Vikings place third, seventh at conference meets amid record performances

Championship season stretched across two conferences for Augustana’s swimming and diving teams, with the men competing at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships from Feb. 6-9 in Holland, Mich., and the women following at the NSIC Championships in Fargo, N.D., on Feb. 11-14. 

After eight total days of racing, diving and final swims, the women placed third overall, while the men placed seventh. 

But those placements only told half the story.

Junior diver David Binsfeld placed 13th in the 1-meter dive and ninth in the 3-meter dive.

“The results aren’t really reflective on how we did as a team because we had broken personal records as well as school records,” Binsfeld said. 

Binsfeld, who broke the 3-meter diving 11 dives school record, said the atmosphere felt different from past seasons. 

“We had 54 top-10 swims, 12 school records and 73 personal bests at conference,” he said. “Overall, our team has had a lot of growth this season. Even though we didn’t place better in the conference, we still had a successful season.”

The men’s seventh-place finish matched last year's season, but head coach Andrew Makepeace said it felt different. 

“It just didn’t feel that way because there were so many impressive performances from our team setting new school records and really putting up a big fight to move up in the rankings,” Makepeace said. 

The 200 medley team — made up of freshman Mason Ward-Zeller, sophomore Noah Mooney and seniors Peyton Bartsch and Ethan Kinney — began Friday, Feb. 6 by placing sixth and claiming a top spot in program history with a time of 1:28.94. To end the day, Mooney and Bartsch, accompanied by senior Isaac Rokusek and sophomore Collin Wilcynski, placed fourth and broke a school record in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:21.06. 

On Feb. 8, freshmen Theo Tuunelis and Juan Moncada teamed up with Rokusek and Wilcynski  in the 800 free relay to not only claim seventh place but also the top time in program history at 6:44.87. 

The only record to fall on the 9th was in the 400 free relay. Rokusek, Tunnelis, Moncada and Bartsch placed sixth with a time of 3:02.31. 

Individually, Bartsch broke the school record in the 50 freestyle. Ward-Zeller set new records in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 fly, while Tuunelis broke the 200 freestyle record. Mooney also set a new program time for 100 fly, and Moncada broke the school record in the 400 individual medley. 

After the men wrapped up competition in Michigan, the women prepared for their championship run in North Dakota. 

The Vikings placed third overall, continuing their run as one of the conference’s top programs despite graduating a strong senior class last season.

“For women, placing third can be disappointing in regards to where we’ve been the last couple years,” Makepeace said. “We knew that it would be a challenge this year just because we turned over such a talented roster of seniors.” 

Senior swimmer Ava Brogren capped the week with a conference title in the 100 individual medley, marking her first individual championship at the conference meet. She also placed fourth in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke and contributed to key relay performances. 

“The 100 individual medley meant the most,” Brogren said. “I had never won a race at the NSIC championship, so winning my senior year with my team behind me was incredibly special.” 

Momentum continued to build as the tournament progressed for the women. 

“I realized the meet was going well for the team after prelims on the second day. The first day was tough, but the 100 flyers started the second day strong, and the momentum built from there,” Brogren said. 

In diving, junior Avery Lommel had a standout performance, winning the 1-meter dive for the third year in a row as well as the 3-meter dive, adding key points to the team’s total and breaking her own school record in the 3m. 

At the end of the meet, Lommel was also named the NSIC Diver of the Meet for the second year in a row. Senior Maija Kangas earned the Elite 18 and Outstanding Senior of the Year awards. 

As the championship season came to a close, the numbers told one story. But for both teams, the deeper impact came from the growth, resilience and record-breaking performances that set the mark for the program’s history.

Both teams now await the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship selections. The men's will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., March 11-15. The women's event will be held in Evansville, Ind., March 10-14.