Ypsilanti, Mich. — Put a school record, a handful of national provisional swims and a Saints sweep into one weekend, and there is plenty to bring home besides the final scores. Aquinas found all three at the Eastern MI Classic on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17, taking on NCAA Division I and Division II competition and giving head coach Kristy Hepp plenty to like about where the Maroon and White are headed.
Women (Triple Dual Meet):
Eastern Michigan 274, Aquinas 84;
Toledo 299, Aquinas 61;
Wayne State 282, Aquinas 85
Men (Dual Meet):
Wayne State 280, Aquinas 89
Hepp's women faced Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Wayne State in separately scored dual meets, while the men competed against Wayne State at Eastern Michigan University's Jones Natatorium.
The trip also served a purpose beyond October. With the facility scheduled to host the NAIA national championships in March, the Saints gained firsthand experience in the pool where they hope to finish their season.
Aquinas Women's Swimming
Peyton Weenum needed just one collegiate attempt at the 1,650-yard freestyle to put her name atop the Aquinas record book.
The freshman finished in 18:38.89, breaking the school record, earning an NAIA provisional standard and placing eighth in the combined field. Then came the turnaround: With only one event to catch her breath, Weenum returned for the 200 butterfly and finished in 2:31.50.
Weenum also led the Saints in the 500 freestyle at 5:26.59 and the 200 freestyle at 2:04.01, continuing an opening month in which she has quickly become a difference-maker for AQ.
Senior Dailey Jogan followed Weenum in the mile with a 19:10.66, her best career in-season performance in the event, according to Hepp. Jogan also completed the 400 individual medley in 5:13.65, giving the Saints another option as they build their KCAC championship lineup.
Elena Cavadas continued to make national-standard swimming a regular part of her weekends. She placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke at 1:06.43 and ninth in the 200 at 2:27.14, with both swims meeting NAIA provisional standards, according to Hepp. Those performances continued her early-season run of times well ahead of her school records from last year.
Emersyn Joslin earned AQ's highest individual finish in the combined women's swimming field, taking fifth in the 200 backstroke at 2:10.54. Hannah Brown paced the Saints in the sprint freestyle events, finishing the 50 in 24.47 and the 100 in 54.05.
Amelia Edens placed seventh in the 400 IM at 4:57.95 and led Aquinas in the 100 backstroke at 1:01.38. Adriana Waller supplied AQ's fastest 200 butterfly at 2:19.47, while Emma Heinzelmann added breaststroke finishes of 1:10.62 in the 100 and 2:34.37 in the 200.
Aquinas Women's Diving
Emma Nibbelink represented the Saints in the women's 1-meter competition, finishing with 143.10 points to place 13th in the combined field.
Against a deep group of NCAA divers, Hepp emphasized composure and staying focused on the elements of each performance within the athletes' control.
Aquinas Men's Swimming
For one race, the top of the results belonged entirely to Aquinas.
Talon Koppmann, Titus Smith and TJ Baumer finished first, second and third in the 50 freestyle, giving the Saints a sweep against Wayne State. Koppmann touched in 21.53 to earn an NAIA provisional standard, Smith followed in 21.61, and Baumer completed the trio in 21.83.
Just three-tenths of a second separated the Saints, but the significance went well beyond a close finish. Smith's swim was a personal best, according to Hepp, breaking through a mark he had been chasing for four years.
Smith carried that momentum into the 200 backstroke, winning in 1:56.55. He also finished second in the 100 butterfly at 52.42, with Koppmann taking third in 52.88. Koppmann added a runner-up finish in the 100 freestyle at 48.85.
Freshmen Noah Mettham and Taylor Eberts took on a different challenge, making their collegiate debuts in the 1,650 freestyle. Mettham finished in 18:04.90, and Eberts followed in 18:32.26, giving Hepp two more distance options for the conference meet.
Mettham also placed third in the 200 freestyle at 1:47.61. Lucas Eussen led Aquinas in the mile at 17:34.03 and took third in the 200 butterfly at 2:00.09, while William Sneller paced AQ in the 500 freestyle with a 5:05.57.
For sophomore Ethan Elms, the weekend carried meaning that a finish time alone could not capture. After an injury-plagued freshman season, he completed his first full invitational lineup as a Saint, including a 50.20 in the 100 freestyle. Hepp saw a swimmer rebuilding his confidence and leaving hungry for more.
Aquinas Men's Diving
Evan Bennett led Aquinas on both boards, placing third in the 1-meter competition with 224.70 points and fourth on the 3-meter board with 183.35.
Cooper Wasson finished sixth in both events, scoring 194.30 on the 1-meter and 163.00 on the 3-meter. Aaron Almy followed in seventh on each board with scores of 169.85 and 152.20.
Alex Teed contributed 152.55 in the 1-meter competition, while Anthony Dupuis added 95.00 on the 1-meter and 74.95 on the 3-meter.
AQ Accolades
Saints Snapshots
- Maroon and White, one through three. The men's sprint sweep supplied an emphatic reminder that the Saints could do more than gain experience against NCAA competition.
- No easing into the mile. Weenum turned her collegiate debut in the event into a school record, then answered the bell again in the 200 butterfly.
- The lineup is getting deeper. New distance swimmers and another IM option gave Hepp more to work with as conference preparations continue.
- A return worth celebrating. Elms' full weekend of racing marked an important step forward after a difficult freshman season.
- March starts with October. Time in the future national championship pool gave AQ useful experience to carry into its preparation.
- Growing together. The first overnight team trip of the season brought opportunities to strengthen the relationships behind the Saints' theme of Koinonia.
Coach's Comments
Hepp's assessment reached beyond the final scores. Against a demanding field, she saw the women maintain their composure and the young men's team grow more comfortable taking on difficult assignments.
"Competing against strong Division I and Division II programs challenged us to stay in our own lane and focus on what we could control," Hepp said. "I'm incredibly proud of the composure and resilience our women showed."
She credited the women's captains and upperclassmen for their leadership and the younger athletes for the energy they brought through a demanding stretch of training, academics and competition.
"This weekend was a true test of grit, and I think we came away stronger because of it."
For the men, the willingness to embrace unfamiliar events was matched by the support coming from their teammates.
"Our veteran leaders set the tone with their composure and consistency, and I was especially proud of how our guys supported one another," Hepp said. "Competing at this level, especially during such a demanding stretch of the season, is helping our young team develop the toughness, confidence, and experience we'll need moving forward."
Up Next
Following two weekends away from competition, Aquinas travels to Kalamazoo on Saturday, Nov. 7, for a dual meet against the Kalamazoo College Hornets.
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