NAPERVILLE — The calendar is beginning to dictate the conversation across the conference, and the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s swimming and diving season is responding in kind. 

January has brought a clearer picture of where depth, star power and momentum reside, as teams balance dual meets with high-quality invitational fields and begin fine-tuning lineups ahead of February. This week’s notebook reflects that shift, featuring record performances, emerging conference leaders and several programs using the final weeks of the regular season to sharpen their championship profiles.

Leslie’s Leading Edge: Augustana Surges in Grinnell
Augustana delivered one of its strongest collective performances of the season at the Grinnell Invitational last Friday and Saturday, finishing second in a competitive nine-team field. 

Junior Tyler Leslie powered the Vikings’ surge, capturing three individual victories and earning CCIW Men’s Swimming Student-Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday. Leslie won the 200-yard individual medley (1:52.83), 200-yard freestyle (1:40.83) and 200-yard backstroke (1:53.85), with his 200 IM standing as the fastest time in the conference this season. Augustana showed depth in the 200 free by sweeping the top three places, with Mark Addison and Emanuel Anguelov joining Leslie on the podium.

Relay strength was also a defining factor, as the Vikings set a meet record in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Leslie, Matthew Meyer, Luke Rettig and Anguelov combined for a 7:01.70, breaking the previous standard by two seconds and establishing the top time in the CCIW this year. 

Meyer added a runner-up finish in the 400 IM (4:17.03), while Rettig placed fourth in the 50 free (21.37). Caesar Castillo contributed with a fourth-place showing in the 100 IM, rounding out a well-balanced Augustana effort.
 
Record-Breaking Return: Eilmes and the Thunder Strike in Kalamazoo
Wheaton returned to competition on Saturday at the Illinois-Michigan Quad Meet, placing second overall behind nationally ranked Hope. The performance of junior Isaac Eilmes anchored the Thunder lineup, as he broke the Kalamazoo pool record in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a winning time of 9:56.18. The mark eclipsed the previous record by more than four seconds and remains one of the top times in the conference, second only to Eilmes’ own season best. He later showcased versatility with a fifth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke.
 
The Thunder also leaned on established scorers throughout the meet. Jac Cummings recorded runner-up finishes in both the 200 freestyle (1:46.14) and 200 butterfly (2:01.38), while Ben Coley placed second in the 100 freestyle (48.03) and third in the 200 IM (2:00.81). 
 
Senior Josh Elsen added a personal-best 2:16.08 in the 200 breaststroke to finish third. Wheaton opened and closed the meet with third-place finishes in the 400 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay, respectively.
 
Diving for Dominance: Murphy’s Sweep Highlights Carthage Senior Day
Carthage celebrated Senior Day last Saturday with a closely contested dual against Illinois Tech. While the Firebirds fell 156.50-142.50, the meet was defined by sophomore Taydin Murphy’s commanding performance on the boards. Murphy swept both diving events, scoring season-best marks of 252.20 on the 1-meter and 274.20 on the 3-meter, earning his fifth CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week honor this season.
 
In the pool, Tyson Politsch continued his strong campaign with a decisive win in the 500 freestyle (4:55.38). Politsch remains the conference leader in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. Junior AJ Landorf shared first place in the 100 butterfly (52.66) and continues to rank among the CCIW’s top performers in both the butterfly and backstroke events.
 
Pioneering Progress: Carroll Cleans Up in Ripon
Carroll extended its dual-meet momentum last Saturday by sweeping a triangular against Ripon and Lawrence. The Pioneers set the tone early with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:56.37). Mannon Stern claimed the 1,000 freestyle (11:57.48), while Gavin Buechel added a win in the 200 freestyle before contributing in the sprints.
 
Carroll’s versatility showed through the middle of the meet, as Jonah Lotegeluaki posted a team-best 52.31 in the 100 freestyle and later won the 200 IM. Elias Griggs LeRoux placed second in the 50 freestyle (23.55) and Dawson Schultz contributed a runner-up finish on the 1-meter board. The Pioneers closed the day with a strong 400 freestyle relay to secure both team victories.
 
Cardinal Conviction: North Central Finds Speed in Monmouth
North Central traveled to Monmouth last Saturday and came away with valuable progress despite a 57-26 team result. Sophomore Clark Wilson claimed the Cardinals’ lone event win in the 50 freestyle (24.62) and anchored the mixed 200 medley relay. Junior Griffin Laurin narrowly missed a win in the 200 freestyle and remains the team leader in the 500 free, while senior Mihir Chandra continues to pace North Central in the sprint events.
 
Titan Toughness and Big Blue Battles: Bloomington Tri-Meet Recap
Illinois Wesleyan hosted Millikin and Illinois College last Friday, producing five event wins. Tate Thomas swept the 200 and 500 freestyle, Ben Huk won both the 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle and Jacob Nacional topped the 100 butterfly. Millikin saw victories from Dawsen Loafman, Gavin Dobson and Ridge Batchelor, splitting the triangular.

Charting the CCIW Course and The Horizon
League leaders are taking shape as teams turn their attention to the Thunder Invitational and final regular-season tune-ups, setting the stage for the CCIW Championships in February.