GAMBIER, Ohio – In search of history once again, the Kenyon College women's swim and diving team enters the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships with a familiar goal in sight. The Owls are chasing their 30th NCAC conference title, which would also mark a third straight championship, further extending their position as the most decorated program in conference history.

The 2026 championship meet will take place at the Trumbull Aquatics Center on the campus of Denison University, the only program in the conference with the depth and pedigree to consistently challenge Kenyon's dominance. Denison owns 11 conference titles and will look to defend its home pool while attempting to derail another Owls title run, setting up a familiar and highly anticipated rivalry at the center of the championship race.

Action begins on Wednesday evening with a pair of relay events before transitioning into a full slate of races that span every stroke, distance, and discipline, along with one-meter and three-meter diving. Diving will open the meet on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., while preliminaries for full competition days are set for 9:30 a.m. with finals following each night at 6:00 p.m.

Last season, the Owls secured the conference crown in commanding fashion, capturing four of the seven event championships and earning two individual awards. Kenyon finished atop the standings with 2,040 points, holding the lead across all four days of competition, while Denison followed closely in second with 1,929 points. The Owls' lone relay victory came in the 400-yard freestyle relay, but this year's squad enters the championship meet with increased depth and speed across all lineups.

Kenyon arrives in Granville owning the NCAC's top times in 10 of the 18 individual events and three of the five relay races, underscoring the balance that has defined the program for decades. While the loss of 12 seniors from last year's championship roster presented challenges, the Owls have once again filled every gap.
Senior Lisa Torrecillas-Jouault headlines the sprint group in her final collegiate season. After placing fourth in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle and sixth in the 100-yard backstroke at last year's meet, she enters the championship leading the conference in the 50 free (23.33) and 100 free (50.52), both NCAA Division III "B" cut times, as she looks to cap her career with a breakthrough performance.

Classmate Molly Haag continues to anchor the distance events for the Owls. Haag owns the top times in the conference in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.21), 1000-yard freestyle (9:58.12), and 1650-yard freestyle (16:42.63), with all three marks qualifying as NCAA "B" cuts. She also ranks second in the 500-yard freestyle at 4:50.82, positioning herself as a major point contributor across multiple events.

In the backstroke lanes, senior Gwen Eisenbeis enters the meet as a contender in all three events. She leads the NCAC in the 50-yard backstroke (25.44) and the 100-yard backstroke (54.62), the latter surpassing her time from last year's championship and qualifying as an NCAA "B" cut. Eisenbeis also sits second in the 200-yard backstroke at 2:01.17, just four-hundredths of a second off the conference's top time.

Junior Kate Bogan adds depth to the sprint and individual medley events. She ranks third in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.48, an NCAA "B" cut, and enters the 100-yard individual medley with the third-best time in the conference at 58.98. Sophomore Kelsey Van Eldik has emerged as one of the league's top breaststrokers, leading the NCAC in both the 50-yard breaststroke (28.55) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.76), while ranking second in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:14.52, all of which improve upon her times from last year's championship meet.

Distance is further bolstered by sophomore Nora Lee Brown, who holds the fastest time in the conference in the 500-yard freestyle and ranks second in both the 1000 and 1650-yard freestyle events. First-year Kate Dunagan has also made an immediate impact, ranking second in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke while slotting inside the top five in the 50-yard backstroke.

On the diving boards, Kenyon will lean on sophomore Nadia Milovich and junior Lucy Cassell-Kelley, who occupy two of the top spots in the conference on both springboards. Milovich holds the second-best score in the one-meter with a 445.13 and has posted a 268.89 on the three-meter. Cassell-Kelley follows closely with a 425.33 on the one-meter and a 265.28 on the three-meter, giving the Owls valuable scoring potential in both diving events.

In relay action, Kenyon enters the meet with the best times in three of the five relay races, while Denison leads the remaining two, setting up what could be decisive moments in the championship race. With momentum often swinging on relay nights, those races may prove pivotal in determining the final standings.

Spectator doors will open at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, while Thursday through Saturday doors will open at 8:00 a.m. for prelims and 4:30 p.m. for finals. Single-session tickets will be available for purchase on site. Seating is limited, and all spectators will need a valid pass or session ticket for admittance to the championship meet.