PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. -- One year after the Augustana men's and women's swimming & diving teams each claimed the CCIW title for the first time in program history, the Vikings did it again on Saturday at the RecPlex. The men claimed their third straight conference championship with a total of 926 points, while the women secured their third title in four seasons with a total of 831 points.

"When I came to Augustana 11 years ago, it was to create a true FAMILY culture that when we stood together we could learn, persevere and achieve great things as we face all that life brings," said head coach Dan Lloyd. "Throughout the season, and especially this weekend our team faced adversity many times and I could not be more proud of the way they responded and all stood together as one as they faced it head on. I believe that this will serve each of them well as they go through life and understand that it is not perfect, but the journey is."

Wednesday Recap

Wednesday's Results

On Wednesday at Carthage, Tyler Leslie's lead off in the 800 freestyle relay clocked a time of 1:37.79, which put him fourth in the nation in all of Division III and currently sits as a NCAA qualifying time in the 200 freestyle. It was also a new CCIW open and meet record by almost over two seconds, and a new school record. Leslie, Mark Addison, Gavin McCorry, and Oskar Bannister also set a new school, CCIW open, and meet record in the race with a time of 6:41.84, shattering the previous mark by over five seconds. Kacper Cebula, Matthew Meyer, Sam Kulisek, and Hunter Craft also won the B final in the 800 relay with a time of 6:54.43. 

The women's 800 team of Brooke Walker, Giselle Koonce, Bella Casanovas, and Mara Walker set a school record in the event with a time 7:48.44 to finish in second place. The team of Kylee Blaha, Annabella Valenti, Avery Spacek, and Petra Evans also claimed second in the B final.

In diving events, Kate Kucera earned All-CCIW honors with a third-place finish in the 3-meter dive, finishing with a score of 293.65. She also ended just outside the all-conference threshold in the 1-meter event in fourth to ean 15 team points for the Vikings. 

Ryan DeLand was the top finisher for the men in the 1-meter dive in sixth, while Johnny Breeden earned seventh in the 3-meter. 

Thursday Recap

Thursday's Results

On the first full day of swimming, the women were victorious in the 400 medley race as the team of Hailey Glasnovich, B. Walker,  Zoe Heiar, and Kendle Mihm clocked a time of 3:58.00 to claim the conference title in the race. M. Walker, Ava Kauffeld, Casanovas, and Koonce also won the B final in the same event to earn 16 points for the Vikings. On the men's side, McCorry, Cebula, Leslie, and Bannister won the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:22.70 to set a new school record. 

Elsewhere, Augie's A team came in third in the 200 freestyle to earn 28 team points, while the team of Kauffeld, Casanovas, Koonce, and Heiar won the B final to collect 16 points for the Vikings.  On the men's side in the same event, Augie secured top three in the A final and also won the B final as Lucas Rettig, Cesar Castillo, and Trentin Lechleitner, and McCorry clocked a time of 1:25.06 to finish first.

In individual events, M. Walker was the CCIW champion in the 500-yard freestyle after posting a mark of 5:06.31, six seconds faster than second place. Casanovas and Koonce also collected top-five finishes in the race. In the 50 free, Mihm grabbed second place in the event, also seeing success from Glasnovich in the B final with a winning time of 25.08.

For the men, Addison set a school, CCIW meet, and CCIW open record in prelims of the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:34.32 before winning the event and setting a new record at 4:31.84. Leslie led a group of four Vikings in the top six in the 200 IM with a national-qualifying and school-record time of 1:50.01. He set a school record in prelims at 1:50.14 before lowering it in finals. Cebula also came in second with a time of 1:53.44. Bannister was the CCIW champion in the 50 freestyle after clocking a time of 20.83, followed in second by Rettig at 21.17.

After Thursday's results, the men sat in second with 365 points, just one out behind first-place Wheaton. The women were in second with 306.5, just 23.5 behind Carthage in first.

Friday Recap

Friday's Results

In Friday's relay action, the women had a pair of second place finishes in both the A and B final in the 200 medley relay, while the men's team of Castillo, Meyer, Craft, an Lechleitner secured first in the same event in the B final to earn 16 team points. 

In individual events, Leslie and Bannister went No. 1 and 2 in the 200-yard freestyle, with Leslie setting a school record time of 1:39.00. Bannister was just over a second behind at 1:40.72 and Kulisek won the B final in the same race with a time of 1:44.95. Heiar was the conference champion in the 100-yard breaststroke after posting a time of 1:07.41, just beating out teammate B. Walker in second place. The Vikings put five in the 100-breast final, most of any team in an event this weekend so far.

In the men's 100 fly, the Vikings three of the top five spots, led by Craft in second place with a time of 50.80. Heiar claimed second in the 100-yard fly after clocking 58.91, while M. Walker earned a second-place standing in the 200 freestyle with a mark of 1:54.57. The Augie men snatched three of the top five spots in the 100-yard breaststroke, with Addison coming in second with a school-record time of 56.79. He originally broke the record in prelims earlier in the day before lowering his time in the finals. Michael Garland also came in third, and Cebula finished in fourth. Rettig earned a second-place standing in the 100-yard back with a time of 51.51 and Alex Xayachanla won the B final in the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:24.55.

As a team, the Viking men sat in first place with 651 points, 36 ahead of second-place Carthage. The women were at 569 in second entering the final day.

Saturday Recap

Saturday's Results

On final day of the meet, B. Walker was the second-place finisher in the mile swim, clocking a time of 18:07.32 to earn 17 team points for the Vikings. On the men's side in the event, Carter Lavold and Ethan Herstedt each grabbed top six placements. M. Walker was the conference champion in the 200-yard backstroke, winning with a time of 2:05.88. Glasnovich also finished fifth in the race, while Spacek won the B final in 2:15.14. Leslie continued his successful week with a second-place swim in the 200 back, one of three Vikings to reach the finals in the event. His preliminary time of 1:49.14 was good for a school record. Caitlin Stoddard won the B final in the 100 freestyle and two Vikings, Mihm, and Koonce, earned top-six swims in the A final.

Elsewhere, Bannister was the CCIW champion in the 100 freestyle on the men's side with a time of 45.78, also joined in first by Kulisek's B final time of 47.54. In the women's 200 breaststroke, three Vikings placed in the top four, with B. Walker earning the conference title and notching a school record after clocking 2:25.47. Heiar finished in second and Kauffeld came in fourth in the event. Livy Sholl also won the B final with a mark of 2:34.82. Joining in on conference titles on Saturday was Addison's winning time of 2:02.66 in the 200 breaststroke. Garland followed behind in second, while Meyer won the B final in 2:11.92.

In relays, the team of M. Walker, Heiar, Koonce, and Mihm placed second in the 400 freestyle, while the B final was won by Augie's Glasnovich, Stoddard, Kauffeld, and Evans with a time of 3:39.59. On the men's side in the same race, the Vikings won the conference title as Leslie, Rettig, McCorry, and Bannister came in first after clocking 3:03.94. The B final was also won by Augustana's team of Addison, Bjorn Sievert, Castillo, and Cebula.

The men were crowned the champions with 926 points, over 40 ahead of second-place Carthage. The women overcame the Firebirds on the final day and finished with 831 total points, over 45 ahead of second-place Carthage.

Following the meet, Leslie was awarded the CCIW Men's Swimmer of the Meet award, while Lloyd was crowned the conference's coach of the year on the men's side. Addison and Mihm were named Elite 26 Award winners, which is presented to the student-athlete who excels academically and athletically at the conference level in each of the CCIW's 26 sponsored sports. Holden Siena and Genevieve Ryan were named the recipients of the CCIW's RESPECT Award.

"I love this team and I am truly blessed as each of them impact my life each and everyday," added Lloyd. I extremely proud of what our program as been able to achieve in the pool but more importantly in the classroom and in life. All glory for these victories this weekend goes to God. Thank you to our parents and families and all our supporters throughout our campus, in the community and across the nation. We stand together as one in this victory as it was a total team effort."

The title for the women is the eighth in program history, while the men secured their 11th championship all-time.