Tate Thomas swimming in 200 freestyle 2025 IWU Halloween Invite Oct. 25, 2025

ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO

Swim and Dive Completes IWU Halloween Invite

Women’s team finishes runner-up, Titans claim seven events

10/25/2025 5:34:00 PM

Final Results (PDF)

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's swimming and diving teams kicked off the 2025-26 season by hosting the IWU Halloween Invite Saturday, Oct. 25. The women's team finished with a runner-up performance, while the men's side finished fourth.

The meet marked the first under head coach Dan Lloyd and assistant coach Brooke Walker, and the duo guided IWU to seven first-place finishes.

The women's side began with the 500-yard freestyle relay team taking third with a time of 5:06.24. The unconventional event, which features a swimmer doing a 50-yard, 100-yard, 150-yard, and 200-yard free in that order, saw the quartet of freshman Ellen Hoover (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central), junior Claire Paule (Godfrey, Ill.-Alton), and seniors Julianna Boyle (Carol Stream, Ill.-Glenbard North) and Natalie Porter (Danville, Ill.-Danville) post a time of 5:06.24, nearly five seconds better than their entry time.

IWU took home first place in the 3x100-yard butterfly relay, clocking in at 3:09.29. The trio of Hoover, freshman Abby Schnittker (Lombard, Ill.-Willowbrook), and sophomore Isabella Cano (River Grove, Ill.-East Leyden) bested their seed time by nearly 11 seconds, finishing a second ahead of Rose-Hulman's second-place squad.

The Green and White also claimed the top spot in the 3x100-yard backstroke relay, going four seconds faster than the next team with a time of 3:08.01. The mark beat Illinois Wesleyan's entry time by 12 seconds, with a relay composed of senior Kayleigh Kuschewski (Batavia, Ill.-Batavia), junior Sam Borre (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant), and Porter.

Illinois Wesleyan's women's 3x100-yard breaststroke relay turned in a runner-up finish after dropping nearly nine seconds off its entry time. Kuschewski, and sophomores Julia Jozwiak (McHenry, Ill.-Wauconda) and Caroline Stenger (Westlake, Ohio-Westlake) clocked in at 3:50.14.

Porter brought home gold in two individual events on top of her relay performances. The senior finished first in the 200 free, dropping over two seconds from her seed time to finish with a time of 2:01.98. Porter finished her individual day with a first-place finish in the 500 free, besting the field by six seconds with a time of 5:25.83, a mark that was 10.25 seconds better than her entry time.

Making the most of her collegiate debut, Hoover finished second in the 200 fly, as she touched at 2:24.59, besting her seed time by six seconds. Schnittker also notched a second-place finish, as she clocked in at 55.49 in the 100 free.

In the 200 breast, Kuschewski claimed first with a time of 2:35.16, as she finished two seconds ahead of the field. Borre brought home a first-place finish in the 200 back, as she touched at 2:16.06.

IWU's 200-yard medley relay finished second, narrowly being edged out by Augustana with a time of 1:58.44. Porter, Kuschewski, Cano, and Schnittker teamed up to finish two seconds better than their entry time.

On the men's side, the Green and White also finished runner-up in the 200 medley relay, coming in with a time of 1:41.16. The mark was a five second improvement from the entry time, and featured a relay composed of senior Jay Jenkins (Aurora, Ill.-West Aurora) and sophomores Ben Huk (Des Plaines, Ill.-Maine West), Jacob Nacional (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook), and Tate Thomas (Joliet, Ill.-Joliet West).

The men's team saw seven top-five finishes in individual events during the season opener. Swimming the 50 free, Huk finished fifth, as he clocked a time of 23.98 to kick off the individual portion of the day for the Titans. Huk claimed a top-three finish in the 200 breast, as he notched third behind a time of 2:19.32, just missing his career-best time.

Coming out strong, Thomas took home the crown in the 200 free to complete the sweep in the mid-length event for the Green and White. Thomas touched at 1:47.21, dropping nearly nine seconds off his seed time, and just a second off his personal-best. Thomas finished the day with a second-place finish in the 500 free, clocking in at 4:57.32.

Nacional posted top-five finishes in the 200 fly and 100 free. In the butterfly, the Bolingbrook, Ill. native notched a time of 2:08.97 to finish fourth before closing out his day with a fifth-place finish in the 100 free (51.48).

Rounding out the men's top-five finishes, Jenkins posted a runner-up performance in the 200 back, touching at 2:05.44.

IWU will travel to Monmouth College for the Monmouth Invite Saturday, Nov. 1. Action is set to begin at 1 p.m. inside Pepper Natatorium.

Women's 50 free
4. Ellen Hoover, 26.84
5. Isabella Cano, 27.63
6. Libby Hamer, 28.08
13. Emilee Spicer, 29.92

Men's 50 free
5. Ben Huk, 23.98

Women's 200 free
1. Natalie Porter, 2:01.98
6. Claire Paule, 2:08.47

Men's 200 free
1. Tate Thomas, 1:47.21

Women's 200 fly
2. Ellen Hoover, 2:24.59

Men's 200 fly
4. Jacob Nacional, 2:08.97

Women's 200 back
1. Sam Borre, 2:16.06

Men's 200 back
2. Jay Jenkins, 2:05.44

Women's 200 breast
1. Kayleigh Kuschewski, 2:35.16
6. Caroline Stenger, 2:52.71

Men's 200 breast
3. Ben Huk, 2:19.32

Women's 100 free
2. Abby Schnittker, 55.49

Men's 100 free
5. Jacob Nacional, 51.48

Women's 500 free
1. Natalie Porter, 5:25.83
8. Julianna Boyle, 5:57.77
10. Emilee Spicer, 6:02.13
11. Caroline Stenger, 6:08.15

Men's 500 free
2. Tate Thomas, 4:57.32

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