Vikings go 2-0 in dual meets, including first win over Wheaton in 41 years; crown three champions and collect eight additional medals at CCIW Cup Series; Valentine sets school record in 200 fly
 
Although it was short, the 2020-21 season was another successful one for Coach Dan Lloyd's Augustana women. Limited to two dual meets and the "CCIW Cup Series" due to fears over COVID-19, the Vikings were victorious in both duals—including the program's first win over Wheaton since 1980—and claimed a total of 11 medals, including three gold, at the CCIW Cup.
 
Junior Aviana Zahara (Pleasant Valley HS, Moline, Ill.) led the Vikings to a season-opening, come-from-behind win over Illinois Wesleyan on January 23 in Bloomington, Illinois. She won the 100 backstroke and the 100 freestyle and led off winning efforts in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. Augustana entered the latter event—the final of the meet—trailing 128-126, but Zahara, freshman Micaela Koeppen (El Modena HS, Orange, Calif.), sophomore Dominique Valentine (Walnut Hills HS, Cincinnati, Ohio) and junior Isabelle Seten (Champaign Centennial HS, Champaign, Ill.) came through with a win that lifted Lloyd's crew to a 139-132 victory.
 
Zahara earned CCIW Swimmer of the Week for her performance.
 
A week later, Augustana traveled to Wheaton to face a Thunder outfit it hadn't beaten since they were the Crusaders in 1980. Behind wins from Zahara (50 free and 100 back) and freshmen Olivia White (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) (200 free) and Katie Zaborenko (Glenbrook South HS, Glenview, Ill.) (one-meter diving), the Vikings prevailed by a score of 99-98.
 
The CCIW Cup Series was held on February 26 and 27. It consisted of three separate meets. Carroll and Millikin competed at Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin on Friday and on Saturday, Illinois Wesleyan and North Central swam at Wheaton, while Augustana was at Carthage. Top times from the three competitions were compared in each event to determine individual standings. No team scores were compiled.
 
Capturing gold for the Vikings were Zahara in the 50 freestyle, Valentine in the 500 freestyle and Zaborenko in the one-meter diving competition.
 
Valentine set a school record with a second-place 2:12.42 in the 200 butterfly. Others earning medals included Zahara (second in the 100 back and third in 100 free), Valentine (third in the 100 fly), White (third in the 1650 free), sophomore Amy Nicholson (East Leyden HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) (third in the one-meter diving), junior Lauren Raike (Alamo Heights HS, San Antonio, Texas) (third in the 400 individual medley) and junior Madelynn Marunde (Belvidere North HS, Belvidere, Ill.) (third in the 100 breaststroke).
 
All of Lloyd's medalists received All-CCIW honors.
 
2021 CCIW Cup Series
February 26, 2021— Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
February 27, 2021— Pleasant Prairie, Wis. and Wheaton, Ill.
 
Team Results: No team scores
 
Individual Champions and Augustana Top 10 finishers
50 freestyle: 1. Aviana Zahara, AUGUSTANA :24.20; 7. Isabelle Seten, AUGUSTANA :24.94; 8. Micaela Koeppen, AUGUSTANA :25.01
100 freestyle: 1. Hannah Murray, Illinois Wesleyan :53.67; 3. Aviana Zahara, AUGUSTANA :53.81; 9. Isabelle Seten, AUGUSTANA :54.99
200 freestyle: 1. Hannah Murray, Illinois Wesleyan 1:55.94; 7. Olivia White, AUGUSTANA 2:01.90; 9. Addison Larson, AUGUSTANA 2:02.86
500 freestyle: 1. Dominique Valentine, AUGUSTANA 5:15.64; 4. Madelynn Marunde, AUGUSTANA 5:20.16; 5. Olivia White, AUGUSTANA 5:20.47; 9. Alicia Garcia, AUGUSTANA 5:28.75
1650 freestyle: 1. Laurin Ebert, Illinois Wesleyan 18:06.90; 3. Olivia White, AUGUSTANA 18:46.12; 7. Addison Larson 19:05.60
100 backstroke: 1. Lindsey Coons, Carroll :57.70; 2. Aviana Zahara, AUGUSTANA :58.57
200 backstroke: 1. Abby Partridge, Wheaton 2:05.86; 8. Maddie McFarland, AUGUSTANA 2:14.73  
100 breaststroke: 1. Lauren Fedderson, Illinois Wesleyan 1:06.36; 3. Madelynn Marunde, AUGUSTANA 1:09.19
200 breaststroke: 1. Lauren Fedderson, Illinois Wesleyan 2:21.64; 4. Madelynn Marunde, AUGUSTANA 2:28.64; 5. Lauren Raike, AUGUSTANA 2:32.52; 6. Emily Martin, AUGUSTANA 2:32.53
100 butterfly: 1. Ellen Gilbert, Illinois Wesleyan :56.33; 3. Dominique Valentine, AUGUSTANA :59.69; 6. Micaela Koeppen, AUGUSTANA 1:01.29; 10. Mykenzie James, AUGUSTANA 1:02.38
200 butterfly: 1. Ellen Gilbert, Illinois Wesleyan 2:04.57; 2. Dominique Valentine, AUGUSTANA 2:12.42
200 IM: 1. Abby Partridge, Wheaton 2:06.94; 4. Emily Martin, AUGUSTANA 2:11.81; 5. Lauren Raike, AUGUSTANA 2:13.88; 10. Jenna Hale, AUGUSTANA 2:20.57
400 IM: 1. Priscilla Min, Wheaton 4:39.41; 3. Lauren Raike, AUGUSTANA 4:46.79
200 freestyle relay: 1. Wheaton 1:37.32; 3. AUGUSTANA (Aviana Zahara, Micaela Koeppen, Megan Frost, Isabelle Seten) 1:38.15
400 freestyle relay: 1. Wheaton 3:36.50; 3. AUGUSTANA (Aviana Zahara, Megan Frost, Lauren Raike, Isabelle Seten) 3:39.20
800 freestyle relay: 1. Illinois Wesleyan 7:51.19
200 medley relay: 1. Wheaton 1:47.92; 2. AUGUSTANA (Aviana Zahara, Madelynn Marunde, Micaela Koeppen, Isabelle Seten) 1:49.76
400 medley relay: 1. Illinois Wesleyan 3:55.56; 3. AUGUSTANA (Emily Martin, Lauren Raike, Dominique Valentine, Alicia Garcia) 4:08.48
One-meter diving: 1. Katie Zaborenko, AUGUSTANA 291.60; 3. Amy Nicholson, AUGUSTANA 200.45
Three-meter diving:
 
2020-21 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
DUAL MEET RECORD: 2-0
COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN FINISH: Championships cancelled, replaced with CCIW Cup Series
CCIW ALL-CONFERENCE: Madelynn Marunde, Amy Nicholson, Lauren Raike, Dominique Valentine, Olivia White, Katie Zaborenko, Aviana Zahara
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Cameran Frank, Megan Frost, Alicia Garcia, Mykenzie James, Marissa Jaskae, Madelynn Marunde, Stephanie Melendez, Amy Nicholson, Alison Ogden, Dominique Valentine
CCIW SWIMMER OF THE WEEK: Aviana Zahara, 1/27/21
SCHOOL RECORDS: 200 butterfly—Dominique Valentine 2:12.42
TEAM FINISHES IN INVITATIONALS:
INVITATIONAL INDIVIDUAL & RELAY CHAMPIONS:
 
ALL-TIME TOP 10 LISTS
Dominique Valentine: 200 butterfly (1st—2:12.42); 500 freestyle (3rd—5:15.64); 100 butterfly (4th—:59.69)
Emily Martin: 200 IM (4th—2:11.81); 200 breaststroke (4th—2:32.53); 100 backstroke (9th—1:01.97)
Olivia White: 500 freestyle (6th—5:20.47); 1000 freestyle (6th—11:16.34); 1650 freestyle (7th—18:46.12)
Megan Frost: 100 backstroke (7th—1:01.80)
Micaela Koeppen: 100 butterfly (7th—1:01.29)