DENVER – The University of Denver men's and women's swimming and diving programs opened the 2025-26 campaign in the Front Range Invite on Friday night at El Pomar Natatorium for swimming and at the Air Force Academy for diving.
MEN'S TEAM LEADERBOARD:
Air Force - 669
Denver - 596
Wyoming - 479
WOMEN'S TEAM LEADERBOARD:
Air Force - 505
Colorado State - 378
Wyoming - 352
Denver - 314
Northern Colorado - 227
FRIDAY EVENT WINNERS:
Men's 400 Medley Relay –
Quinn Collins,
Kito Campbell,
Hamish McLellan,
Matija Pantic – 3:18.99
Women's 200 IM –
Samantha Synsvoll – 2:06.13
Men's 200 IM –
Nico Morton 1:51.82
Men's 50 Free –
Hamish McLellan – 20.64
Men's 100 Free –
Matija Pantic – 45.47
EVENT BY EVENT RECAP:
The 2025-26 season got underway with the 400 medley relay on Friday night, an event Denver's men won with a 3:18.99, edging the field by more than a full second.
Junior
Sabrina Rachjaibun finished on the podium in the five-team meet in the 500 free with her time of 5:04.38. In the men's first individual event of the season,
Dylan Mes took third with a 4:40.38 and
Joseph Hancock finished fifth with a time of 4:40.84.
Denver's women's team's first event win of the season came in the 200 IM when
Samantha Synsvoll marked her collegiate debut with a victory, finishing the race in 2:06.13.
Lilly Zippel took fourth in 2:07.73. On the men's side in the 200 IM,
Nico Morton took first for the Pios with a time of 1:51.82, edging the race by a tenth of a second.
In the first sprint free race of the season,
Hamish McLellan put Denver's men in the win column in consecutive races with his time of 20.64 in the 50 free on Friday.
Luke Milburn finished fifth for Denver with a time of 21.06.
Zippel got back in the water in the 200 back, taking fifth for the Pioneers with a time of 2:05.87. DU's men were led in the 200 back by
Mason Bruhn, who finished fourth with a time of 1:53.54.
Following a break, Denver's sprint freestyle swimmers got back in the water in the 100 this time, and
Matija Pantic and McLellan turned in Denver's first 1-2 finish of the season with their times of 45.47 and 45.64, respectively.
Peyton Mullowney led Denver's women in the first breaststroke event of the season, reaching the final wall of the 200 in 2:21.39 to take third. Morton led Denver's men after recording a time of 2:03.93 to take fourth, just ahead of freshman
Kito Campbell, who finished fifth in 2:06.27.
In the women's 200 fly, Rachjaibun continued her junior debut meet with a 2:05.67 to take second.
Ian O'Neil took fifth for DU's men in 1:55.46.
Rounding out night one of the opening meet of the season, Denver's men's 200 free relay took second when the quartet of Pantic, Milburn,
Quinn Collins and McLellan combined for a time of 1:22.73.
In the women's 3-meter dive down at the Air Force Academy on Friday,
Kaitlin Calvery led the Pioneers with a fourth place finish, scoring 243. This weekend's first men's diving event was the 1-meter.
Dakotah Parker took second with a 268.45.
Trip Gregory finished fifth with a score of 256.60.
UP NEXT:
Denver will close out the opening weekend with the conclusion of the Front Range Invite. Saturday's diving action will begin at 10 a.m. MT at the Air Force Academy, while the swimming portion of the meet will conclude at El Pomar Natatorium at 11 a.m. MT.
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