TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Franklin Women’s Swimming & Diving added more hardware to the trophy case on Saturday as it won the 2026 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Women's Swimming and Diving Championship at the Vigo County Aquatic Center in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Grizzlies ran their championship streak to nine straight with a final team score of 931.
Finishing as the 2026 runner-up was Rose-Hulman with a score of 570.5. Transylvania finished in third place with 502 points followed by Anderson at 380. Rounding out the top-five was Hanover with 169.5 points. Bluffton and Manchester had 144 and 50 points, respectively to conclude the championship standings.
Franklin added five more gold medals to its team total on Saturday evening, including victories in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and 3-meter diving competition.
Kat Lundy had another record-setting performance as she claimed her third consecutive 200 backstroke title. She touched the wall at 2:02.55 to set the new standard at the HCAC Championship meet.
Petal Sloan also set the meet and HCAC Open records in the 100 freestyle with a preliminary time of 51.57. She took gold in the final with a time of 51.79.
Avery Tomlinson was the gold medalist in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:26.29, while
Celeste Hollis completed the 200 butterfly in 2:06.54 to take that race. On the boards,
Alexis Fleming scored 422.75 in the 3-meter diving finals to add another gold to her trophy case.
Hollis, Tomlinson, Lundy, and Sloan also earned gold in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:32.77.
The other gold medalist on Saturday was Catherine Bath from Rose-Hulman who won the 1650 freestyle with a time of 18:00.83.
DAY 1 & 2 RECAP | DAY 3 RECAP
At the conclusion of the Championship meet, major award winners were honored. Franklin student-athletes claimed two awards as Lundy and Fleming were named Swimmer and Diver of the Meet, respectively. Meanwhile, Transylvania’s Riley Shaw was recognized as the Newcomer of the Meet.
Grizzlies head coach Zach Rayce took home the Coach of the Meet honor.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Each swimmer, diver, and relay team that finished their respective events in first place were named to the First Team HCAC All-Conference; second place finishers are named to the Second Team HCAC All-Conference; and third place finishers are named to the Honorable Mention HCAC All-Conference Teams.
MAJOR AWARDS
Swimmer of the Meet - Kat Lundy, Franklin
Diver of the Meet - Alexis Fleming, Franklin
Newcomer of the Meet - Riley Shaw, Transylvania
Coach of the Meet - Zach Rayce, Franklin
2026 HCAC INDIVIDUAL/RELAY CHAMPIONS
- 800 Freestyle Relay - Petal Sloan, Macie McQuinn, Avery Tomlinson, Kat Lundy, Franklin
- 200 Freestyle Relay - Elizabeth McKittrick, Landi Newcomb, Petal Sloan, Celeste Hollis, Franklin
- 500 Freestyle - Catherine Bath, Rose-Hulman
- 200 Individual Medley - Avery Tomlinson, Franklin
- 50 Freestyle - Petal Sloan, Franklin
- 1-Meter Diving - Alexis Fleming, Franklin
- 400 Medley Relay - Petal Sloan, Celeste Hollis, Avery Tomlinson, Kat Lundy, Franklin
- 200 Medley Relay - Kat Lundy, Avery Tomlinson, Celeste Hollis, Landi Newcomb, Franklin
- 400 Individual Medley - Kat Lundy, Franklin
- 100 Butterfly - Celeste Hollis, Franklin (Meet Record, Open Record)
- 200 Freestyle - Petal Sloan, Franklin
- 100 Breaststroke - Avery Tomlinson, Franklin
- 100 Backstroke - Kat Lundy, Franklin (Meet Record)
- 1650 Freestyle - Catherine Bath, Rose-Hulman
- 200 Backstroke - Kat Lundy, Franklin
- 100 Freestyle - Petal Sloan, Franklin
- 200 Breaststroke - Avery Tomlinson, Franklin
- 200 Butterfly - Celeste Hollis, Franklin
- 3-Meter Diving - Alexis Fleming, Franklin
- 400 Freestyle Relay - Celeste Hollis, Avery Tomlinson, Kat Lundy, Petal Sloan, Franklin
TEAM RESULTS
| 1. |
Franklin |
931 |
| 2. |
Rose-Hulman |
570.5 |
| 3. |
Transylvania |
502 |
| 4. |
Anderson |
380 |
| 5. |
Hanover |
169.5 |
| 6. |
Bluffton |
144 |
| 7. |
Manchester |
50 |
For more information on HCAC swimming and diving, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.