Hillsdale, Mich. — The Aquinas men's and women's swim & dive teams hit the road for a busy weekend at Hillsdale College, with the women taking on both host Hillsdale and Indiana Wesleyan, while the men faced off against IWU. The Saints made plenty of waves throughout the day—especially the AQ men, who continue to surge forward this season with another dominant dual-meet victory. The Saints men's squad powered to a 169–71 win over IWU, while the women battled hard in two tight matchups, falling to Hillsdale (150–73) and Indiana Wesleyan (124–106).

Final Team Scores

Men's
     • Aquinas College 169.00, Indiana Wesleyan 71.00

Women's
     • Hillsdale College 150.00, Aquinas College 73.00
     • Indiana Wesleyan 124.00, Aquinas College 106.00

Men's Swim Team Highlights

The Saints came to race, and it showed. Aquinas set the tone early with a statement 1–2 finish in the 200 medley relay, as the "A" squad of Titus Smith, Luke Martin, Stan Tibben, and Matthew Dumbsky took first in 1:37.88, just ahead of the "B" relay of Ian Clapp, Tony Parlato, Talon Koppmann, and Noah Berns. That momentum carried through the day as the men collected event wins from nearly every corner of the pool.

Freshman Liam Sneller continued his breakout campaign by sweeping both distance races, winning the 1,000 freestyle (10:35.18) and 500 freestyle (4:59.53). The 200 freestyle was all Saints, with Tibben and Lucas Eussen going 1–2 in commanding fashion. Tibben returned to the water later to double up, winning the 200 butterfly in 2:02.92 with Bryce Hopson close behind in second.

Smith was in top form as well, capturing victories in both the 200 IM (2:00.94) and the 200 backstroke (1:59.64), while Clapp pushed him in both races to take third and second, respectively. Martin kept the energy rolling in the 200 breaststroke, winning handily with a 2:11.89, and Hopson joined him on the podium in third.

Capping off a banner day, the men's A 200 freestyle relay team of TJ Baumer, Sneller, Dumbsky, and Berns touched first in 1:30.04 to put an exclamation point on the meet. Every event seemed to deliver a highlight, and the team's depth from top to bottom continues to impress heading into midseason.

Women's Swim Team Highlights

Though facing two tough opponents, the Aquinas women put together a gritty performance highlighted by multiple top-two finishes and steady improvement across the board. Addie Osborne shined in the sprints, taking second in the 50 freestyle (25.47) and later contributing to a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay alongside Nolynn Coombs, Emersyn Joslin, and Chloe Boivin (1:43.35).

Hannah Brown provided a strong spark for the Saints, finishing third in the 200 freestyle (2:01.06) and second in the 100 freestyle (55.00), while Amelia Edens showcased her versatility with a runner-up finish in the 200 backstroke (2:17.94) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:20.55). The women's A 200 medley relay—featuring Joslin, Elena Cavadas, Edens, and Brown—also impressed, taking third overall in 1:52.54.

Distance swimmers Dailey Jogan, Ella Althaver, Riley Monahan, and Lily Heath displayed their endurance by finishing 4th through 7th in the 1,000 freestyle, all within seconds of each other, while Adriana Waller and Boivin contributed key points in the 200 butterfly and 500 freestyle. Collectively, the women showed depth and competitive grit that will pay dividends as the season continues.

Men's Dive Team Highlights

The Aquinas men's divers once again proved that they're among the best in the KCAC—and perhaps beyond. The Saints swept the top four spots on both boards, led by Evan Bennett, who continued his outstanding start to the season by winning both the 1M (265.05) and 3M (251.25) events.

Freshman Major Vance followed closely in second on both boards, setting a new personal best of 226.50 on the 3M. Cooper Wasson and Sawyer Shank rounded out the sweep, taking third and fourth respectively in each event. It was another complete performance from Coach Hepp's divers, who continue to add critical points to the team's overall success meet after meet.

Women's Dive Team Highlights

On the women's side, Kaitlyn Santaguida continues to be a steady contributor for the Saints, earning a pair of runner-up finishes against tough competition. She scored 113.95 points on the 1M and improved to 147.90 on the 3M, narrowly missing first place behind IWU's Macy Schmidtgall. Santaguida's consistency on both boards has provided valuable scoring and momentum for the Saints' women's program.

The diving group continues to make strong strides each meet, and Santaguida's leadership sets the tone for the team heading into the season's next stretch.

Program Milestones & Inside the Numbers

Saturday's meet produced several standout moments for the Aquinas Swim & Dive program:
     • The AQ men swept both diving boards for the second consecutive meet.
     • Freshman Major Vance set a new personal best on the 3M board with 226.5 points.
     • The men's team went 1–2 in both the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.
     • Multiple AQ athletes recorded season-best times across events, highlighting steady midseason progress.

Coach's Comments

Head Coach Kristy Hepp shared her thoughts after the meet:
"This was our last competition before our midseason invitational, and we accomplished our goal of implementing some new technique and racing strategies. We are in the middle of a challenging training block, and today was a great test of our mental fortitude to be able to race even when we're tired. Our divers also really came in clutch to score valuable team points and carried the positive momentum over to the swimming side of the competition. I'm really proud of how well our team has responded to training and racing opportunities so far, and I think that our midseason invitational in 2 weeks will solidify both our men's and women's teams as top-10 contenders at the national level."

Up Next

The Aquinas Men's and Women's Swim & Dive teams return to the East Kentwood Aquatic Center to compete in the Don Kimble Memorial Swim & Dive Meet, hosted by Davenport from November 21–23, marking the final competition of the fall semester. Stay tuned to AQSaints.com for full coverage, results, and recaps as the Saints continue to dive deep into the 2025–26 campaign.