University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
MVC Championships
Panther swim and dive finishes fourth at 2025 MVC Championships
3/1/2025 10:17:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Larsen wins 100-yard freestyle gold and Elite 18 Award as Hovland named Co-Diving Coach of the Year.
WAUKEE, Iowa — The UNI swimming and diving team wrapped up the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships on Saturday night with a third gold medal performance to secure a fourth-place team finish at the Waukee CSD Natatorium.
Faith Larsen, who won the 50-yard freestyle for the Panthers on Thursday night, captured her second individual title of the meet by winning the 100-yard freestyle to become the conference's first swimmer to sweep both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races since Anna Miller (Missouri State) in 2022.
In addition to another individual title, Larsen was also named the MVC's Elite 18 Award winner, given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) competing in the championship meet. Earning the honor for the second straight year, she is the first UNI athlete to repeat as the Elite 18 winner and first swimmer or diver to do so since Bryn Handley (Southern Illinois) in 2016 and 2017.
Northern Iowa diving coach Bethany Hovland was also recognized as Co-MVC Diving Coach of the Year alongside Indiana State's Teresa Hall. It is the second time Hovland has earned the honor after previously being recognized in 2022.
Indiana State captured its first MVC team title in program history with 1,440.5 points. Southern Illinois placed second (1,331), while eight-time defending champion Missouri State took third (1,034).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The final day of competition saw four Panthers place in the 1,650-yard freestyle as Olivia Chambers secured tenth place with a time of 17.09.45, while Hallory Domnick was close behind in 13th (17.32.48). Abigail Barkhurst secured 20th place at 17.53.04.
Elyse Brayton took home ninth place after winning the B-Final of the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:03.81. Peyton Pasqualicchio finished in 19th place overall with a time of 2:03.41, while Rachel Rolow and Abby Steward each swam season-best times in the prelims, with Halle Grimm swimming a career-best.
In a nail biting 100-yard freestyle, Faith Larsen pulled through in the finals with the second-fastest time of her career in 49.28 seconds, becoming the first Panther to win the event since Molly Lembezeder won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. Abby Lear secured a 17th place finish in the C-final (51.07) after swimming a career-best 50.86 in prelims. Waren Graeve took 22nd (51.56) following a career-best 51.50 in prelims, while Morgan Meyer placed 23rd (51.57).
The 200-yard breaststroke saw Meghan Pallett finish in 16th place in the B-Final with a time of 2:22.52, as Sydney Aird took 18th overall (2:21.61) with a season-best time. Ema Lavigne secured 21st place overall (2:23.99), while Jenna Breitbach followed closely behind in 23rd at 2:25.95.
Sam Oeltjen posted a ninth-place performance and won in the B-Final of the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:03.71, swimming career best times in both the prelims and finals. Nikki Walters was close behind in 12th place with a time of 2:06.32, with Natalie Harris rounding out the UNI field in 22nd with a time of 2:09.96.
In the diving well, the three-meter A-Final competition saw Trista Thompson claim fifth place in the event with a score of 259.80, with Erica Peters following right behind in sixth with a score of 256.50.
Competition ended with the 400 freestyle relay that saw the team of Larsen, Lear, Meyer, and Graeve take home third place with a time of 3:20.70, the second-fastest time in school history.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
- 1st - Indiana State (1,440.5)
- 2nd - Southern Illinois (1,331)
- 3rd - Missouri State (1,034)
- 4th - UNI (929.5)
- 5th - UIC (875.5)
- 6th - Little Rock (791)
- 7th - Illinois State (738)
- 8th - Evansville (253)
- 9th - Valparaiso (226.5)
SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS
- Swimmer of the Year - Celia Pulido (Southern Illinois)
- Diver of the Year - Jecza Lopez (Indiana State)
- Freshman Swimmer of the Year - Liseka Gallegos Gutierrez (Southern Illinois)
- Freshman Diver of the Year - Delaney Nickles (Little Rock)
- Swimming Coach of the Year - Josh Christensen (Indiana State)
- Co-Diving Coach of the Year - Teresa Hall (Indiana State), Bethany Hovland (UNI)
- Elite 18 Award - Faith Larsen (UNI)
ALL-MVC FIRST TEAM
** First Team = Top-three individual or relay championALL-MVC HONORABLE MENTION TEAM
** Honorable Mention = A-Finalist or relay runner-up
UNI swimming and diving action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Swimming and Diving), X (@uniswimdive) and on Instagram (@uniswimdive). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Players Mentioned
