UNI divers shine in one-meter action at MVC Championships

2/26/2026 9:03:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Four Panthers qualify for A-final in one-meter diving on day two of the conference championship meet.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. --- The UNI swimming and diving team set a new program record on Thursday as four divers qualified for the A-final of the one-meter competition, highlighting six top-eight finishes on the second day of the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships at the Deaconess Aquatic Center. UNI sits in fifth place at the midway point of the meet with 424 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
In the diving well, the Panthers made program history with four qualifiers in the A-final of the one-meter boards, marking the first time four UNI athletes qualified for an A-final at the MVC Championships in team history in either a swimming or diving event. Avery Hogan would lead the charge in the finals in second place with a score of 285.40, with Erica Peters taking fourth place (243.40). Trista Thompson took fifth place (243.25), while Addison Bausman finished in eighth (204).

Opening the night in swimming action with the 100-yard butterfly, where Nikki Walters took 15th place with a career-best time of 56.29 seconds, as Natalie Harris finished 22nd (56.89), a season-best, and Hannah Nedder right behind in 23rd (56.90).

In the 400-yard individual medley, Sam Oeltjen placed eighth in the event with a time of 4:29.17, while Aspen Cole took 13th (4:29.66), Sydney Aird in 19th (4:33.50), a career-best time, and Abigail Barkhurst in 21st (4:35.08), with a career-best as well.

The 200-yard freestyle saw Morgan Meyer secure 13th place with a time of 1:51.48, with Averie Bilskemper coming in 22nd place at 1:53.65. Northern Iowa closed out the evening in the 200-yard medley relay as the team of Morgan Raether, Meriah Giedrys, Charlotte Sander and Abby Lear placed sixth in 1:41.93, the ninth-fastest mark in program history.

TEAM STANDINGS (Thru Day Two)

Indiana State (639)
Southern Illinois (634)
Missouri State (631.5)
UIC (514.5)
UNI (424)
Little Rock (423)
Illinois State (307)
Evansville (169)
Valparaiso (129)

UP NEXT
Day three of the MVC Championships begins at 10:30 a.m. CT on Friday with the 200-yard butterfly, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke and 800-yard freestyle relay. Finals will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Live coverage of the meet can be found on the MVC YouTube channel, with live results available on the Meet Mobile app (swimming) and Dive Meets (diving). Click HERE to access the MVC Championship hub.

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.