Led by a second-place finish in the one-meter dive from senior Abigail Wilkov, the Case Western Reserve University men's and women's swimming and diving teams secured All-America honors in three events on the second day of the four-day 2025 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina on Thursday.
Wilkov finished as the national runner-up in the one-meter dive, securing her third consecutive All-America First Team honor in the event, with a finals score of 470.75. Following the preliminary round in which she scored 457.60, Wilkov trailed Kailee Payne of Ithaca, the reigning national champion, by 20.65 points. She fell behind further after the sixth dive, but Wilkov cut her deficit to just 11.65 with three dives remaining. She averaged 46.5 across the final trio of attempts to clinch second place, just 15.55 points behind Payne.
Wilkov previously placed seventh in the 1-meter dive at both the 2024 and 2023 national championships. She has accumulated six All-America honors throughout her career, including five First Team selections, with one more event remaining. The second-place finish marked the best national by a Spartan swimmer or diver since Lauren Preyss placed second in the 200 Free at the 2007 championships.
The Spartans earned All-America honors in the 200 Free Relay for the second consecutive season, as senior Gabriella Chambers, junior Eliza Dixon, senior Simone Vale, and junior Claire Kozma placed 12th with a time of 1:33.53 in the consolation final. The time was just 0.33 seconds slower than the quartet's school record time set earlier this season. In preliminary action, the Spartans recorded a time of 1:33.70 to qualify for the B Final. The All-America honor was the sixth of Kozma's career, fifth of Chambers' career, second of Dixon's career, and first of Vale's career.
For the men's swimming and diving team, senior Peter Meng received his second Second Team All-America honors at this year's championship, placing 15th in the 400 IM. Meng completed the consolation final in 3:57.45 after a qualifying time of 3:56.34 in the prelims. He secured his bid to the national meet with a time of 3:53.69 earlier this season. Meng earned All-America honors in the event for the second year in a row and picked up his fourth career All-America selection.
In the 100 Fly, Kozma tied for 18th with a time of 55.40 seconds after qualifying with a school record mark of 54.97 seconds. Two Spartans swam in the men's 200 Free, with junior John Drumm placing 38th in 1:41.39 and junior Mason Bencurik finishing 43rd in 1:42.55. Bencurik set the school record in the event earlier this season with a time of 1:38.69.
The men's 200 Free Relay of juniors Emil LaSida, Mason Bencurik, and John Drumm and senior Griffin Gushman finished 27th in 1:23.75.
The national championships continue on Friday with preliminary action beginning at 10 a.m. and finals scheduled for 6 p.m. CWRU will compete in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Fly, 100 Back, and 800 Free Relay.
Spartan Notes
- After two days of competition, the CWRU women's team is 15h out of 33 scoring teams in the overall standings with 27 points
- The Spartan men's team is 33rd out of 43 scoring teams with 7.0 points at the end of competition on Thursday
- Meng became the second Spartan to earn multiple All-America honors in the 400 IM, joining Guy Genin who placed in the top 16 in 1989, 1990, and 1991
- Kozma and Wilkov both secured their sixth career All-America honors, the eighth most by an individual in program history
- Wilkov became just the fourth member of the CWRU women's swimming and diving team to earn at least five All-America First Team honors with top eight finishes, joining Kelly Alexander (10), Susan Beatty (nine), and Veronica Luri (five)
- The Spartan 200 Free Relay earned All-America honors for the fourth time in program history (2024, 2002, 2001)
