Grand Rapids, Mich. -- The Aquinas College men's and women's swimming and diving programs continue to make waves in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), and this week, the Saints have twice the reason to celebrate. Senior Evan Bennett and junior Emma Nibbelink have been named the KCAC Men's and Women's Swimmers/Divers of the Week, respectively, following outstanding performances against Kalamazoo College on Saturday (Nov. 7).

The conference announced the honors Tuesday (Nov. 10), recognizing performances from Oct. 27 through Nov. 9. Bennett and Nibbelink were selected through a vote of conference Sports Information Directors, giving the Maroon and White a sweep of the conference's biweekly swimming and diving awards.

Bennett Continues His Dominance

For Bennett, a senior from Ludington, Mich., winning is becoming a familiar routine.

The veteran diver captured his second consecutive KCAC Men's Swimmer/Diver of the Week honor and his second overall recognition of the 2026-27 season after sweeping both diving competitions against Kalamazoo.

Bennett claimed first place on the 1-meter board with an impressive score of 313.35 before completing the sweep with a winning mark of 280.05 on the 3-meter board.

Both performances comfortably surpassed the NAIA national qualifying standard of 200 points, with his 1-meter performance exceeding the minimum by more than 113 points.

Competing in fields of seven divers on each board, Bennett left little doubt about his continued success, reinforcing his position as one of the conference's standout performers.

Nibbelink Makes Her Mark

Not to be outdone, Nibbelink, a junior from Grand Rapids, Mich., delivered an outstanding performance of her own to capture KCAC Women's Swimmer/Diver of the Week honors.

Nibbelink led the Saints on the 3-meter board, earning first place with a score of 198.89 against Kalamazoo. She followed that performance with a runner-up finish on the 1-meter board, recording 191.85 points.

Both scores surpassed the NAIA national qualifying minimum of 180 points, giving Nibbelink two qualifying performances in the same competition.

Her winning 3-meter effort exceeded the national standard by 18.89 points, while her 1-meter performance cleared the mark by 11.85 points.

The combination of a first-place finish, a runner-up showing and two national qualifying marks proved more than enough to earn the conference recognition.

Saints Snapshots

• Double Recognition: Aquinas swept both the men's and women's KCAC Swimmer/Diver of the Week awards for the Nov. 10 announcement.
• Back-to-Back: Bennett has now earned consecutive KCAC weekly honors, giving him two awards this season.
• Perfect Sweep: Bennett captured first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions against Kalamazoo.
• National Standards: All four diving performances by Bennett and Nibbelink surpassed their respective NAIA national qualifying minimum scores.
• Homegrown Talent: Both honorees hail from West Michigan, with Bennett representing Ludington and Nibbelink calling Grand Rapids home.

Coach's Comments

While the individual recognition is certainly something to celebrate, Aquinas head coach Kristy Hepp was quick to point out that the success of Bennett and Nibbelink reflects something much bigger happening throughout the Saints' swimming and diving programs.

"It's wonderful to see Evan and Emma receive this recognition because they have both worked incredibly hard and deserve to be celebrated," said Hepp. "But what makes these honors even more special is that they represent the commitment and effort we're seeing from our entire team, both men and women. Everyone is pushing each other to get better, and that collective effort is why Aquinas continues to compete at such a high level and gain recognition throughout the KCAC and on the NAIA national stage. I'm extremely proud of what this group is accomplishing together."

One More Thing...

Another week, another round of Player of the Week honors, and once again, multiple Saints are making their mark!

From the pool to the playing field, the court to the ice, Aquinas student-athletes continue to turn hard work into conference recognition. The names may change, but the commitment to excellence remains the same.

The only question now is ... who's next?

One thing is certain: It's a great day to be a Saint!