Men's Swimming & Diving

Gusties sweep MIAC Swimming & Diving Championships

MINNEAPOLIS – For the third consecutive season, Gustavus Adolphus College swept the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Championships.
 
The Gusties are now the third institution to win three consecutive MIAC swimming & diving crowns, joining St. Thomas and St. Olaf. The Tommies swept the MIAC Championships three seasons in a row from 2016-18, and the Oles enjoyed an unprecedented eleven-year run of dual-gender dominance from 1987-1997.
 
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  • The Gustavus men won the 28th MIAC title in program history, and the seventh in a row.
  • Gustavus scored 953 points, securing the conference crown with a 324.5-point margin of victory.
  • Carleton senior Hans Anderson swept the men's diving events for the second year in a row and became the sixth competitor since 2002 to earn multiple MIAC Men's Diver of the Year honors.
  • Gustavus junior Braden Ripken became the first swimmer in MIAC Championship history to break 54 seconds in the men's 100 breaststroke, setting new meet and conference records with a time of 53.76 on Friday night. It was his second straight MIAC title in the event.
  • The MIAC championship in the 100 breaststroke has gone to a member of the Ripken family at each of the last four conference meets; Braden has won the last two, succeeding his brother, Kieran, who won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
  • Saint John's senior Brayden Slavik won his second consecutive conference title in the 500 freestyle, and his third in a row in both the 400 IM and the 1650 free. His 1650 free time of 15:32.16 on Saturday night set new MIAC, meet, and program records.
  • Slavik repeated as MIAC Men's Swimmer of the Year after his four-day performance at the 2026 Championships. He is the ninth swimmer to receive multiple MIAC Men's Swimmer of the Year honors since 2002.
  • Slavik's winning time of 3:57.55 in the 400 individual medley set a new SJU record and made him the first MIAC swimmer in 15 years to break four minutes in the championship event.
  • Gustavus first-year Aidynn Havermann was voted MIAC Rookie of the Year for Men's Swimming & Diving by conference coaches. Havermann won the 200 IM and was the runner-up in both the 200 back and 400 IM. Havermann is the third consecutive Gustie to win MIAC Rookie of the Year honors for men's swimming & diving.
  • Gustavus coach Jon Carlson was voted MIAC Men's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year by his peers for the eighth time since 2002.
  • The Gustavus women won the 13th MIAC title in program history, and the third in a row.
  • Gustavus scored 788 points, earning the three-peat with a 156.5-point margin of victory.
  • Carleton sophomore Nina Schwab set a new meet record in the women's 1-meter diving competition with a six-dive finals score of 483.15.
  • Schwab, who was named MIAC Women's Diver of the Year for the second straight season after sweeping the diving events, is the sixth women's diver in recorded MIAC history to receive multiple Diver of the Year honors.
  • Macalester senior Izzy Uhlhorn-Thornton swept the breaststroke events for the third consecutive season. Her time of 1:04.66 in the 100 breaststroke set a new program record.
  • Saint Benedict junior Haley Zelen set new MIAC, meet, and program records with a time of 54.10 in the 100 fly on her way to being named MIAC Women's Swimmer of the Year.
  • Zelen is the first Bennie in program history to receive MIAC Swimmer of the Year honors.
  • Zelen's 100 fly time ranks second in NCAA Division III this season.
  • St. Olaf senior Paige Steenblock took home top honors in the 400 IM for the third consecutive season.
  • Gustavus first-year Annika Beck was voted MIAC Rookie of the Year for Women's Swimming & Diving by conference coaches. Beck earned conference titles in the 500 and 1650 freestyle events and was the MIAC runner-up in the 400 IM.
  • Beck is the third consecutive Gustie to win Women's Swimming & Diving Rookie of the Year honors.
  • Saint Benedict coach Mandy Wolvert was voted MIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year for the first time in her career. She is the first CSB coach on record to be named MIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year.
CHAMPIONSHIP APPAREL
Official championship and team champion apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 conference championship meet.
CHAMPIONSHIP WRAP-UP
Complete meet results can be found here, and on-demand video from each session of the 2026 MIAC Championships will be available on the MIAC Sports Network (under the "Recent" events heading) the day after the meet.
 
The MIAC would like to thank the University of Minnesota and the staff at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center for their partnership and support, as well as this year's host institutions, Macalester and St. Olaf, for providing event management. A special thanks is also extended to meet director Dave Luedtke, announcer Tom Hodgson, diving organizer and coach Gabe Kortuem, and the swimming and diving officiating crew, all of whom continue to dedicate their time and talents to make this event an outstanding championship experience for all involved.