The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are preparing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Swimming Championships, scheduled for February 18-21 at the Recplex in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The Titans approach the event with 28 times ranked within the top 15 in the conference. Senior Kayleigh Kuschewski holds five of these positions, ranking fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke, sixth in the 400-yard individual medley, seventh in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley, and ninth in the 200-yard backstroke. Senior Natalie Porter is also among the leaders with four top-15 times: third in the 1650-yard freestyle, fourth in the 500-yard freestyle, tenth in the 200-yard freestyle, and twelfth in the 200 individual medley.
Freshman Abby Schnittker ranks fourth in the 100-yard butterfly, fifth in the 100-yard freestyle, and ninth in the 50-yard freestyle. Junior Sam Borre has achieved third place in the 200 backstroke, eighth in the 100-yard backstroke, and tenth in the 500 free.
Other notable performances include freshman Ellen Hoover’s fourth-fastest time in the 200-yard butterfly and ninth place in the 200 IM. Junior Claire Paule holds sixth place for the 1650 free and eleventh for the 500 free. Senior Julianna Boyle rounds out women’s top marks with twelfth place in the 1650 free.
On the men’s side, sophomore Tate Thoams is ranked ninth for the 500 free, eleventh for both the 200 free and seventh for his performance in the 1650 free. Sophomore Jacob Nacional sits seventh for his time in the 200 fly and thirteenth for his work on distance events. Senior Jay Jenkins enters with two eleventh-place rankings—in both backstroke events—while sophomore Ben Huk stands fifteenth overall for his performance in breaststroke.
At last year’s CCIW Championships, Porter claimed her second consecutive championship title for her efforts on long-distance events: “Porter claimed her second straight championship in the 1650 free, becoming the first Titan since Meg Stanley to win that event back-to-back.” She also received All-CCIW honors with a second-place finish for her work on mid-distance races. Isabella Cano earned all-conference honors by placing third overall on butterfly sprints. Kuschewski finished runner-up on a backstroke event to secure All-CCIW recognition for a third consecutive season.
The meet will be available via live stream behind a paywall; additional information about results, ticket prices, schedules, and more can be accessed online.
Illinois Wesleyan Titans women’s swimming and diving program operates from Bloomington, Illinois as part of NCAA Division III athletics within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The team hosts its competitions at Fort Natatorium in Bloomington and includes student-athletes from all undergraduate years on its roster.
