MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Swimming & Diving Championships are set to return to the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota this Wednesday for four days of the 2025 conference championships.
The 2025 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships will begin on Wednesday night with a preliminary round of the men's one-meter diving competition at 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:00 p.m.), followed by finals of that event, plus the men's and women's 200-yard medley and 800-yard freestyle relays. Finals will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Morning prelim sessions will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, all beginning at 10:30 a.m. (doors open at 9:00 a.m.). The evening championship sessions on those days will all begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open on Thursday and Friday at 5:00 p.m. Saturday's mile race will begin roughly 45 minutes after the morning session. The fastest mile heat will begin the Saturday evening session. The aquatic center will be cleared following the mile races, and doors for the evening session will open again at 5:00 p.m. A complete championship schedule can be found here.
ADMISSION INFORMATION
All tickets will once again be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at the venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device at any time, including while at the venue. To purchase tickets at any time, click the MIAC's HomeTown Ticketing site.
"All-session" tickets will grant admission to all seven sessions of the Championships. Adult passes are $73 and student passes are $31. (Note: $3 HomeTown Ticketing fee included; additional convenience and credit card fees will be added during checkout.) Children ages five and under do not require a ticket. Those eligible for student tickets include individuals currently enrolled in college, high school, middle school, and elementary school. Student ID is required where applicable.
Single-session tickets are also available for purchase online only. Single-session adult tickets are $12 each, while student tickets are $6. (Note: additional HomeTown Ticketing convenience and credit card fees will be added during checkout). Children ages five and under do not require a ticket.
As a reminder, glass is strictly prohibited inside the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. Please do not bring any glass water bottles or vases into the venue.
GOING PAPERLESS
Fans will again be able to download heat sheets and other meet information directly from the championship home page to their smart devices or print at home ahead of time. QR codes will be posted at the venue for fans to scan as needed, and links will be updated with the latest information as soon as it is determined after each session.
HANDING OUT THE HARDWARE
A short awards ceremony will follow each event during the four evening sessions. The top three finishers in each event, including relays, will be named to the All-Conference Team, while individual finishers #4-6 and relay finisher #4 will receive honorable mention distinction.
Following the 2025 MIAC Championships, conference head coaches will also select the Men's and Women's Swimmers, Divers, Rookies, and Coaches of the Year. Individual awards will be announced at the meet after the final event is completed on Saturday, February 22.
NATIONAL NOTABLES
Gustavus senior Ryan Lester (Hastings, Minn.) posted the 23rd-best 11-dive score off the 1-meter board in Division III at 393.70. He also ranks 26th off the 3-meter board with a score of 354.40. Both scores were achieved in the Gusties' dual with Saint John's on 2/1.
Gustavus junior Trevor Johnson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) ranks No. 38 in NCAA Division III off the 3-meter board with a score of 304.25, achieved in the Gusties' dual with Saint John's on 2/1.
Gustavus senior Peyton Richardson (Crystal Lake, Ill. | Prairie Ridge) registered Division III's 35th-fastest 100 fly time (48.69) this season at the Roger Ahlman Invitational on 12/6-7.
Saint John's 400 freestyle relay team of junior Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn. | Chaska), senior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn. | Sartell-St. Stephen), senior Colby Kern (Delano, Minn.), and senior Liam Noble (Plymouth, Minn. | Benilde-St. Margaret's) touched the wall in 3:04.98 at the Rochester Invitational (12/5-7), good for the 48th-fastest in NCAA Division III this season.
Saint John’s senior Eli Grabinski (Sauk Rapids, Minn. | Sauk Rapids-Rice) has the second-best 11-dive score off the 3-meter board (524.00) and the fourth-best 11-dive score off the 1-meter board (507.95) in NCAA Division III this season. Both scores were achieved in the Johnnies' dual with Gustavus on 2/1.
Saint John's first-year Henry Hilgendorf (Owatonna, Minn.) posted an 11-dive score of 348.90 off the 1-meter board, good for 33rd in NCAA Division III. His 3-meter score of 345.60 ranks 28th in D-III. Both scores were achieved in the Johnnies' dual with Gustavus on 2/1.
Saint John's junior Tim Rotter (Blaine, Minn.) scored 383.50 on 11 dives off the 1-meter board, good for the 24th-best score in D-III this season. His 3-meter score of 336.35 ranks 31st in D-III. Both scores were achieved in the Johnnies' dual with Gustavus on 2/1.
Saint John's junior Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn. | Chaska) ranks 33rd in NCAA Division III in the 1650 freestyle (15:54.60) and 39th in the 1000 freestyle (9:37.89) this season. Each time was recorded at the Rochester Invitational on 12/5-7/24.
Saint John's sophomore Cody Watts (St. Cloud, Minn. | Tech) ranks 18th in NCAA Division III off the 1-meter board with an 11-dive score of 432.25. His 3-meter score of 400.35 ranks 16th in D-III. Both scores were achieved in the Johnnies' dual with Gustavus on 2/1.
DEFENDING THE CROWN
Gustavus enters the 2024 Championships, having won the MIAC men's crown at each of the previous five conference meets. The Gusties – who finished with a 237-point margin of victory at last year's MIAC Championships – will be looking to extend their streak to six in a row, which would tie for the third-longest conference-meet win streak in recorded MIAC men’s swimming & diving history.
Nine competitors are also previous MIAC individual champions heading into the 2024 Championships.
Carleton senior Ethan Tun (Potomac, Md. | Landon) won the 2023 MIAC championship in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Gustavus senior Jonathan Cordano (St. Paul, Minn. | Central) won the 200-yard butterfly at the 2022 MIAC Championships.
Gustavus senior Nyden Hill (Conway, Ark.) won both the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes at the 2022 MIAC Championships.
Gustavus senior Peyton Richardson (Crystal Lake, Ill. | Prairie Ridge) is the two-time defending MIAC champion in both the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard backstroke. He also won the 200-yard individual medley in 2024 and the 400-yard individual medley in 2022.
Macalester senior Charles Batsaikhan (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | East Chapel Hill) won the MIAC title in the 200 breaststroke in 2024.
Saint John’s senior Eli Grabinski (Sauk Rapids, Minn. | Sauk Rapids-Rice) is the three-time defending MIAC champion in the 3-meter diving competition. Grabinski also won the MIAC title off the 1-meter board in 2022.
Saint John’s senior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn. | Sartell-St. Stephen) is the defending conference champ in both the 100 and 200 freestyles.
Saint John’s senior Liam Noble (Plymouth, Minn. | Benilde-St. Margaret’s) won the 100-yard backstroke in 2023.
Saint John’s junior Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn. | Chaska) is the reigning MIAC champion in the 1650 freestyle and 400 IM.
AROUND THE MIAC
Carleton junior Hans Anderson (Watertown, Minn. | Watertown-Mayer) posted an NCAA qualifying score with a total of 469.50 points to win the 3-meter, 11-dive competition at the Dodd Road Diving Invitational on 2/8. Anderson surpassed the national qualifying standard by more than 29 points.
Gustavus senior Peyton Richardson (Crystal Lake, Ill. | Prairie Ridge) led the Gusties with a trio of top Division III times at the Minnesota First Chance Meet on 2/7-8. Richardson posted the fastest D-III times of the meet in the 100 butterfly (51.08), 200 IM (1:58.32), and 200 butterfly (1:56.63). His 200 freestyle time of 1:45.71 was also the second-fastest D-III time of the weekend.
Hamline junior Kevin Bossou (Rochester, Minn. | John Marshall) won both the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions at the Piper Red Invite on 2/1. Bossou claimed the 1-meter crown with a score of 241.20 and took the 3-meter title with a score of 236.05.
Macalester senior Charles Batsaikhan (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | East Chapel Hill) won three individual events at the Piper Red Invite on 2/1. He finished first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.11), the 100-yard freestyle (50.95), and the 200-yard IM (2:04.38).
Saint John’s senior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn. | Sartell-St. Stephen) won all three of his events - the 500-yard freestyle (4:52.22), 1,000-yard freestyle (10:02.00), and as a member of the dual-clinching 200-yard freestyle relay (1:25.05) - to lead the Johnnies to a 150-149 dual victory over Gustavus on 2/1. It was Saint John's first dual victory over the Gusties in 27 years (1/24/1998).
St. Olaf junior Nick Starcevich (Blaine, Minn. | Spring Lake Park) won the 50-yard freestyle (22.11) and 100-yard freestyle (48.69) for the Oles in a dual at Carleton on 2/1. The junior won the shorter event by more than half a second and the longer by nearly one second while also swimming on the Oles' second-place 400-yard medley relay (3:39.86).
FOR THE RECORD
The MIAC Men's Swimming & Diving Record Book contains annual Conference championship information, all-time award winners, MIAC and program record-holders, and more. The information included in the record book is based on available data, and research for additional historical documents is ongoing.