Men's Swim & Dive | 1/17/2026 8:53:00 PM
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Without having a pool on campus, hosting a meet is always a unique challenge for the Aquinas Swim & Dive program. For just the second time this season, Head Coach Kristy Hepp's squad was able to compete at home, and the Saints made the most of the opportunity with a spirited double-dual meet against Saginaw Valley State and Albion at East Grand Rapids High School. For many Aquinas student-athletes, the meet marked one of their final chances to compete "at home" in Saints colors, while others were able to showcase their progress in front of family and friends. Just as importantly, the meet served as a key measuring stick with the KCAC Conference Championships looming in just three weeks.
Meet Results
Women's
SVSU 164 def. Albion 64
Aquinas 157.5 def. Albion 77.5
SVSU 162 def. Aquinas 76
Men's
SVSU 197 def. Albion 38
Aquinas 181 def. Albion 54
SVSU 179 def. Aquinas 63
Aquinas Women's Swim
The Aquinas women delivered several standout performances across the pool, highlighted by a mix of youth and veteran leadership. Freshman Hannah Brown was a consistent force in the sprint events, finishing second in the 50 freestyle with a blistering 24.95 before repeating as runner-up in the 100 freestyle at 55.56. Junior captain Amelia Edens continued her strong season by setting a school record in her debut of the 400 IM, finishing second overall with an impressive time of 4:47.16.
Sophomore Emersyn Joslin secured Aquinas' lone swimming victory of the meet, touching the wall first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:01.32. Freshman Elena Cavadas added another podium finish for the Saints, placing third in the 100 breaststroke at 1:11.55. Edens also contributed a fourth-place finish in the 100 freestyle, while Addie Osborne rounded out the top five with a fifth-place effort.
Across the lineup, Aquinas received key swims from Chloe Boivin, Claire Hines, Adriana Waller, Baylee Davis, and Emma Hale, helping the Saints secure a convincing win over Albion. The depth, consistency, and continued development across events reflected a team rounding into form at the right time of the season.
Aquinas Women's Diving
The Aquinas women's diving group delivered one of its strongest collective performances of the season, highlighted by multiple season-best scores and an NAIA qualifying mark. Sophomore Emma Nibbelink led the way, earning her season-best score on the 1-meter board with a total of 199 points, good for fifth place overall and an NAIA qualifying standard. She followed that up with another fifth-place finish on the 3-meter board.
Senior Taylor Moss continued her steady improvement, posting season-best scores on both the 1M and 3M boards while finishing sixth overall in each event. Anna Benstead and Kaitlyn Santaguida added valuable points for the Saints, contributing to a strong showing across both diving disciplines.
The progress of the diving unit was evident not only in the results, but in improved lists, execution, and confidence heading into the championship stretch of the season.
Aquinas Men's Swim
The Aquinas men turned in several historic performances, led by distance standout Liam Sneller. Sneller recorded the fourth-fastest 1650 freestyle time in school history at 17:10.99 and followed it up with a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle, posting the fifth-fastest time in program history at 4:52.53. Stan Tibben also etched his name into the record books, swimming the second-fastest 200 freestyle time in Aquinas history with a 1:45.29.
Sophomore Talon Koppmann continued his breakout season with third-place finishes in both the 50 freestyle (21.71) and 100 freestyle (47.99), marking his best regular-season performances in both events. Senior captain Ian Clapp added a strong third-place finish in the 100 backstroke at 53.91, while senior captain Luke Martin capped off the meet with a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke at 58.45.
Additional contributions from Titus Smith, Ethan Elms, Conrad Eichbauer, and Bryce Hopson helped AQ secure a decisive victory over Albion and maintain competitive pressure against SVSU.
Aquinas Men's Diving
The Aquinas men's diving crew was dominant, accounting for a significant portion of the Saints' team points across both boards. Junior captain Evan Bennett led the way with a win on the 3-meter board, posting a score of 317.55, and followed it up with a second-place finish on the 1-meter board at 309.65. Troy Borrero delivered a strong showing with third-place finishes on both boards.
Freshmen Major Vance and Cooper Wasson continued to impress, placing fourth and fifth on the 3M board and fifth and fourth on the 1M board, respectively. Sawyer Shank rounded out the scoring with seventh- and ninth-place finishes across the two events. The collective effort highlighted the depth and consistency of the AQ diving program as the postseason approaches.
Saint Superlatives
• One school record set (Amelia Edens – 400 IM)
• One individual swimming event victory (Emersyn Joslin – 100 backstroke)
• One NAIA qualifying mark (Emma Nibbelink – 1M diving)
• Two top-five times in school history (Liam Sneller & Stan Tibben)
• Men's diving accounted for multiple podium finishes across both boards, with Evan Bennett winning the 3-meter.
Coach's Comments
Following the emotional home meet, Head Coach Kristy Hepp reflected on the day:
"This was a bittersweet meet for me, because it was the last time our senior class competed at our home pool. We have 19 graduates, and each one has had a tremendous impact on our team's culture and success. I'm so incredibly proud of each one of them and how strong our team culture is today. We're coming off our most challenging training block and fatigue was at an all-time high, yet we still had some impressive performances that can build confidence for the championship meet in just over two weeks. Our divers improved their lists, scores, and nationals standings, while we had a school record and an event win on the swimming side. Our final regular-season meet next Saturday is against our top rival in the conference, so we're excited to sharpen our skills down the home stretch."
Up Next
The Saints will hit the road next, traveling to Bourbonnais, Illinois, to face Olivet Nazarene in a swimming-only meet, although that is subject to change. For those who missed the action, this home meet marked the first streamed Swim & Dive meet in Aquinas history, and if you want to watch it, click here. Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for full stats, notes, previews, and post-meet recaps as the Saints head toward the postseason.
