Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
MONMOUTH, Ill. (Nov. 1, 2025)- The North Central College men's and women's swimming and diving team continued their season on the road in Monmouth, Ill., where they took part in the Monmouth College Invite. Stacked up against five other teams, the men's and women's teams placed sixth in their respective meets at Pepper Natatorium.
The men's team had eight entries across six events in the Monmouth Invite. Mihir Chandra participated in two events, achieving top three finishes in both. In the 50-yard freestyle, Chandra placed third with a time of 23.10. Chandra also swam in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing with a time of 1:05.15. Griffin Laurin competed in three events, where he placed fourth, fifth, and sixth. Laurin's fourth-place finish came in the 100-yard fly, where he clocked in a time of 1:00.16, which is a 1.55-second improvement on his season's best. Laurin placed fifth in the 500-yard freestyle, where he finished with a time of 5:27.47. The final event for Laurin was the 200-yard freestyle, where he finished in sixth in a time of 1:59.79. Clark Wilson competed in the 100-yard backstroke, the 100-yard freestyle, and the 50-yard freestyle to round out the men's competition. In the 100-yard backstroke, Wilson placed eighth with a time of 1:08.67. Wilson's second-best event was the 100-yard freestyle, where he placed ninth, timing in at 56.33. Wilson placed 12th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.04.
On the women's side, Abigael Sheldon had two top five finishes on the day. Sheldon placed fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:15.83. She competed in the 200-yard individual medley, placing fifth with a time of 2:26.43, bookended by a strong 50-yard start and finish. Ayla Pequette earned a sixth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing the event in 1:01.08. Pequette's 50-yard freestyle placed her 13th with a time of 28.29. Celina McDaniel competed in three events, with a seventh place in the 100-yard fly (1:09.77), 11th in the 200-yard individual medley (3:01.94), and 16th in the 100-yard freestyle (1:08.67). Amelia Minarik finished the 100-yard fly in 1:13.24, good for ninth place. In the 200-yard freestyle, Minarik placed 13th with a time of 2:28.75 and 15th in the 100-yard freestyle (1:08.41). Victoria Robinson competed in the 200-yard individual medley, where she clocked in a time of 2:48.82 to place 10th. Robinson's 500-yard freestyle placed her 11th among competitors, finishing the race in 6:16.30. Addison Bludgen competed in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, where she placed 16th (28.49) and 12th (1:02.82). The team finished in eighth place in the 200-yard relay medley. Bludgen, Sheldon, McDaniel, and Robinson combined to finish with a time of 2:08.20.
North Central swimming and diving returns to action Saturday, Nov. 8, when they travel to Bourbonnais, Ill., where they will compete in a triangular against Olivet Nazarene University and Illinois Wesleyan University.
