Kentwood, Mich. -- Apparently, the Saints weren't finished with the record book. One week after a history-making season opener, Aquinas returned to the pool with another round of school records and national standards — and a few goosebumps for Coach Kristy Hepp. Against a demanding Davenport Invitational field Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, the Maroon and White gave its championship ambitions another shot of confidence. Two weekends into the season, these Saints are giving themselves plenty to believe in.

Women: Aquinas third of five teams — 584.5 points
Men: Aquinas fourth of five teams — 434.5 points

Head Coach Kristy Hepp's program faced Wayne State, Davenport, Lake Superior State and St. Ambrose during the two-day competition at East Kentwood High School. The women broke three school records and produced national provisional swims across multiple strokes and distances, while the men collected valuable experience, personal bests and national standards of their own.

The diving boards supplied another major part of the weekend's success. According to Coach Hepp, five Saints earned national qualifying scores, giving Aquinas contributions throughout a lineup that continues to discover its possibilities.

Aquinas Women's Swimming

Four Saints shared the first entry in the record book.

Emersyn Joslin, Elena Cavadas, Amelia Edens and Hannah Brown combined for a school-record 3:58.92 in the 400-yard medley relay, finishing third. Coach Hepp has stated that the quartet lowered the previous program mark by nearly four seconds, delivering a performance that brought together the Saints' strength in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.

Cavadas then made sure her individual records received the same treatment.

The sophomore finished third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.26, cutting 1.37 seconds from the school record she established just one week earlier at Bethel. She followed with another third-place finish in the 200 breaststroke, touching in 2:25.81 to lower her week-old record by 3.44 seconds.

Both swims met NAIA provisional standards. According to Coach Hepp, Cavadas stood second nationally in both events following the weekend, putting her in a strong early position for potential invitations to the national championships.

The national pursuit extended well beyond the breaststroke lanes.

Joslin finished fourth in the 200 backstroke in 2:07.84, approaching the school record and earning a national provisional standard. She also met the provisional mark in the 100 backstroke with a fifth-place finish in 59.33.

Edens added three provisional performances. The senior placed third in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.02, sixth in the 100 backstroke in 59.47 and sixth in the 200 backstroke in 2:10.28. Her versatility also contributed to a seventh-place finish in the 200 individual medley in 2:14.98.

Brown delivered AQ's highest individual swimming finish of the weekend, taking second in the 100 freestyle in 53.53. She also finished fourth in the 50 freestyle in 24.63, with both performances meeting national provisional standards.

Addie Osborne joined Brown in earning provisional times in both sprint freestyle events. Osborne finished eighth in the 50 freestyle in 25.10 and ninth in the 100 freestyle in 55.02.

Freshman Peyton Weenum continued to establish herself in the distance events. She placed seventh in the 500 freestyle in 5:22.56, earning a provisional standard, and eighth in the 1,000 freestyle in 11:14.94.

The Saints' relay work gave those individual performances a collective stage. AQ finished second in the 200 medley relay in 1:48.38 and fourth in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:38.69. Osborne, Chloe Boivin, Edens and Brown handled the latter, while Osborne, Boivin, Raegan Magnus and Brown placed fifth in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:40.38.

Additional contributions helped the women secure third in the team standings. Emma Heinzelmann finished eighth in the 400 individual medley in 4:59.35, Dailey Jogan placed ninth in the 1,000 freestyle in 11:35.32, and Adriana Waller took fifth in the 200 butterfly in 2:23.28. Charlotte Boehm added a ninth-place finish in the 200 butterfly, while Lucy Haney placed eighth in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.41.

Aquinas Women's Diving

The women's diving group added national possibilities of its own.

Coach Hepp has stated that Breeana Anderson and Emma Nibbelink both earned national qualifying scores on the 1-meter board, with Nibbelink also achieving the standard on the 3-meter board.

Anderson led AQ in the invitational's 1-meter standings, finishing seventh with 199.75 points. Nibbelink placed 12th with 182.45.

Nibbelink paced the Saints on the 3-meter board with a 10th-place finish and 184.45 points, while Anderson finished 13th with 167.00.

Their contributions gave Aquinas scoring on both boards and another encouraging step toward the championship portion of the season.

Aquinas Men's Swimming

For a young men's team, the weekend offered plenty of opportunities to grow — and Talon Koppmann supplied a strong example of how to meet the challenge.

The junior finished fifth in the 100 butterfly in 50.96, earning a national provisional standard and, according to Coach Hepp, a top-10 time nationally. He also met the provisional standard in the 50 freestyle, finishing sixth in 21.49.

Koppmann added a sixth-place finish in the 100 freestyle in 47.95 and contributed throughout the relay lineup. Coach Hepp identified his individual races and relay splits as a weekend highlight, noting that nearly all approached his personal bests.

His closing freestyle work helped AQ finish fifth in the 400 freestyle relay. Titus Smith, William Sneller, Lucas Eussen and Koppmann combined for a 3:11.78 finish, while the Saints' B relay of Grady Nugent, Noah Mettham, Stan Tibben and TJ Baumer placed seventh in 3:18.63.

Mettham continued to make an impact in his freshman season, finishing eighth in the 200 freestyle in 1:47.08 and 13th in the 100 freestyle in 49.08.

Smith provided veteran leadership in the backstroke events, placing ninth in both the 100 in 52.44 and the 200 in 1:55.69.

Eussen finished sixth in the 200 butterfly in 1:58.69 and ninth in the 400 individual medley in 4:21.61. Sneller added 11th-place finishes in both distance freestyle events, recording 4:55.85 in the 500 and 10:20.12 in the 1,000.

Nugent finished 15th in the 200 backstroke in 2:06.42, while Tibben contributed a 12th-place finish in the 500 freestyle in 4:57.70. Taylor Eberts placed 15th in the 1,000 freestyle in 11:06.83, and Sam Grant followed in 16th in 11:11.30.

The Saints finished just 1.5 points ahead of Lake Superior State in the final standings, making contributions throughout the lineup meaningful to the team result.

Aquinas Men's Diving

Evan Bennett led another productive weekend from the boards.

Coach Hepp has stated that Bennett and Cooper Wasson earned national qualifying scores on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Freshman Aaron Almy added a national qualifying score on the 1-meter board.

Bennett finished sixth in both invitational events, scoring 257.00 on the 1-meter board and 273.30 on the 3-meter board.

Wasson placed ninth on the 3-meter board with 219.25 points and 12th on the 1-meter board with 208.05. Almy finished 10th on the 1-meter board with 233.45 and 11th on the 3-meter board with 186.10.

Anthony Dupuis continued his transition from swimming to diving, placing 12th on the 3-meter board with 136.40 points. Alex Teed finished 13th on both boards, recording 183.70 on the 1-meter and 124.10 on the 3-meter.

The group's scoring helped Aquinas hold its position in a tightly contested men's team finish, while its national standards gave the Saints more to build toward.

Saints Snapshots

• The National Picture Gets Bigger: Three school records fell, Cavadas climbed to second nationally in both breaststroke events, and five divers earned national qualifying scores. AQ's championship ambitions gained more support from both the lanes and the boards.
• The Goal Has Company: The women have been open about chasing a KCAC championship. This weekend showed that pursuit has support across the lineup, with returning leaders and newcomers taking ownership of the challenge.
• Raise It, Then Raise It Again: Cavadas broke both breaststroke records at the opener and lowered them again a week later. The early success is becoming a challenge to keep improving.
• Four Lanes, One Statement: The record-setting medley relay required four different strengths working toward one finish. It captured the depth and shared confidence Coach Hepp sees developing throughout the women's team.
• Let the Veterans Set the Pace: Koppmann's racing and relay work gave the young men's lineup a clear example of the focus tougher competition demands. AQ's returning leaders are helping turn unfamiliar challenges into opportunities.
• Every Contribution Counts: The men finished just 1.5 points ahead of Lake Superior State. In that kind of meet, the next scoring swim or dive can make the difference — a useful reminder that team success reaches throughout the roster.

Coach's Comments

For Coach Hepp, the women's records and national standards reflected something deeper taking shape within the team.

"There were so many goosebump-worthy moments for our women's team this weekend, but what excites me most is the collective belief that's developing within this group. Our women are beginning to truly understand that championship-level success is built on every single person showing up, competing with confidence, and contributing to something bigger than themselves.

"We're seeing a level of depth and unity that we haven't had in years past. From our divers earning national cuts, to underclassmen breaking records, to seniors stepping outside their comfort zones and taking on new events, there's a growing confidence in what we're capable of accomplishing together.

"We've been very open about our goal of winning the KCAC Championship, and this weekend was an encouraging measuring stick for where we stand."

Coach Hepp saw the men's response to a demanding field as an important part of their development, with veteran leadership helping a young roster embrace the experience.

"We have a young men's team this year, and I've been really encouraged by the way our underclassmen are embracing the challenges and opportunities in front of them. We have a small but exceptional group of veteran leaders who are setting a high standard, and it's exciting to watch our younger athletes follow their example.

"This weekend challenged a lot of our men to step outside their comfort zones, whether that meant racing new events, learning how to compete at a higher level, or simply discovering what they're capable of. I was especially proud of the way they competed for one another. Being surrounded by some of the top swimming talent in Michigan brought out a different level of focus and intensity in our men, and that's exactly the kind of environment that will accelerate their growth."

Up Next

Aquinas heads to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich., for the Eastern Michigan University Classic on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17. The all-day quad meet brings together the Saints, host Eastern Michigan, Wayne State and Toledo for another challenging weekend of competition.

Check AQSaints.com regularly for updates, stories, features and stats on Aquinas Swimming & Diving and all your favorite Saints sports.

It's a great day to be a Saint.