The conference dynasty of the University of Denver Swim and Dive programs remained in control this past week after they captured both 2025 Summit League Championships.
The women’s squad continued their perfect conference title record and are now 12 for 12, since joining the Summit League in 2014. The men’s squad captured their 11th title in 12 years of membership with the conference.
The men’s and women’s teams both blew the competition out of the water in Iowa City, Iowa. The men’s team captured first place by 277.5 points over second-placed South Dakota, and the women’s team outpaced second-place South Dakota by 366 points.
DU won 33 events out of 42 and nearly swept the tally of individual awards.
Senior Jessica Maeda was the women’s MVP of the championships and was a force to be reckoned with all week.
Individually, Maeda captured her fourth straight conference title in the 200-yard, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley (IM) events. Maeda was also part of the winning relays for the 200-yard and 400-yard team medley events. Junior Ali Beay and graduate student Ines Marin were also part of both winning relay squads.
Maeda recorded NCAA B-standard times for the 200 and 100-yard breaststroke events.
The NCAA invites only 235 men and 281 women to compete at the NCAA Championships. If a swimmer records an A-standard time, which reflects that they are the fastest of the fastest, they automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.
If the swimmer records a B-standard time, they are not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Championships but are offered to compete in other competitions such as the National Invitational Championship (NIC).
Seven other NCAA B-standard cuts were earned by Crimson and Gold swimmers: Senior Frank Tirone in the 50-yard freestyle, junior Mina Ada Solaker and sophomore Sabrina Rachjaibun in the 400 IM, junior Joseph Hancock and senior Kieran Watson in the 1650-yard freestyle, senior Dylan Wright in the 200-yard backstroke and Marin in the 200 IM event.
On the men’s side, senior Brandon Chapman earned the men’s MVP swimmer of the championships.
Individually, Chapman captured the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events and combined with his relay squads to win the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays. Chapman recorded the third-best time in school history, 47.10, in the 100-yard butterfly victory.
The young talent stepped up as well, and freshman Hamish McLellan captured the men’s newcomer of the championship award.
McLellan combined with Chapman in the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay victories. He also captured second place in the 100-yard butterfly event and third-place finishes in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races.
The diving side of the competition did not break the pattern of complete dominance as all four diving events were won by a Denver diver.
Sophomore Savanna Berry made the most out of her first Summit League Championships appearance and captured both 1-meter and 3-meter titles. She also took away the women’s diving MVP award and earned an NCAA zone cut in the 1-meter event.
Senior Zyad Morsy earned his second straight men’s diving MVP award and swept the men’s diving events. Morsy also earned NCAA zone cuts in both events.
In the men’s 3-meter event, senior Nathan Cox earned an NCAA zone cut and second place. Freshman Colin Breuer completed the podium sweep for DU and earned third place.
On the women’s side, junior Kaitlin Calvery captured second place in the 1-meter event and a third-place finish in the 3-meter event. Calvary, Berry and senior Kaelyn Hinesely combined for the largest team diving score, 271.65, in program history.
Denver’s divers who recorded zone cuts (similar to the idea of A and B-standard times) this season will move on to compete in the NCAA Zone E qualifying competition to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships. The qualifying meet will be held on March 10-12 in Washington.
Finally, both DU coaches earned awards that have been repeatedly placed in the Ritchie Center trophy cases.
Head Swim and Diving Coach Alicia Hicken-Franklin swept the men’s and women’s swimming coach of the year awards for the third consecutive season. Hicken-Franklin now has nine total coach of the year awards, six for the women’s side and three for the men’s in just her sixth season with the program.
In his seventh year with the program, Head Diving Coach Aaron D’Addario swept the “Diving Coach of the Year” award for the fourth straight season. He now has 10 awards in the trophy case, six for the women’s and four for the men’s.
For the swimmers who did not record NCAA standard times and will not be invited to the NCAA Championships, they will participate in the NIC Championships in Ocala, Fla. Those swimmers will compete on March 12-15.
The NCAA Swim and Dive Championships will be in Federal Way, Wash. at the same location of the NCAA Zone E diving cuts. The women’s championships will be held on March 19-22, while the men’s will be held on March 26-29.
