Wheaton, Ill. -- The Wheaton swimming and diving teams took to the Lederhouse Natatorium pool for the last time this season on Friday and Saturday, as the Orange and Blue welcomed fellow CCIW programs Augustana College and North Central College to campus for the Thunder Invitational. The meet was originally scheduled to be a quad involving Millikin University, as well, but the central Illinois side had transportation issues on Friday and decided not to make the long drive amid inclement weather. Wheaton wrapped up its home slate for the 2025-26 season in successful fashion this weekend, as both the men's and women's squads triumphed in the three-team competition.

The meet began on Friday evening with 18 individual swimming events contested by Wheaton and North Central, before Augustana joined for the remainder of the program this afternoon. The Thunder were the only one of the three programs to field divers in this weekend's competition, and eight divers logged scores for Wheaton on Saturday. When all the final marks had been tallied, the Wheaton men finished the meet in first with a total of 536 points. Augustana was second on 445 points, and North Central came in third with 55 points. The order was the same in the women's meet, as the Thunder earned 472 points, the Vikings tallied 437, and the Cardinals collected 128.

Midway through today's swimming schedule, Wheaton recognized the ten graduating divers and swimmers on this year's roster as part of its annual Senior Day celebration and honored each student-athlete for their contributions to the program over the last four years. (Senior Day ceremony pictured at right) 

Three women's divers represented Wheaton in this weekend's invitational. Renata Marantz was the only participant on both boards for the Thunder, and she tallied a score of 123.80 from one meter and a season-best 270.35 from three meters. Kate Tukiendorf joined Marantz in the six-dive 1-meter field and logged a season-high total of 118.60. Senior diver Isabelle Fitzpatrick took 11 jumps from the 1-meter board on Saturday and earned a season-best tally of 253.80 that ranks fourth in the conference this year.

Savannah Jeffery, one of the ten seniors honored on Saturday, bagged the opening event win of the women's meet this weekend with a first-place finish in the 50-yard backstroke. Tess Boyer then earned the first of her three individual race victories by posting a CCIW-best time of 26.46 seconds in the 50-yard butterfly. Aubrey Swanson was one second behind her as the runner-up with the conference's third-fastest time in the event. Lydia Hansen matched Boyer on a first-place swim with a conference-leading time thanks to her mark of 31.84 in the 50-yard breaststroke. Boyer came in second in the event with the third-best time in the league at 32.09 seconds. The senior Olivia Wiebe was the lone women's swimmer to participate in the 1000-yard freestyle on Friday, but she made the most of the opportunity, registering a time of 10:48.94 that leads the CCIW this season by a sizable 11-second margin. Madi Emmitt then closed out the first day's program with a season-best time of 20:45.49 in the 1650 free to better her two North Central competitors by more than six seconds.

Anna Shelton finished first in the opening individual event of the women's meet on Saturday afternoon, logging a season-best mark of 5:12.70 in the 400-yard IM. Wiebe then placed first in the 15-swimmer 200 free by nearly two seconds with a 1:58.45 time that ranks fourth in the conference this year. Boyer collected her second solo win of the weekend in the 50-yard free via a mark of 24.62 seconds that is the second-quickest mark in the league. Rookie teammate Kate Zurowski was the 14-woman race's runner-up with a 26.07 line. Another senior, Louise Adams, had a standout showing in the 100-yard IM, tallying a winning 1:06.05 count that ranks third in the CCIW this year.

Aubrey Swanson earned a first-place standing in the women's 100 fly via a time of 1:02.64 to win the event by 1.3 seconds. Wiebe grabbed her second victory of the meet in the 100-yard backstroke thanks to a 1:00.60 time that is currently third-fastest in the conference. Boyer then came within 0.7 seconds of setting another program record, winning the 500 free with a 5:01.52 mark that leads the league by 8.6 seconds and currently ranks 23rd in Division III this year. Hansen then closed out the individual events with a first-place finish in the 10-woman 100-yard breaststroke, tallying a 1:08.69 count to win the competition by 2.4 seconds.
 

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In the men's diving competitions, senior Mateo Anderson returned to the team and competed for the first time this season on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. He earned respective scores of 345.80 and 313.55 after 11 dives, both of which lead Wheaton this season and are the second-highest marks in the CCIW. Zachary Kohoutek tallied a score of 251.75 in the 3-meter field after 11 dives, which puts him third in the conference in the event. Josiah Ferguson posted a score of 255.50 on the 1-meter board and 241.70 from three meters, good for fourth in the league in each. 

Senior swimmer Sam Yonan earned the first podium-topping finish in the swimming competitions this weekend by winning the men's 50-yard backstroke with a season-best time of 25.68 seconds. Luke Anderson was second on a 27.28 line. Ben Coley then claimed the first of his two event wins for the weekend with a CCIW-leading mark of 23.48 in the 50-yard butterfly. Teammate Isaac Bubar posted the fifth-quickest time in the conference in the same race with a 24.32 showing. Solomon Berg was the fastest of the five Wheaton swimmers who took part in the 50-yard breaststroke, putting up a season-best 28.20 time. 

Saturday's program began with a mixed 200-yard medley relay, and a Thunder quartet finished first in both the medley and 200-yard freestyle relays this afternoon. But both races consisted of men's and women's swimmers competing on the same team and served as exhibition practice without counting towards each school's point totals for the weekend. Sophomore Jed Ritchie logged his best showing of the year in the men's 400 IM, coming in second behind an Augustana senior with a time of 4:12.33 that ranks third in the conference. Kohoutek then earned a runner-up placement in the 13-man 200 free via a 1:48.74 mark. Isaac Eilmes was just behind him in third on a time of 1:49.04. 

Jac Cummings finished second in the 15-swimmer 50-yard free on a 21.64 count before immediately winning the 100 IM thanks to a 53.64 performance that is second-fastest in the CCIW. Coley posted a time of 55.24 in the same race to place second and vault into third in the league. Bubar topped the field in the 100 fly, while senior teammate Josh Elsen was the runner-up. Coley then captured his second solo victory of the meet in the men's 100-yard backstroke, registering a time of 54.70, with Yonan placing second on a season-best mark of 55.11.

After enjoying a celebratory weekend to round out their 2025-26 home slate, the Thunder squads will compete against Augustana College again right away, as Wheaton travels to Rock Island for its final dual meet of the year next Saturday.