Swim and dive makes waves at SCIAC Championships

Collage by Matias Pacheco-Ramirez, Photographer

The swim and dive teams have made their final laps and dives in the pool for the 2025-2026 season. Spanning four days from Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (SCIAC) Swimming and Diving Championships saw impressive performances from many Panthers.

Both the women’s and men’s teams placed third overall with 409 and 575 points, respectively. For some, the journey comes to an end, and for others, the fight continues. 

During the men’s 400 IM, sophomore business administration major Ryan Musich set a school record with a time of 4:04.26 and an 11th place finish in the B-Final.

“I knew I had some time dropping and I was capable of getting that team record, but I just didn't think it would come together for me in that moment,” Musich said. “That just goes to show what you can do when you're just having fun and enjoying each moment.”

Junior strategic and corporate communications major James Galligan also claimed two school records in the 200 IM with a time of 1:50.81 and in the 100 breast with 56.16.

But the accomplishments don’t stop there. For the first time in school history, the men’s team is nationally ranked, placing No. 25 in the College Swimming Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA).

Furthermore, senior communications major Reid Omilian, freshman undeclared major Aidan Trautwein and senior communication studies major Jake Randazzo competed in the NCAA Diving Regionals in Atlanta, Georgia on Feb. 27 and 28. Omilian placed 4th in the 1-meter dive and 11th in the 3-meter, while Trautwein finished ninth for both dives and Randazzo placed 11th in the 1-meter and 10th in the 3-meter.

With his fourth-place finish, Omilian will be headed to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the NCAA Division III Championships next week for the third time. 

“Being able to travel to Texas, Iowa and Atlanta — places like that — has been very special, especially with the people I'm doing it with. Those are all things that I did not think would happen coming to Chapman,” Omilian said. “I realized that those are really what's so special about diving at Chapman.”

Omilian wasn’t the only Panther reflecting on how the sport has defined their life. Senior health sciences major Tatum Chambers sees swimming as a central part of her identity.

“It's been hard work for us all,” senior health sciences major Tatum Chambers said. “We've been athletes our entire lives. I've been competing my entire life, and it's a huge part of who I am.”

While they won’t meet the water as intensely anymore, the memories are something they’ll carry long after their time in the pool.

“It was super cool to me to be on the podium,” senior applied human physiology major Annika Mittelsteadt said. “We placed third in the girls' 800 free relay on the first night. It was kind of like a full circle moment for me, because freshman year, I had also been on the podium for the girls' 200 free relay.”

After a relentless season, the hours spent preparing for the championship stage were well spent. The podium finishes, school records and national rankings are all reminders of just how rewarding the water can be.

High Tops (Women’s) Results:

200 freestyle relay 3rd place: Alyssa Kooy, Elise Kittleson, Megan Lei and Tatum Chambers

400 free style relay 3rd place: Tatum Chambers, Elise Kittleson, Cora Buelow and Alyssa Kooy

800 freestyle relay 3rd place: Cora Buelow, Annika Mittelsteadt, Maizie Stricker and Elise Kittleson

200 medley relay 3rd place: Cora Buelow, CJ Smith, Megan Lei and Alyssa Kooy

400 medley relay 3rd place: Cora Buelow, CJ Smith, Miranda Thompson and Alyssa Kooy

Low Tops (Men’s) Results:

Men’s 200 freestyle relay 2nd place: Cooper Na, Trent Calloway, Max Polovinkin and Riley Coleman

Men’s 400 freestyle relay 2nd place: Cooper Na, Trent Calloway, James Galligan and Maz Polovinkin

Men’s 800 freestyle relay 3rd place: Trent Calloway, Alex Landmark, Brody Perkins and James Galligan

200 medley relay 2nd place: Riley Coleman, James Galligan, Trent Calloway and Cooper Na

Diving Results:

1 Meter Dive — 1st place: Reid Omilian, 3rd place: Aidan Trautwein, 4th place: Jake Randazzo

3 Meter Dive — 2nd place: Reid Omilian, 3rd place: Aidan Trautwein, 4th place: Jake Randazzo