COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Denver men's and women's swimming and diving programs wrapped up the dual meet portion of its schedule with the 2026 Sprint Eliminator on Saturday afternoon at Cadet Natatorium.
Team Scores:
Women's:
Denver: 202
Air Force: 176
Men's:
Denver: 150
Air Force: 228
Event Winners:
Women's 200 Medley Relay –
Ali Beay,
Tenaya Winter,
Julia Saxman,
Isa Cardenas – 1:40.51
Women's 200 Free –
Samantha Synsvoll – 1:49.95
Women's 500 Free –
Sabrina Rachjaibun – 5:00.46
Men's 500 Free –
Finn Holdredge – 4:35.97
Women's 50 Fly –
Julia Saxman – 24.26
Men's 50 Fly –
Hamish McLellan – 21.51
Women's 50 Free –
Julia Saxman – 23.32
Women's 200 IM –
Samantha Synsvoll – 2:05.08
Women's 200 Free Relay –
Julia Saxman,
Tenaya Winter,
Ali Beay,
Isa Cardenas – 1:33.97
How it Happened:
Denver's women opened the meet with a win in the women's 200 medley relay when the quartet of
Ali Beay,
Tenaya Winter,
Julia Saxman and
Isa Cardenas combined for a time of 1:40.51 to take the first race of the morning.
Samantha Synsvoll continued her impressive freshman campaign with a 1:49.95 to win the women's 200 free.
Sabrina Rachjaibun earned the final spot on the podium with a 1:52.45.
Kurt Owens led the Denver men in the 200 free with a 1:39.10 to take second.
Following all the 50 prelims, Rachjaibun kept the train rolling for the Denver women with a victory in the 500 free, reaching the final wall in 5:00.46.
After the conclusion of the 50 semis,
Finn Holdredge gave the Denver men its first event win of the afternoon with his time of 4:35.97 in the 500 free.
Dylan Mes earned a podium spot as well, finishing in 4:37.40.
Saxman grabbed her first individual event win of the day in the 50 fly final, clocking in at 24.26 in the sprint. Cardenas took second with her 24.74.
Hamish McLellan made it a sprint fly sweep with his time of 21.51 to out-pace the three Falcons in the finals field.
Beay (26.21) and
Max Roslin (22.97) finished second in the women's and men's 50 back, respectively.
Kito Campbell (24.89) also earned a second-place finish in the 50 breast final.
Saxman got to the winner's circle again in the 50 free final with her time of 23.32. McLellan and
Benjamin Stone earned a 2-3 finish for the Pioneer men in the sprint free race.
Shifting back to the every-meet races, Synsvoll led a Denver podium sweep in the women's 200 IM with her time of 2:05.08.
Lilly Zippel finished second in 2:06.92 and
Mina Ada Solaker rounded out the podium places in third with a 2:07.48.
In the men's 200 IM,
Nico Morton led Denver with a second-place finish and a time of 1:50.75.
Denver's women closed out the meet with a win in the 200 free relay. Saxman, Winter, Beay and Cardenas swam the event in 1:33.97 to edge out the Air Force A-relay by 0.05 seconds.
Up Next:
Denver's final meet before the postseason will see the Pioneers host the First Chance Invitational next weekend inside El Pomar Natatorium. The two-day event begins on Friday with diving at 11 a.m. MT and swimming action starting at 3 p.m. MT. Saturday's swimming events begin at 10 a.m. MT.
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