Dan Lloyd with team post-IWU Halloween Invite Oct. 25, 2025

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Swim and Dive Shines at Monmouth Invite as Lloyd Notches First Win at IWU

Women’s team takes first, men finish second

11/1/2025 6:42:00 PM

Final Results (PDF)

MONMOUTH, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's swimming and diving team made its presence known at the Monmouth Invite, hosted by Monmouth College Saturday, Nov. 1. The women's team finished first behind 266 points, notching the first meet win in the Dan Lloyd era, while the men's team gutted out a second-place finish with 166 points. The Green and White posted 23 top-three touches, including 12 first-place finishes.

"I could not be more proud of the way our team competed today and showed heart in every race," Lloyd said. "We showed that even though we are small in numbers, we can accomplish great things. This was a huge step forward for our program and our team took great pride in representing IWU."

The men's team kicked off the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay. Senior Jay Jenkins (Aurora, Ill.-West Aurora) put the Green and White out in front, as he posted a personal-best 50-yard backstroke split of 25.57. Teaming up with sophomores Ben Huk (Des Plaines, Ill.-Maine West), Jacob Nacional (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook), and Tate Thomas (Joliet, Ill.-Joliet West), the quartet touched in at 1:40.95, exactly a second ahead of the pack.

Feeding off his PR, Jenkins took home medalist honors in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.17 to once again rewrite a personal-best effort. The senior then claimed first place in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing ahead of the field by three seconds (55.39).

Nacional notched a runner-up finish in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking in at 1:54.74. The Bolingbrook, Ill. native followed with a third-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly behind a time of 55.39.

Thomas began the IWU sweep in the 500-yard freestyle, as his time of 4:59.93 was nearly 14 seconds ahead of the next finisher. Competing in the 200-yard individual medley, Thomas finished third for the Titans with a time of 2:08.04, shaving a second off his lifetime-best effort in the event for a new personal record.

Behind the best time in his young collegiate career, Huk took home first place in the 100-yard breaststroke, as he touched at 1:02.34, two seconds ahead of the next finisher.

The men's team closed out its runner-up performance with a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:28.80).

"Our men had the smallest roster out of any team at the meet, but definitely made the biggest impact," Lloyd stated. "Our guys never back down from a challenge and I am extremely proud of them. They set the tone from the beginning of the meet in winning the 200 medley relay and got even stronger as the day went on."

Completing the 200 medley relay sweep, junior Sam Borre (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant), senior Kayleigh Kuschewski (Batavia, Ill.-Batavla), and freshmen Ellen Hoover (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) and Abby Schnittker (Lombard, Ill.-Willowbrook) touched at 1:56.29 to take home first place.

"Our women continued to build off of last week and really brought a lot of fight to the pool in closing out races which showed our toughness," said Lloyd. "They brought the energy all afternoon and it made an impact."

Senior Natalie Porter (Danville, Ill.-Danville) claimed first in the 200 free and 500 free for the second straight weekend. Behind a time of 2:03.87, Porter finished three seconds ahead of the next swimmer in the mid-length event. The Danville, Ill. native notched the top time in the 500 free to complete the long distance sweep for the Green and White with a time of 5:28.05. Junior Claire Paule (Godfrey, Ill.-Alton) finished runner-up behind her teammate, clocking in at 5:34.93.

Beginning her individual event efforts with the 200 IM, Kuschewski claimed the crown in the event with a time of 2:19.93. The senior followed with a runner-up effort in the 100 breast, clocking in at 1:14.04.

Hoover won her first collegiate individual event during the meet, as her time of 1:03.62 bested the field in the 100 fly by two seconds. The freshmen followed with a runner-up finish in the 100-yard freestyle to complete a one-two finish for the Titans with a time of 57.45.

The 100 free saw the freshmen duo of Schnitter-Hoover complete the one-two punch, as Schnittker recorded her first collegiate individual victory in the event with a time of 55.09, setting a new personal-best mark.

In the 100 back, Borre turned in a second-place effort behind a time of 1:03.47. Adding a top-three finish, sophomore Julia Jozwiak (McHenry, Ill.-Wauconda) touched at 2:09.56 in the 200 free to pick up big points for the Green and White. Junior Isabella Cano (River Grove, Ill.-East Leyden) also turned in a top-three finish, as her time of 26.66 in the 50 free was good for third.

Closing out the meet with the 400 free relay, Porter, Jozwiak, Hoover, and Schnittker combined to take home gold, as the foursome touched at 3:50.34, eight seconds ahead of the runner-up squad. IWU also tallied a third-place finish in the relay event, as Borre, Boyle, Cano, and Paule pieced together a relay that finished with a time of 4:06.12.

Illinois Wesleyan will travel to Olivet Nazarene University to face ONU and North Central College Saturday, Nov. 8. Action is set to begin at 10 a.m. inside Perry Center.

Individual Events
*indicates a personal-best time

Men's 200 free
2. Jacob Nacional, 1:54.74

Women's 200 free
1. Natalie Porter, 2:03.87
3. Julia Jozwiak, 2:09.56
8. Julianna Boyle, 2:13.27
9. Emilee Spicer, 2:17.84

Men's 200 IM
3. Tate Thomas, 2:08.04*

Women's 200 IM
1. Kayleigh Kuschewski, 2:19.93
4. Sam Borre, 2:23.99

Men's 50 free
1. Jay Jenkins, 22.17*
5. Ben Huk, 23.74

Women's 50 free
3. Isabella Cano, 26.66
8. Julia Jozwiak, 27.47
10. Claire Paule, 27.71
14. Libby Hamer, 28.33

Men's 100 fly
3. Jacob Nacional, 55.39

Women's 100 fly
1. Ellen Hoover, 1:03.62
5. Isabella Cano, 1:09.25

Women's 100 free
1. Abby Schnittker, 55.09*
2. Ellen Hoover, 57.45
13. Emilee Spicer, 1:05.04*

Men's 500 free
1. Tate Thomas, 4:59.93

Women's 500 free
1. Natalie Porter, 5:28.05
2. Claire Paule, 5:34.93
7. Julianna Boyle, 5:59.96
10. Caroline Stenger, 6:05.30

Men's 100 back
1. Jay Jenkins, 55.39

Women's 100 back
2. Sam Borre, 1:03.47
9. Libby Hamer, 1:12.20

Men's 100 breast
1. Ben Huk, 1:02.34

Women's 100 breast
2. Kayleigh Kuschewski, 1:14.04
5. Caroline Stenger, 1:19.17

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