The University of Indianapolis’ men’s and women’s swim and dive teams each captured the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) championship title. The meet was held Feb. 10-14 in Evansville at the Deaconess Aquatic Center.
According to a UIndy Athletics press release, the sweep marks the first time UIndy has won both conference titles in the same year since the GLVC began sponsoring swim and dive in the 2013-14 season. UIndy earned two of the four major postseason awards on the women’s side and swept all four major awards on the men’s side.
On the women’s side, Diver of the Year Megan Sunderman and Freshman of the Year Valentina Masella earned top honors. For the men, Swimmer of the Year Jeremias Pock, Diver of the Year Donovan McMahon, Freshman of the Year Jan Schmidt and Coach of the Year Brent Noble were recognized for their performances.
Freshman Dana Dominguez, who competes in both backstroke and freestyle for the women’s team, described an emotional celebration following the victory.
“The women winning was really a surprise for everyone; it was amazing,” Dominguez said. “Everyone was supporting each other. After we got our trophies, everyone jumped into the water and we did the team cheer. It was an amazing atmosphere. On the way back, we were all ecstatic.”
Several Greyhounds delivered record-setting performances. According to the Swimming World Magazine, Pock set an NCAA Division II record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 51.58 seconds. He also broke a GLVC record in the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:43.63 and won gold in the 400-meter individual medley (IM).
Other standout swimmers included Celina Schmidt, who won individual gold in the women’s 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events, and Kirabo Namutebi, who claimed gold in the women’s 50- and 100-meter freestyle.
UIndy also dominated the diving events. Sunderman captured first place in both the one-meter and three-meter competitions on the women’s side, while McMahon won both events for the men.
Relay teams also contributed to the championship totals. UIndy swept the 200-meter medley relays, with the women’s team of Schmidt, Namutebi, Masella and Caprice Schleuter taking gold, and the men’s team of Pock, Camille Tranquisse, Elias Noe and Johann-Matthew Matomoro doing the same.
The men’s team, consisting of Pock, Noe, Jokubas Jankauskas and Zachary Anthony, won the 400-meter freestyle relay and set a new GLVC record. The women’s team of Schmidt, Schleuter, Namutebi and Caroline Reinke also won the 400-meter freestyle relay. In the 200-meter freestyle relay, Namutebi, Reinke, Addisyn Newman and Jasmin Hoffmann secured another first-place finish for the Greyhounds.
Freshman Malaika Claudic, a distance freestyle swimmer, described the preparation leading up to the championships. The team trains approximately 10 times per week, often practicing twice a day, in addition to three weekly weightlifting sessions. As an international student, Claudic said the training style at UIndy is different from what she experienced in her home country. She said that the team’s supportive environment has made the transition easy for her.
Following the GLVC championships, the team shifted its focus to postseason competition. According to UIndy’s schedule, the Last Chance Meet was held Feb. 20-21 at the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center on campus.
The NCAA website reports that the NCAA Division II national championships are scheduled for March 10–14 in Evansville. With a conference sweep secured and several records already broken, the Greyhounds now turn their attention to the national stage.
