Denver Women Top Colorado Mesa to Close Home Opening Weekend

Photo by: C. Morgan Engel/Clarkson Creative Photography

10/31/2026 3:29:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

The Pioneer women ran their win streak to four with a dual victory on Saturday

By: Niko Blankenship

DENVER – The University of Denver men's and women's swimming and diving programs closed out its home opening weekend on Saturday afternoon in the Pioneers duals with Colorado Mesa inside El Pomar Natatorium.

Team Scores:
Women's:
Denver 197, Colorado Mesa 103
Men's:
Colorado Mesa 188.5, Denver 105.5

Event Winners:
Women's 1-Meter Dive - Tatum Brasfield – 244.43
Women's 200 Medley Relay – Isa Cardenas, Tinkara Novak, Bianca Rayward, Tenaya Winter
Women's 1000 Free – Weronika Malolepsza – 10:20.21
Women's 200 Free – Samantha Synsvoll – 1:49.49
Women's 100 Back – Darian Koler – 55.46
Women's 100 Breast – Tinkara Novak – 1:01.61
Men's 100 Breast – Nico Morton – 54.79
Women's 200 Fly – Sabrina Rachjaibun – 2:03.96
Women's 50 Free – Isa Cardenas – 23.58
Men's 50 Free – Hamish McLellan – 20.36
Women's 200 Back – Samantha Synsvoll – 1:59.70
Men's 200 Breast – Nico Morton 1:58.06
Women's 500 Free – Weonika Malolepsza – 5:01.05
Women's 100 Fly – Tenaya Winter – 55.12
Men's 100 Fly - Hamish McLellan – 47.58
Women's 200 IM – Samantha Synsvoll – 2:04.19
Women's 400 Free Relay – Tenaya Winter, Bianca Rayward, Sabrina Rachjaibun, Isa Cardenas – 3:23.77
Men's 400 Free Relay – Hamish McLellan, Pierce Bickerton, Jack Andrew, Viktor Hristov – 2:57.58

How it Happened:
Denver opened the diving portion of the meet with its second event title in the discipline this season when Tatum Brasfield took her first win in the women's 1-meter dive, totaling a 244.43. Lilu Su took second with a 223.95. In the women's 3-meter dive, Su grabbed second with a 244.65 and Brasfield finished third with a 235.43.

After its pool record setting relay time yesterday, the women's 200 medley relay opened the swimming portion of Saturday's action with its second in as many days in the event when Isa Cardenas, Tinkara Novak, Bianca Rayward and Tenaya Winter combined for a time of 1:40.42.

Weronika Malolepsza led a Denver podium sweep in the women's 1000, reaching the wall in 10:20.21. Genevieve Franklin clocked in at 10:31.99 and Paige Reilly rounded out the podium places with a 10:35.38.

Denver's men's distance swimmers grabbed spots 2-4 in the men's 1000 free. Finn Holdredge finished second in 9:35.94, Hudson Martz took third in 9:39.65 and Max O'Neil finished fourth with a 9:41.18.

Sophomore Samantha Synsvoll continued her impressive weekend with a win in the 200 free, clocking in at 1:49.49.

The men's 200 free swimmers earned a 2-3 finish behind performances from Pierce Bickerton (1:37.57) and Kurt Owens (1:38.85).

Darian Koler kept the Denver women's win streak going with a 55.46 to take the event title in the 100 back. Jette Haedicke finished second in 55.69.

Quinn Collins and Jack Andrew earned Denver's next 2-3 finish with their 100 back performances. Collins finished the race in 49.38 and Andrew clocked in at 50.24.

Continuing her impressive freshman campaign, Tinkara Novak picked up another event title in the 100 breast with a time of 1:01.61. Winter finished third in 1:03.12.

Denver's men picked up their first event win on Saturday in the 100 breast. Nico Morton led the Denver 1-2 with a time of 54.79 and Kito Campbell finished second in 54.92.

Sabrina Rachjaibun earned herself another event title in the 200 fly on Saturday, clocking in at 2:03.96. Cardenas racked up another event title in the first of two sprint free events on Saturday, winning the 50 free in 23.58.

In the final event before the break, Hamish McLellan won the men's sprint in 20.36.

On the other side of the break, Izzy Burton finished second in the 100 free and Cardenas was right behind her teammate in third with times of 51.40 and 51.56, respectively.

The eighth women's event win of the afternoon saw Synsvoll earn her second title of the day with a 1:59.70 in the women's 200 back. Koler finished third with a 2:04.41.

Novak led the Denver women in the 200 breast on Saturday, turning in a 2:17.60, good enough or second.

Morton made it a breaststroke sweep when he won the men's 200 breast with a 1:58.06.

In the final distance race of the afternoon, Denver's women swept the podium in the 500 free. Malolepsza reached the final wall in 5:01.05, Rachjaibun took second in 5:03.77 and Franklin clocked in at 5:09.34.

Winter earned her second event win of the day when she recorded the top time in the women's 100 fly, clocking in at 55.12. Rayward finished third in 56.29.

McLellan's second individual win of the afternoon saw the junior record a 47.58 in the men's 100 fly.

A third individual title on the afternoon for Synsvoll led a podium sweep for the Pioneers in the 200 IM. Synsvoll clocked in at 2:04.19, Lilly Zippel finished in 2:05.42 to take second and Sophia Giesecke took third in 2:05.80.

Morton finished second in the men's 200 IM to lead the Pioneers with a 1:50.17.

Denver's women's 400 free relay capped off a busy weekend for the program with a 3:23.77 to take the event title. Winter, Rayward, Rachjaibun and Cardenas swam the event for the Pioneers.

The Pioneer men also won the 400 free relay on Saturday. McLellan, Bickerton, Andrew and Viktor Hristov turned in a time of 2:57.58.

UP NEXT:
Denver's two programs will have a month off before heading to the Minnesota Invite from December 2-5.

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