Denison Men Claim NCAC Swimming & Diving Title

The Denison men captured their second-consecutive and 15th overall crown, as competition wrapped up on Saturday night at the 2025 NCAC Swimming & Diving Championships at the Trumbull Aquatics Center on the campus of Denison University.
 
The Big Red, who captured the team title with 1,958.5 points, logged 32 All-NCAC finishes in the 21 events contested and collected 13 NCAC titles over the four-day meet. The Kenyon men finished second overall with 1741.5 points after winning six events and posting 19 All-NCAC performances, while John Carroll checked in at third with 1,192.5 points and an event title. DePauw finished fourth overall with 1095 points, followed by Wabash (1030), Wooster (789.5), Oberlin (786), Ohio Wesleyan (450) and Wittenberg (173).
 
Denison junior Jack Hill (Leighton Buzzard, U.K./Cedars Upper) was named the 2026 NCAC Men's Swimmer of the Year after winning every single event that he competed in. Hill claimed his first gold medal in the 800 free relay on Wednesday night along with sophomore Nick Hensel (Houston, TX/St. Johns) and juniors Luke Swiggett (Berkeley, CA/Berkeley) and Devin Testin (Mequon, WI/Homestead). The quartet reset the NCAC record with a winning time of 6:27.16 in the 800. On Thursday, the junior earned the Big Red their fourth straight 200 IM title, posting an NCAA "B" cut time of 1:47.02 and then he and teammates first-year Ben Bevill (Chattanooga, TN/McCallie School), junior Liam Nelson (Pakkret, Thailand/International School Bangkok) and first-year Sam Hibbert (Toronto, Canada/Crestwood Prep) ended the night with the 400 medley relay title after touching the wall in 3:12.79. Then on Friday, Hill claimed the 200 free title in 1:35.66, which reset another NCAC record, before he and teammates Hensel and first-years Cam Blevins-Mohr (Lake Stevens, WA/Lake Stevens) and Sam Hibbert (Toronto, Canada/Crestwood Prep) reset the NCAC record with a winning time of 1:18.42 in the 200-free relay. The NCAA "B" cut performance finished just 0.36 seconds off the NCAA record.
 
In the diving well, Kenyon first-year Chase Smith (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) claimed both the NCAC Men's Diver of the Year and Men's Newcomer of the Year awards. On Wednesday, the rookie claimed runner-up honors, posting a regional qualifying score of 497.15 on the three-meter board before earning gold on the one-meter board with another regional qualifying score of 509.35 on Friday.
 
Additionally, after earning the NCAC championship title, Denison collected both the NCAC Men's Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year and the Men's Diving Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Big Red head coach Gregg Parini, in his 39th year, along with associate head coach Kellen Beckwith and assistant coach Kristen Skroski have earned their second-consecutive Men's Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year honor, and the program's 12th-career overall award. The Denison men collected 13 event titles and broke six NCAC records: 200 free (1:35.66), 100 IM (48.81), 200 freestyle relay (1:18.42), 400 free relay (2:54.42), 800 free relay (6:27.16), 200 medley relay (1:26.68). Denison head diving coach Kai Robinson, in his first year with the Big Red, earned the Men's Diving Coaching Staff of the Year award. The Big Red posted a two-three-four finish on the one-meter board along with a one-three-four finish on the three-meter board, with senior Nick Fogle (Corcoran, MN/Orono) earning gold.
 
Saturday's event winners:
 
1650 Freestyle
Denison sophomore George Goins (Charlotte, NC/McCallie School) started the night off capturing the Big Red's fifth-consecutive 1650 free title with an NCAA "B" cut time of 15:24.75.
 
100 Individual Medley
Denison junior Jack Hill (Leighton Buzzard, U.K./Cedars Upper) earned the Big Red their fifth-straight 100 individual medley title in record-setting fashion, touching the wall in a new NCAC record time of 48.81.
 
200 Backstroke
Wabash sophomore Ryan West (Apex, NC/Middle Creek) captured the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:46.42, to earn the Little Giants their first-ever NCAC title in the event and their first individual event title since 2019.
 
100 Freestyle
Kenyon senior Djordje Dragojlovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Nada Dimic) captured the 100 free championship crown with an NCAA "B" cut time of 43.58. He is the first-ever swimmer in the event to win four-straight titles.
 
200 Breaststroke
John Carroll junior Bart Kubis (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) took gold in the 200 breaststroke in an NCAA "B" cut time of 2:00.78. He earned the Blue Streaks their first-ever NCAC title at the championships.
 
200 Butterfly
Kenyon senior Ethan Manske (Santa Fe, NM/St. Michaels) brought the 200 butterfly title back to Gambier after outpacing the field in an NCAA "B" cut time of 1:48.41.
 
400 Freestyle Relay
Denison defended its 400 free relay title in record-setting fashion, as the Big Red touched the wall in an NCAA "B" cut time of 2:54.42. The Denison championship team included Hill, sophomore Nick Hensel (Houston, TX/St. Johns), first-year Cam Blevins-Mohr (Lake Stevens, WA/Lake Stevens) and sophomore Harry Parsons (San Rafael, CA/Bay School).

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