SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The South Dakota Coyotes were picked to claim the 2027 Summit League swimming and diving trophies in the preseason coaches’ polls, League officials announced Thursday.
 
On the men’s side, South Dakota topped the poll with 25 points and five of the six first-place votes. Omaha followed in second with 21 points and the remaining first-place nod, while South Dakota State placed third with 17 points. St. Thomas (12) and Southern Indiana (10) took fourth and fifth, respectively, with Eastern Illinois (5) rounded out the men’s poll.
 
On the women’s side, South Dakota topped the poll with 25 points and five of the six first-place votes. Omaha followed in second with 21 points and the remaining first-place nod, while St. Thomas placed third with 15 points. South Dakota State (12) and Southern Indiana (12) tied for fourth, with Eastern Illinois (5) rounded out the women’s poll.

The Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships will take place February 24-27 at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center in Iowa City, Iowa, for the third consecutive season. 
 
2026-27 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON POLL

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	South Dakota	25 (5)
2.	Omaha	21 (1)
3.	South Dakota State	17
4.	St. Thomas	12
5.	Southern Indiana	10
6.	Eastern Illinois	5

 
2026-27 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON POLL

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	South Dakota	25 (5)
2.	Omaha	21 (1)
3.	St. Thomas	15
4.	South Dakota State	12
5.	Southern Indiana	12
6.	Eastern Illinois	5

 

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch are nominated by League’s head coaches
 
Eddie Myers, Eastern Illinois
Jr. | Freestyle/Butterfly | Edwardsville, Ill.

• Collected two personal bests and a season best at the Summit League Championships, swam a PR in the 200 Free (1:41.28) and 500 Free (4:37.00).
• The 200 free time ranks seventh in school history.
• His 1000 free time of 9:52.06 on the season is also the seventh-fastest in program history.

 
Owen Kipp, Omaha
Jr. | Dive | Eagan, Minn.

• Summit League Championship MVP and Diver of the Year, the first male diver in program history to earn the honor.
• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in 1M dive, team dive and 3M dive after winning the 1-meter and team diving titles and earning second in the 3-meter at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Advanced to the NCAA Zone D finals in both the 1-meter and 3-meter.

 
Brady Wainionpaa, Omaha
So. | Breast/IM | Hudson, Wis.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in the 100 breast.
• Finished third at the 2026 Summit League Championships in the 100 breast with a personal best time of 54.16, while finishing in fourth in the 200 IM (1:48.83, PB) and fifth in the 200 breast (1:59.15, PB).
• At the 2025 A3 Performance Invite, placed second in the 200 breast (2:00.75), third in the 100 breast and 200 IM, and posted a then personal-best 1:49.57 in the 200 IM.

 
Charlie Folks, St. Thomas
Sr. | Free | Eden Prairie, Minn.

• Finished top 10 with a personal best in the 400 IM at the 2026 CSCAA National Invitational Championship.
• Finished top 10 in the 500 freestyle with a season best, 1650 freestyle with a personal best, and the 400 IM at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Earned a top five finish in the 200 freestyle at the Minnesota First Chance Meet.

 
Austin Kantor, St. Thomas
Sr. | Dive | Elk River, Minn.

•  Placed top five in the 1-meter at the UST Tommie Invitational.
• Finished first in the 1-meter and 3-meter against Green Bay.
• Finished top five in the 3x100 relay diving team event at the 2026 Summit League Championships.

 
Maddox Mork, South Dakota
So. | Dive | Prior Lake, Minn.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in 3M dive.
• Made finals of 2025 NCAA Zone D Championship in 3M dive.
• Earned a third-place finish at the 2026 Summit League Championship in the 3-meter dive.

 
Nick Rounds, South Dakota
Jr. | Free/Back | West Des Moines, Iowa

• 2025-26 Summit League Swimming Championship MVP.
• Competed at the 2026 NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Posted three top 25 finishes at the USA Toyota Swimming National Championships in the 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter back in August.

 
Cody Vertin, South Dakota State
Sr. | Breaststroke/IM | Brookings, S.D.

• 2025 All-Summit League honors in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 breaststroke.
• Achieved three top five finishes at the Summit League Championships in the 200-yard breaststroke (fourth), 200-yard individual medley (fifth), and the 400-yard individual medley (fourth).
• Owns the school records in the 200 IM (1:47.92) and 400 IM (3:54.33).

 
Nathan Deputy, Southern Indiana
Sr. | Dive | Evansville, Ind.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in team dive.
• Earned a third-place finish in the team dive event at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships for the first time.

 
Sam Smith, Southern Indiana
Sr. | Butterfly/Distance | Trafalgar, Ind.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in 200 fly.
• Southern Indiana’s first conference title won at the Summit League Championships in the 200-fly race, setting a new school record (1:57.26).
• He was a part of the 200 free, 400 free, and 400 medley relay teams that broke the school records.

 
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch are nominated by League’s head coaches
 
Sydney VanderVelde, Eastern Illinois
Sr. | Breaststroke/Freestyle | Oak Forest, Ill.

• Swam the 200 IM at the 2026 Summit League Championships with a time of 2:07.81, which ranks second in program history.
• Also swam the 200 free at the Summit League Championships, finishing with a program’s fourth-best time of 1:54.50.
• Against Illinois, her 100 IM time of 1:02.88 ranked ninth in Eastern Illinois history.

 
Brooke Robbins, Omaha
Jr. | Dive | Kansas City, Mo.

• 2026 All-Summit League honors in the team dive.
• Placed fourth in the 3-meter dive final with a score of 259.60 at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Placed first in the 3M against South Dakota, earning a Diver Peak Performer of the Week honors.

 
Addisyn Storms, Omaha
So. | Breast/IM | Omaha, Neb.

• 2026 All-Summit League honors in the 200 breast.
• Placed second in the 200 breast at the 2026 Summit League Championships, delivering a personal best time of 2:14.58.
• In her first collegiate meet, placed first in the 200 breaststroke against South Dakota State.

 
Jordyn Davis, St. Thomas
Jr. | Back | Cambridge, Wis.

• Finished second in the 100 backstroke, third in the 200-medley relay and top five in the 200-freestyle relay and 400 medley relay at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Competed at the 2026 CSCAA National Invitational Championship.
• Finished first in the 100 backstroke at the Minnesota First Chance Meet.

 
Maya Kelly, St. Thomas
So. | Dive | Lake Elmo, Minn.

• Placed eighth in the 3-meter dive at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Placed first in the 1- and 3-meter dives at the UST Tommie Invitational.
• Finished first in the 1- and 3-meter dives against St. Cloud State.

 
Emily DiProspero, South Dakota
Jr. | Free | Mt. Pleasant, Wis.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in 800 free relay, 500 free, 200 free and 1650 free.
• Earned a first-place finish in the 1650 freestyle at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Placed 18th in the 500 free at the 2026 CSCAA National Invitational Championship.

 
Anna Williams, South Dakota
So. | Dive | Kearney, Mo.

• 2026 All-Summit League Honors in team dive.
• Placed third in the 1M and fifth in the 3M dives at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Finished third in the 1M at the Tommie Invite last season.

 
Lily Davis, South Dakota State
Jr. | Dive | Grafton, Wis.

• Placed 17th in the 3-meter (192.20) and 18th in the 1-meter at the 2026 Summit League Championships.
• Posted a sixth-place finish in the 3M at the UST Tommie Invitational with a score of 207.60.
• Scored her season-best in the 3-meter board with 211.25 points in a dual at South Dakota and tallied a season-best score of 192.95 in the 1-meter dive at South Dakota.

 
Gigi Hioki, South Dakota State
Sr. | Freestyle | Honolulu, Hawaii

• 2026 All-Summit League honors in the 400-medley relay and 400 free relay.
• Six top five finishes at the 2026 Summit League Championships – fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.69), fourth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:06.14), fifth in the 200 freestyle (23.81), third in the 400-medley relay (51.01) third in the 400 freestyle (50.51) and fourth in the 800 freestyle relay (1:52.72).
• Part of the school record in the 400 freestyle relay 3:24.46.

 
Maranda Uttke, Southern Indiana
Sr. | Dive | Grafton, Wis.

• Placed second in the one-meter dive against Evansville, scoring 235.95, and slotting in second on the university all-time leaderboard.
• Finished second in the one-meter dive after a 225.40 performance in the tri-meet against Evansville and Indiana State.
• Competed in eight meets during her junior campaign.

 
Anna Whitley, Southern Indiana
Fr. | Free/Butterfly | Knoxville, Tenn.

• Finished seventh in the 100 free with a personal best time of 51.40 at the TISCA State Championship as a senior last year in Nashville, Tenn.
• Placed 26th in the 50 free at the USA Swimming Futures Championship in Knoxville this past summer. Part of three top eight finishes at the event in the 200 free (7th), 800 free (5th) and 400 free (7th).

 
 
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