Hobart, Ind. — Anticipation had been building for months, but as the Aquinas women's and men's swim & dive teams arrived in northwest Indiana, it was clear this week carried uncommon weight. The 2026 KCAC Swimming & Diving Championships, held February 4–7 at the Hobart Aquatic Center, represented an opportunity — one that Head Coach Kristy Hepp believed her teams were ready to seize. With confidence trending upward and preparation firmly in place, the Saints arrived prepared to turn belief into results.
Fittingly, with the Olympic Games opening this same week, the timing felt symbolic. As Whitney Houston once sang, "Give me one moment in time." For Aquinas Swim & Dive, that moment arrived in Hobart.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 (DAY 1)
Aquinas opened the KCAC Championships with a confident and composed start, stacking early relay points and setting the tone on both sides.
The Aquinas women placed fourth in the opening 800-yard freestyle relay (8:05.13), led by Chloe Boivin, Hannah Brown, Adriana Waller, and Amelia Edens, earning 30 points. Momentum continued in the 200 freestyle relay, where Addie Osborne, Boivin, Edens, and Brown surged to a second-place finish in 1:36.70.
On the men's side, Aquinas opened with a school-record performance in the 800 freestyle relay, as Titus Smith, Liam Sneller, Stan Tibben, and Lucas Eussen touched in 6:57.42. The Saints followed with another top-five finish in the 200 freestyle relay behind Talon Koppmann, Luke Martin, Smith, and Matt Dumbsky.
Thursday, February 5, 2026 (DAY 2)
As the meet reached its midpoint, Aquinas continued to build momentum through balanced swimming and a decisive showing on the diving boards.
Day 2 Swimming
The Aquinas women opened the evening with a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay, once again clocking 1:36.70. In individual events, Adriana Waller led the women in the 500 freestyle, while Dailey Jogan, Baylee Davis, and Riley Monahan added depth points.
On the men's side, Liam Sneller and Nate Fisher scored in the 500 freestyle. Aquinas placed multiple swimmers in championship finals in the 200 IM, highlighted by Emersyn Joslin on the women's side and Stan Tibben and Luke Martin for the men.
Sprint events followed, with Hannah Brown placing third in the women's 50 freestyle, while Koppmann and Dumbsky paced the men. The night closed with strong 400 medley relay performances from both squads.
Day 2 Diving
The diving boards swung the team race firmly in AQ's favor. On the women's side, Emma Nibbelink, Taylor Moss, Kaitlyn Santaguida, and Anna Benstead all placed inside the top six on one-meter. For the men, Evan Bennett claimed the three-meter conference title, supported by Cooper Wasson, Troy Borrero, Major Vance, and Sawyer Shank.
"The Right Way to Play" Demonstrated
After the Aquinas team bus broke down, the College of Saint Mary Athletics Department stepped in to provide transportation, ensuring the Saints arrived safely and on time — a powerful Champions of Character moment in the midst of championship pressure.
Friday, February 6, 2026 (DAY 3)
As the championships moved into Friday, Aquinas continued to assert itself as one of the meet's most complete programs, stacking finals appearances and leaning again on diving excellence to position itself for a decisive final day.
Day 3 Swimming
Friday opened with statement swims in the 200 medley relays. The Aquinas women finished third in 1:48.27 behind Emersyn Joslin, Elena Cavadas, Amelia Edens, and Hannah Brown. The men matched the result with Smith, Martin, Koppmann, and Dumbsky, finishing third in a school-record 1:32.72 — a momentum-swinging performance.
Butterfly events showcased AQ's depth, while the 400 IM proved pivotal. Amelia Edens placed third for the women, while Lucas Eussen mirrored that result on the men's side. Additional points flowed from Emma Hale, Lily Heath, Elisabeth Zubal, Riley Monahan, Charlotte Boehm, Stan Tibben, and Carl Goeckel.
Middle-distance freestyle and breaststroke continued to produce, highlighted by Luke Martin's second-place finish in the men's 100 breaststroke.
Day 3 Diving
Diving again delivered. Evan Bennett captured the men's one-meter title, with Troy Borrero and Major Vance completing the podium. Emma Nibbelink finished runner-up on women's three-meter, joined by Taylor Moss, Benstead, and Santaguida, sending AQ into Saturday with championship momentum.
Saturday, February 7, 2026 (DAY 4)
With history within reach, Aquinas delivered a championship-caliber final day.
Distance events opened strong, led by Lucas Eussen's second-place finish in the men's 1650 freestyle. Backstroke and sprint freestyle followed, with Joslin, Edens, Titus Smith, and Hannah Brown all delivering key point-scoring swims.
The defining moment came in the men's 200-yard butterfly. With the title on the line, Lucas Eussen surged to second place (1:56.22) while Stan Tibben followed in fourth (1:58.47). As the points were tallied, the Saints erupted — Aquinas had secured the KCAC Men's Team Championship, the first in program history.
The meet closed with strong 400 freestyle relay performances from both squads, sealing a historic weekend.
A Weekend to Remember: Saints Men Secure KCAC Championship, Women Set New Program Standard
When the final scores were posted, Aquinas stood atop the conference. The Saints men claimed the KCAC Championship with 682 points, edging Olivet Nazarene by 13 points, while the women delivered the highest finish in program history, placing second overall with 635 points.
Final KCAC Standings
Women - Team Scores
|
Place
|
School
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Bethel University (Indiana)
|
767. 50
|
|
2
|
Aquinas College
|
635
|
|
3
|
Olivet Nazarene University
|
609
|
|
4
|
University of Saint Mary
|
498
|
|
5
|
College of Saint Mary (Ne)
|
296
|
|
6
|
Dordt University
|
182.5
|
|
7
|
Midland University
|
182
|
|
8
|
Morningside University
|
146
|
|
9
|
Sterling College
|
135
|
Men – Team Scores
|
Place
|
School
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Aquinas College
|
682
|
|
2
|
Olivet Nazarene University
|
669
|
|
3
|
Midland University
|
635
|
|
4
|
Morningside University
|
486
|
|
5
|
Bethel University (Indiana)
|
289
|
|
6
|
University of Saint Mary
|
259
|
|
7
|
Dordt University
|
228
|
|
8
|
Sterling College
|
90
|
Notes, News, Records & Notables
Men
- The 800-yard freestyle relay of Titus Smith, Liam Sneller, Stan Tibben, and Lucas Eussen shattered the school record in the opening event of the week, finishing in 6:57.42.
- Evan Bennett became Aquinas' first dual-board conference champion, winning both diving events by a wide margin. Bennett captured the 1-meter title with a meet-record score of 289.45 and followed with a dominant win on the 3-meter board (279.05).
- Freshman Cooper Wasson earned bronze on 3-meter, followed by Troy Borrero (4th), Major Vance (5th), and Sawyer Shank (6th).
- On 1-meter, Borrero and Vance completed the podium with silver and bronze, while Wasson (5th) and Shank (6th) added depth scoring.
- Collectively, the men's divers contributed 158 points, proving decisive in the team championship.
- Lucas Eussen was the men's high-point scorer of the meet and set four school records:
- 200 butterfly – 1:55.70
- 400 IM – 4:09.57
- 1000 freestyle – 10:03.78 (opening leg of his 1650)
- 1650 freestyle – 16:37.88
Eussen finished second in the 200 butterfly and 1650 freestyle and third in the 400 IM.
- Additional crucial top-3 podium finishes included Luke Martin in the 100 and 200 breaststroke (2nd and 3rd), and Titus Smith in the 200 backstroke (3rd).
- The men's 200 medley relay of Titus Smith, Luke Martin, Talon Koppmann, and Matt Dumbsky set the tone and reset the championship mentality, finishing third overall with a school-record time of 1:32.72.
- The Aquinas men were crowned KCAC Champions, beating rival Olivet Nazarene by 13 points in a hard-fought battle.
Women
- The 200 medley relay of Emersyn Joslin, Elena Cavadas, Amelia Edens, and Hannah Brown shattered the previous school record with a 1:48.27.
- Freshman Hannah Brown broke two school records:
- 100 freestyle – 53.15 (breaking her own record)
- 200 freestyle – 1:58.39 (breaking the longest-standing record on the women's team)
Brown competed on all five women's relays and owned the fastest splits in the 50 and 100.
- Brown was the second-highest point scorer on the women's side, finishing 3rd in the 50 free, 5th in the 200 free, and 4th in the 100 free.
- Amelia Edens was the women's highest point scorer of the meet, totaling 94 individual points. She finished 3rd in the 400 IM and 100 backstroke, 4th in the 200 backstroke, and contributed on all five relays.
- Boivin, Joslin, and Osborne played integral roles in both individual and relay races.
- Boivin finished 8th in the 50 free, 7th in the 200 free, and 8th in the 100 free.
- Osborne finished 6th in the 50 free.
- Joslin finished 3rd in the 200 backstroke and 4th in the 100 backstroke.
- Junior captain Emma Hale clinched finals swims in all three events, finishing 7th in the 400 IM, 6th in the 100 backstroke, and 6th in the 200 backstroke.
- Sophomore Adriana Waller finished 7th in the 200 fly and 8th in the 200 freestyle.
- Freshman Elena Cavadas became the first Aquinas swimmer to qualify for the final heat in any breaststroke event. In her inaugural KCAC meet, she set school records in:
- 100 breaststroke – 1:07.94
- 200 breaststroke – 2:33.84
Cavadas was also a crucial member of the school-record setting medley relays.
- The women's 400 freestyle relay record (3:36.11) was set by Boivin, Osborne, Edens, and Brown.
- Women's diving proved critical to the runner-up finish, contributing 121 points:
- 1M: Emma Nibbelink (2nd, 174.35), Taylor Moss (3rd, 166.40), Kaitlyn Santaguida (4th, 144.75), Anna Benstead (6th, 106.60)
- 3M: Nibbelink (2nd, 180.00), Moss (3rd, 172.40), Benstead (5th, 126.30), Santaguida (6th, 120.20)
- The Aquinas women finished as KCAC Runner-Ups — the highest conference finish in program history.
National Qualifiers
Women
Aquinas will be well represented on the national stage, led by Hannah Brown (50 free, 100 free, 200 free) along with multiple relay qualifications. Amelia Edens earned national consideration in the 400 IM and backstroke events, while Elena Cavadas qualified in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke. The Saints' relay depth will also be on display, with multiple relays meeting NAIA standards throughout the meet.
Men
The Saints men will send a strong contingent to nationals, highlighted by Lucas Eussen (200 fly, 400 IM, 1650 free, plus relay events) after setting four school records. Evan Bennett will represent AQ on both diving boards following his dual-board championship performance. Additional qualifiers include Luke Martin in breaststroke events, Titus Smith in backstroke, and multiple relay groups that met national standards during the meet.
Coach's Comments
An ecstatic head coach Kristy Hepp reflected on the moment:
"To say I'm incredibly proud would be an understatement. Winning our first men's conference title and seeing our women achieve the highest finish in program history speaks to the culture this group has built. Our 19 graduates provided leadership, belief, and consistency, and every swimmer and diver played a role. This was a true team championship, and I'm honored to coach a group that competes for one another every day."
Up Next
Following a historic KCAC Championships — highlighted by the men's first conference title and a program-best runner-up finish for the women — Aquinas now turns its focus to the NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships, set for March 4–7 at the Elkhart Aquatic Center. What happened in Hobart was special, but the Saints know the journey continues — and they'll look to show the nation that while this weekend was great, every day is a great day to be a Saint.
