Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
WHEATON, Ill. (Jan. 24, 2026)- Competing in the weekend-long Thunder Invitational hosted by Wheaton College, the North Central College swimming and diving team honored their seniors at the meet ahead of the CCIW Championships scheduled for Feb. 18. Competing against Wheaton and Augustana College, the men's and women's teams placed third, with the men totaling 55 points and the women's team scoring 128 points.
The men's team found individual success, posting two season bests and one personal best. Griffin Laurin posted a time of 26.98 in the 50-yard butterfly race, which shaved off 0.69 seconds for his season best. He followed it up with a time of 2:12.43 in the 200-yard butterfly event, where he took second place and improved by 1.68 seconds. Clark Wilson achieved a personal best in the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 29.93, taking 1.36 off his best time.
The women's team saw success in the freestyle events and posted seven season bests with four personal records. Celina McDaniel achieved three season bests, with a time of 28.80 in the 50-yard freestyle, taking off half of a second; a time of 1:07.43 in the 100-yard butterfly; and 2:35.21 in the 200-yard butterfly, taking off over two seconds in the event. Ayla Pequette posted a season best in the 100-yard freestyle (59.54) and the 50-yard breaststroke (39.39). Amelia Minarik recorded two season bests as well as a personal best in the meet. Minarik finished with a 2.80-second improvement in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:22.55 and a time of 1:12.16 in the 100-yard butterfly event for her season bests. Minarik's personal best came in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 31.88, knocking off 2.20 seconds. Addison Bludgen put up two personal bests, one in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 31.62 and one in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:12.39. Sydney Sprayberry's personal best came in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:54.00, improving her best by four seconds.
The Cardinals fielded two 200-yard freestyle mixed relay teams, with Mihir Chandra, Minarik, Wilson, and McDaniel posting a time of 1:49.72 and the second team of Pequette, Abigael Sheldon, Sprayverry, and Bludgen with a time of 1:52.71.
Next up for the Cardinals are the CCIW Championships from Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, held in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., inside the Pleasant Prairie Recreation Center.
