SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Denver Pioneers were picked to claim the 2026 Summit League swimming and diving trophies in the preseason coaches’ poll, League officials announced Wednesday.
On the men’s side, reigning champion Denver topped the poll with 36 points and six of the seven first-place votes. South Dakota followed in second with 30 points and the remaining first-place nod, while South Dakota State placed third with 26 points. Omaha (22) and St. Thomas (16) took fourth and fifth, respectively, with Southern Indiana (10) and Eastern Illinois (7) rounding out the men’s poll.
For the women, defending champion Denver was once again picked to lead the league, finishing first in the women’s poll with 36 points and six of the seven first-place votes. South Dakota collected 31 points and the other first-place vote to take second, while Omaha secured third with 24 points. St. Thomas followed closely in fourth with 19 points. South Dakota State (18), Southern Indiana (12), and Eastern Illinois (7) completed the women’s poll.
2025-26 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
| 1. |
Denver |
36 (6) |
| 2. |
South Dakota |
30 (1) |
| 3. |
South Dakota State |
26 |
| 4. |
Omaha |
22 |
| 5. |
St. Thomas |
16 |
| 6. |
Southern Indiana |
10 |
| 7. |
Eastern Illinois |
7 |
2025-26 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
| 1. |
Denver |
36 (6) |
| 2. |
South Dakota |
31 (1) |
| 3. |
Omaha |
24 |
| 4. |
St. Thomas |
19 |
| 5. |
South Dakota State |
18 |
| 6. |
Southern Indiana |
12 |
| 7. |
Eastern Illinois |
7 |
MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch are nominated by league’s head coaches
Colin Breuer, Denver
So. | Dive | Boerne, Texas
- 2025 All-Summit League Honors in team dive and 3M dive
- Finished third in the men’s 3-meter to complete a Pioneer podium sweep with a 310.85 at the Summit League Championships
- Finished 21st on the platform with a score of 222.65 at the NCAA Zone E Championships and took 28th on the 3-meter board with a score of 279.40
Nico Morton, Denver
Jr. | Back/IM | Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2025 All-Summit League honors in 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 breast
- Sixth best swimmer in program history in the 400 IM with a 3:51.27 and 8th in the 200 IM with a 1:47.60
- In the Summit League Championships, finished second in the 200 IM with a 1:47.60, won the 400 IM with a 3:51.27, and placed third in the 200 breast with a 1:59.77.
Maddox Mork, South Dakota
Fr. | Dive | Prior Lake, Minn.
- Section champion during his time at Prior Lake High School
- Place fifth at the state championships
- 2023-24 HS All-American
- Second in school history with a score of 298.35 in six dives and third in 11 dives with 454.55
Nick Rounds, South Dakota
So. | Free/Back | West Des Moines, Iowa
- Earned All-Summit League honors with a runner-up in the 100 back (47.92) and as a member of a third-place 200 free relay at the Summit League Championships
- Also at the league championships placed sixth in the 50 free (20.47) and seventh in the 100 fly (48.99) as well as on a fourth-place 400 free relay and swam in the prelims of the 100 free (45.05) and 400 medley relay
- Collected seven individual race victories with five coming in the 50 free and one each in the 100 free and 50 back
Nik Keuser, South Dakota State
So. | Breast/Free | Omaha, Neb.
- Set school records in both breaststroke events at the Summit League Championships and came away with league title in the 100-yard breaststroke with an SDSU-record time of 53.74
- Placed fourth in the 200 breaststroke after setting school record of 1:57.90 in the prelims
- Won the 200 breaststroke and set season-best time in the 50 freestyle (:21.60) at the Coyote Invite
Cody Vertin, South Dakota State
Jr. | Breast/IM | Brookings, S.D.
- Earned All-Summit League honors in three individual events with top-three finishes at the league championships (2/19-22)
- Placed second in the 200 breaststroke (1:58.04) and set school records with third-place finishes in the 200 individual medley (1:47.92) and 400 IM (3:54.33)
- Competed at the National Invitational Championship and placed eighth overall in the 400 IM, eighth in the 200 breaststroke and 11th in the 200 IM
Nathan Frette, Omaha
Fr. | Dive | Orlando, Fla.
- Competed at the 2024 USA Diving Junior National Championships
- Participated in the 2024 USA Diving Zone A Championships 1m and 3m dives
Kyle Kulow, Omaha
Jr. | Free | Sugar Land, Texas
- Placed fifth at the Summit League Championships in the 200 free
- Collected a first-place finish in the 400 free at the Coyote Invite
- Took another first-place finish in the 200 free in Omaha’s dual with South Dakota
Philip Jensen, St. Thomas
Sr. | Back/Butterfly | Hastings, Minn.
- Finished top five in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, and 400 medley relay, and finished top 10 in the 100 fly, 100 back, 200 back, and the 400 freestyle relay at the Summit League Championships (Feb. 19-22)
- Secured first place in the 100 back and butterfly, 2nd in the 200 medley relay, and 3rd in the 200 IM against Green Bay (Oct. 4)
- Grabbed first in the 200 backstroke, and 2nd in the 200 medley relay and 200 IM vs. Saint Ambrose University (Oct. 25)
Lane Pollock, Southern Indiana
Sr. | Dive | Boonville, Ind.
- Placed fifth in both the one-meter and the three-meter events, contributing 28 huge individual points at the conference meet
- Reset his one-meter school record at 287.50 pts, along with a personal best three-meter score of 293.20 pts
- Became the first Eagles diver to earn A-Finals in both the one and three-meter dive events at the conference meet
- Earned All-Summit League Honors
Sam Smith, Southern Indiana
Jr. | Butterfly/Distance | Trafalgar, Ind.
- Became the program's first conference medalist, snatching silver in the 200 fly at the Summit League Championships
- Garnered two conference A-Finals performances placing second in the 200 fly and eighth in the 100 fly
- Totals three career A-Finals as the only Eagle swimmer to achieve the top eight
- Named All-Summit League
Nolan Wallace, Eastern Illinois
Jr. | Breast | Waunakee, Wis.
- Named the Summit League Scholar-Athlete of the Championships at 2025 Championships
- Posted a season best time of 56.02 in the 100 Breast at the Summit League Championships with time ranking second on the EIU career Top Ten list
- Was a member of two record setting relay teams in the 200 Medley Relay (1:30.24) and 400 Medley Relay (3:22.01) swimming the second leg on each relay team
- Was a member of 200 Free Relay team that posted third best time in school history at 1:22.18
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch are nominated by league’s head coaches
Savanna Berry, Denver
Jr. | Dive | Lodi, Calif.
- Summit League Diver of the Championship in 2025
- All-Summit League Honors in 1M dive, team dive, and 3M dive
- Broke the school record on the 1-meter with a 314.78 and is eighth on the 3-meter with a 284.70
- In the Summit League Championships, she finished first in the 1-meter dive with a score of 273.45 and was part of the Denver Team event that finished second, while also taking first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 275.35
Ada Solaker, Denver
Sr. | Back/IM | Istanbul, Turkey
- 2025 All-Summit League Honors in 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 back
- 10th best swimmer in program history in the 200 back with a time of 1:57.72 and 6th best in the 400 IM with a 4:13.75
- Finished second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.60, first in the 400 IM with a time of 4:13.75, and first in the 200 back with a time of 1:57.72 in the Summit League Championships
- 2024-25 National Ranking, 97th – 400 IM – 4:13.75
Gabbie Ahrendt, South Dakota
Jr. | Free | Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Swam collegiate bests in the 100 back (56.20) and the 200 IM (2:04.31) at the St. Thomas Invite
- Had 12 individual victories last season as a sophomore
- Won the 200 IM and 400 IM while finishing third in the 100 IM and eighth in the 100 breast at the Coyote Invitational
Kate Woefel, South Dakota
Fr. | Dive | Lino Lakes, Minn.
- Six-time varsity letterwinner and three-time state diving finalist in Class AA of Minnesota’s two-class system
- Five-time all-conference diver in the Northwest Suburban Conference
- Was a three-time conference champion
Bella Price, Omaha
Sr. | Dive | Minot, N.D.
- Secured a third-place finish at the Summit League Championships in the 1M Dive (262.40)
- Swept first place in Omaha’s dual with South Dakota in the 1M and 3M Dives
- Also swept first place in duals against Missouri State and Augustana
Julia Thomas, Omaha
Jr. | Free/Fly | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Took third in the Summit League Championships in the 200 MR, 400 FR, and 800 FR
- Earned a first-place finish in the 200 FR at duals with South Dakota and South Dakota State
- Snagged first against Saint Louis in the 400 FR (52.15) and 200 Fly (2:06.41)
Ellie Undem, St. Thomas
So. | Free | Chisago City, Minn.
- Finished third in the 50 free, top 5 in the 200 and 400 relay, and the 400 medley relay and top 10 in the 100 free at the Summit League Championships
- Snagged first in the 100 free, 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay and top 5 in the 50 free against Green Bay
- Finished first in the 50 free and 400 free relay, 2nd in the 100 free and top 5 in the 200 medley relay against Minnesota State - Mankato and Concordia
Jenna Currier, South Dakota State
Sr. | Free/Fly | Denison, Iowa
- Posted second-fastest time in program history in the 100-yard butterfly with a mark of 55.41 seconds in the prelims of the Tommie Invitational, then posted a winning time of 55.45 seconds in the finals
- Established season-best times in the 50 freestyle (:23.62), 100 freestyle (:51.88) and 100 backstroke (:57.43) at the Tommie Invitational
- Competed in the 50 backstroke and 50 butterfly at the National Invitational Championship (3/13)
Gigi Hioki, South Dakota State
Jr. | Free | Honolulu, Hawaii
- Team leader with 15 event titles, six of which came in the 200-yard freestyle
- Paced the Jackrabbits at the Summit League Championships with a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:49.77), a seventh-place showing in the 100 freestyle (:51.19) and ending up ninth in the 500 freestyle (4.57.02)
- Clocked season-best 100 freestyle time of 50.94 seconds in the Summit prelims
Anna Bunnell, Southern Indiana
So. | Dive | Evansville, Ind.
- Became the first Eagle to surpass the NCAA Zone-Cut line in the one-meter dive with her record breaking performance score of 266.30 pts
- Became the first Screaming Eagle diver to medal at the conference meet, garnering silver in the three-meter event
- Demolished records meet by meet with a score of 277.40 pts in the three-meter event, nearly winning the event as a freshman
- Earned a spot on the Summit League All-League squad
Hannah Pryor, Southern Indiana
Fr. | Free | Boonville, Ind.
- Attended Boonville High School (Boonville, Indiana)
- Four-time state qualifier, finishing as a finalist twice
Sophia Buswell, Eastern Illinois
Fr. | Fly | Salem, Ore.
- Helped lead her team to the Central Valley Conference District championship three years in a row
- Holds the South Salem High School and Central Valley Conference district record in the 100 butterfly
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