2:52.71 (32.53)
3:20.77 (28.06) 3:47.91 (27.14)
6 Bichsel, Connor SR Missouri S & T 3:48.20 3:48.07
r:+0.70 24.32 52.13 (27.81)
1:21.43 (29.30) 1:50.41 (28.98)
2:21.81 (31.40) 2:53.29 (31.48)
3:20.98 (27.69) 3:48.07 (27.09)
7 Basten, Nico SO Indy 3:47.73 3:48.29
r:+0.77 23.81 51.87 (28.06)
1:20.96 (29.09) 1:49.32 (28.36)
2:22.18 (32.86) 2:55.42 (33.24)
3:22.45 (27.03) 3:48.29 (25.84)
8 Remy, Jules FR Catawba 3:51.67 3:49.27
24.25 52.42 (28.17)
1:21.87 (29.45) 1:50.83 (28.96)
2:22.75 (31.92) 2:55.86 (33.11)
3:23.23 (27.37) 3:49.27 (26.04)
Women’s 200 freestyle
Leg two of the double for Kristina Orban is her bread and butter – she won this race in 1:45.92 last year. She’s the second seed after prelims, having gone 1:47.83. Grand Valley’s Lucy Hedley was out front in 1:47.75, the senior having finished fourth last year. Colorado Mesa’s Ada Qunell, the top seed entering the race, was third in 1:48.16. Qunell was 8th in this race last year.
Nova Southeastern has two A finalists, with 200 IM champ Emilia Ronningdal fourth in 1:48.46. It was nearly three, but Maxine Egner finished ninth and Hailey Williams was 12th. CMU has Qunell and fifth-place Hanna Sasivarevic. Tampa has Lindsay Louder in sixth plus a B finalist. Ditto for Drury, led by Maria Morales in eighth and a B finalist.
Event 16 Women 200 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA DII: N 1:44.44 2/10/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Meet: M 1:45.27 3/12/2015 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Hedley, Lucy SR Grand Valley 1:47.37 1:47.75
r:+0.72 24.90 51.62 (26.72)
1:19.60 (27.98) 1:47.75 (28.15)
2 Orban, Kristina SO Nova S'eastern 1:47.51 1:47.83
r:+0.66 25.54 52.33 (26.79)
1:19.89 (27.56) 1:47.83 (27.94)
3 Qunell, Ada SR Colorado Mesa 1:46.95 1:48.16
r:+0.78 25.37 52.65 (27.28)
1:20.01 (27.36) 1:48.16 (28.15)
4 Ronningdal, Emilia SR Nova S'eastern 1:47.40 1:48.46
r:+0.77 25.51 53.01 (27.50)
1:20.56 (27.55) 1:48.46 (27.90)
5 Sasivarevic, Hanna JR Colorado Mesa 1:48.70 1:48.64
r:+0.74 25.33 52.83 (27.50)
1:20.50 (27.67) 1:48.64 (28.14)
6 Louder, Lindsey JR Tampa 1:49.73 1:48.73
25.65 53.10 (27.45)
1:20.79 (27.69) 1:48.73 (27.94)
7 Tapia Sahagun, Luz SO Lynn 1:49.84 1:48.74
25.64 53.10 (27.46)
1:20.70 (27.60) 1:48.74 (28.04)
8 Morales, Maria SO Drury 1:47.77 1:48.82
r:+0.75 24.84 51.92 (27.08)
1:20.05 (28.13) 1:48.82 (28.77)
Men’s 200 freestyle
Volodymyr Gavrysh is the man to beat. He entered as the top seed in 1:32.73. He set the NCAA record off the front of the 800 free relay. And the McKendree sophomore’s 1:34.12 led prelims. He’s looking to unseat reigning champion Jacob Hamlin of Tampa, to whom Gavrysh was second last year. Hamlin went 1:34.25 to take the second seed.
Maksymilian Minichowski of Catawba was third, with Drury’s Matteo Vissotto fourth. They were fourth and fifth, respectively, last year. Daniel Meszaros of Florida Southern also returns from last year’s A final in seventh. Guillaume Guth of CMU, the second seed entering, was fifth.
Drury has two in the A final, with Luca Minuer sixth. Tampa pushed Joshua Noll into eighth. Drury, CMU and Tampa each have a B finalist. Indy has to settle for two B finalists, include Jan Schmidt, the fourth seed, stuck in 10th.
Event 17 Men 200 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA DII: N 1:32.40 3/10/2026 Volodymyr Gavrysh, McKendree
Meet: M 1:32.40 3/10/2026 Volodymyr Gavrysh, McKendree
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Gavrysh, Volodymyr SO McKendree 1:32.73 1:34.12
r:+0.60 22.15 46.20 (24.05)
1:10.32 (24.12) 1:34.12 (23.80)
2 Hamlin, Jacob JR Tampa 1:34.99 1:34.25
r:+0.70 22.08 45.84 (23.76)
1:10.03 (24.19) 1:34.25 (24.22)
3 Minichowski, Maksymil JR Catawba 1:37.19 1:34.53
r:+0.64 21.78 45.62 (23.84)
1:10.03 (24.41) 1:34.53 (24.50)
4 Vissotto, Matteo JR Drury 1:35.81 1:34.99
r:+0.68 22.21 46.19 (23.98)
1:10.78 (24.59) 1:34.99 (24.21)
5 Guth, Guillaume JR Colorado Mesa 1:33.87 1:35.03
r:+0.68 21.77 45.73 (23.96)
1:10.40 (24.67) 1:35.03 (24.63)
6 Minuer, Lucas SR Drury 1:34.59 1:35.36
r:+0.66 21.86 45.84 (23.98)
1:10.40 (24.56) 1:35.36 (24.96)
7 Meszaros, Daniel SO Florida Southern 1:35.35 1:35.54
r:+0.65 22.04 45.97 (23.93)
1:10.46 (24.49) 1:35.54 (25.08)
8 Noll, Joshua JR Tampa 1:36.76 1:35.57
r:+0.71 22.25 46.51 (24.26)
1:11.14 (24.63) 1:35.57 (24.43)
