Chicago, Ill. -- The Thunder women's swimming & diving team headed into the Windy City on Saturday afternoon for the first meet of its 2026-27 schedule, the Chicagoland Triangular. Hosted by the University of Chicago, Wheaton competed against the Maroons and the Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks in a double dual. The Orange and Blue topped IIT by a score of 192 to 53 today, while UChicago, ranked seventh in the country in this year's CSCAA Division III preseason poll, bested the Thunder, 206-77.

Three divers took part in today's 1-meter competition for Wheaton, and senior Renata Marantz was the Thunder's highest finisher in the eight-woman field thanks to a score of 147.90. Fellow veteran Isabelle Fitzpatrick came in fifth with a 139.35 tally, and Kate Tukiendorf registered a mark of 101.60 from the 1-meter board.

The Thunder swim team began the day's program with a third-place finish in the women's 200-yard medley relay, as Kate Zurowski, Lydia Hansen, Tess Boyer, and Aubrey Swanson combined to post a 1:52.20 time that came in just behind two quartets from UChicago on marks of 1:51.32 and 1:52.16.

Boyer was the standout performer for Wheaton this afternoon, as the All-American kicked off her senior season with three individual event wins. The Kansas native topped the seven-woman 100-yard backstroke field as the only competitor to finish the race in less than one minute on a 57.80 time. Boyer then beat her Chicago runner-up challenger in the 200-yard breaststroke to the wall by more than seven seconds via a 2:23.30 count. The decorated fourth-year athlete closed out her successful day in the pool with a first-place finish in the 11-swimmer 200-yard IM, registering a time of 2:06.49 to again win the race by a seven-second margin.

Relay teammate Hansen was the Thunder's other podium-topper on Saturday. The sophomore posted the fastest time of three participants in the 100-yard breaststroke at a 1:12.50 count.

Fellow sophomore Allison Henschel was Wheaton's highest-finisher in the 200-yard freestyle competition, coming in fourth with a 2:01.81 showing. Swanson earned a fifth-place finish in the full 14-woman 50-yard freestyle event thanks to a 25.22 time and then went one better, coming in fourth in the 100 free via a 55.87 mark. Henschel also collected a third-place standing in the 500 free after logging a time of 5:31.26.

After beginning the new season with a team win and strong individual performances, Wheaton will have next weekend off from competition. The squad will take to the Lederhouse Natatorium pool for the first time on Friday, November 6 when the Thunder welcome UW-Milwaukee to town for a dual meet.