MALIBU, Calif. — Seattle University’s men’s and women’s swimming teams delivered a series of strong performances in a two-day tri-meet against the University of Denver and Pepperdine University’s women’s team, highlighted by a program-record sprint, relay victories and several top finishes.
"This was a wonderful weekend of racing down in Malibu," said Assistant Coach Jack Neton. "This meet was two equal parts of importance: team performance and community building amongst WCC member institutions. I’m proud of the way we showed up for both tasks."
Men’s Team: Record-Breaking Sprint and Relay Success
Seattle U’s men made their mark throughout Saturday’s competition, earning multiple event victories and posting several top finishes across the lineup.
Hennig Colsman led the Redhawks in the sprint freestyle events, winning the 50-yard freestyle in a program-record 19.78 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle in 44.27 seconds. His 50-yard performance broke his previous tie with Nicholas Imig for the top mark in program history, surpassing the former record of 19.88 seconds.
Hawkins Wendt added to Seattle U’s sprint success, finishing second in the 50-yard freestyle in 19.93 seconds and third in the 100-yard butterfly in 49.83 seconds.
Danielis Kvederis also delivered a standout performance, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 4:29.19 ahead of Denver’s Pierce Bickerton, who finished in 4:31.20. Kvederis added a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:36.95.
The Redhawks continued to excel in the backstroke events. Alex Nemirovsky won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:48.63 and placed second in the 100-yard backstroke in 50.18 seconds. Both performances earned spots among the top 10 times in program history, ranking seventh and 10th, respectively.
Seattle U also showcased its depth in the relays. The quartet of Kvederis, Collins, Wendt and Colsman won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:28.33, while Nemirovsky, Headon-Weeks, Cesmat and Dawson finished second in 1:29.43. The two performances rank fifth and ninth, respectively, in program history.
The Redhawks added another relay victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay, clocking 1:20.32 for the fifth-fastest time in program history.
Additional highlights included Keanu Lee’s second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:49.52 and Nathan Headon-Weeks’ runner-up performance in the 100-yard breaststroke in 55.07 seconds.
Women’s Team: Individual Standouts and Strong Relay Finishes
Seattle U’s women turned in several impressive individual performances, with Ruth Magnotti, Kaitlyn Mero, Mia David, Amanda Miller and Molly Magnuson among the team’s leading contributors.
Magnotti placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:02.95, recording the fifth-fastest time in program history. David finished third in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.00 seconds, while Miller earned second place in the 100-yard butterfly in 56.49 seconds.
Magnuson delivered a consistent showing in the backstroke events, placing fifth in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.90 seconds before finishing fourth in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:04.02.
Mero made her mark in the program record book with two notable performances. She recorded the eighth-fastest time in program history in the 400-yard individual medley, finishing in 4:31.80, and the ninth-fastest time in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:21.63.
The Redhawks also recorded strong finishes in the freestyle events. Giselle Hollis placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:54.57 and sixth in the 100-yard freestyle in 52.11 seconds. Mero added an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:56.12.
In the distance events, Lila McGeachy led Seattle U in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing ninth in 5:09.46. The Redhawks also earned contributions across the butterfly and breaststroke events, highlighting the team’s depth across multiple disciplines.
Seattle U’s women closed out the relay events with a pair of second-place finishes. The 200-yard medley relay team of Magnuson, Magnotti, Miller and David finished in 1:43.95, recording the fourth-fastest time in program history. The 200-yard freestyle relay quartet of Bennett, Miller, Hollis and David followed with a time of 1:35.01, ranking seventh in the program record book.
"We rose up well for both sessions, especially with an early travel day on Friday," Neton added. "Among multiple new top 10 entries, we had a few surprising PR’s that are promising this early in the season. Our relay performances certainly highlighted our competitive positioning in this conference."
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