2025-26 NSIC Swimming & Diving Postseason Awards Introduced

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 26, 2026

NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Swimmer of the Year

Sophie Leo (Back/Free, Jr., Blaine, Minn. / Blaine HS) – Concordia-St. Paul

– Tallied three All-America Finishes, making finals in three occasions at NCAA Swimming Championships

– Recorded a fourth-place end within the 100-Back at NCAA Swimming Championships

– Notched a ninth-place end within the 100-free at NCAA Swimming Championships

– Hit 4 NCAA B-Cuts on the NSIC Swimming and Diving Championships

– Became an NSIC Champion in each the 100-Free and 50-Free

– Gathered 4 All-NSIC Finishes on the NSIC Swimming and Diving Championships

-Recorded 17 first-place finishes this season and led all NSIC Swimmers at NCAA Championships

NSIC Diver of the Year

Avery Lommel (Diver, Jr., Delano, Minn. / Delano HS) – Augustana

– Placed fifth on the NCAA Championships in each the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, incomes first group All-America honors in each 

– Earned NSIC Championships in each the 1m and 3m dive

– Reset program data within the 11 dive in each occasions, scoring as excessive as a 462.75 within the 1m and 474.35 within the 3m

NSIC Freshman of the Year

Olivia Gibbons (Breast/Free, Fr., Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS) – University of Mary

– Achieved two NCAA “B” qualifying cuts through the season

– Broke college data within the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke

– Swam on 4 relay groups that set new program data

– Recorded one first-place end, one second-place end, three third-place finishes and one fifth-place end on the convention meet

– Earned All-NSIC honors

– Helped UMary full an undefeated twin meet season

NSIC Diving Coach of the Year

Andrew Makepeace – Augustana

– Coached Avery Lommel to a pair of NSIC Championships within the 1m and 3m dive

– Mentored Lommel to new program data in each occasions

– Coached Lommel to a pair of All-America performances, ending fifth in each the 1m and 3m Dives on the NCAA Championships

– Second consecutive Diving Coach of the Year Honor 

NSIC Swimming Coach of the Year

Nathan Owens – Minnesota State

– Led the Mavericks to their fourth NSIC Swimming & Diving Championship

– Coached NSIC Swimmer of the Meet Savannah Acker, who scored 80 factors on the NSIC Championships

– Coached Acker to All-American Honorable Mention honors within the 100 backstroke at NCAA Championships

– Named NSIC Swim Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his profession

About the NSIC

The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II convention with establishments positioned in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a mannequin Division II convention that makes use of high-level athletics competitors to develop champions within the classroom and group whereas empowering student-athletes to be impactful and optimistic leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (males’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (girls’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the previous quarter century, maturing right into a union of Upper Midwest faculties and universities. The NSIC has received 27 group nationwide championships and topped 126 particular person nationwide champions. For extra data, go to NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II

The NCAA, the nationwide governing physique for school athletics, is a volunteer affiliation of greater than 1,000 faculties and universities that classify their athletics packages in certainly one of three membership divisions. The 300+ establishments in NCAA Division II help a balanced strategy during which student-athletes can earn scholarships primarily based on their athletic potential, pursue their desired tutorial diploma, and take part in all of the campus and surrounding group have to supply. Division II student-athletes yearly graduate at charges increased than their pupil physique friends, they usually have entry to the most effective championships-participant ratio among the many NCAA’s three divisions. Division II offers student-athletes the distinctive alternative to compete within the classroom, on the sphere, of their profession, for his or her causes, and on their phrases. For extra data, go to NCAA.org. 

 

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