NAPERVILLE — As January gives way to February, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin men’s (CCIW) swimming and diving season has reached the point where performances begin to carry added meaning. Final home meets, senior recognitions, and last major tune-ups are shaping not only conference leaderboards, but also momentum heading into the championship phase of the calendar. 
 
From Wheaton’s commanding showing at its home invitational to Augustana’s headline-grabbing individual efforts, the conference continues to stack quality performances as the road narrows toward Pleasant Prairie.
 
Thunder and Lightning: Wheaton’s Dominant Home Finale
Wheaton delivered one of its most complete team efforts of the season at the Thunder Invitational, closing out its home schedule at the Jonathan Lederhouse Natatorium with a convincing first-place finish. Competing last Friday and Saturday, the Thunder amassed 536 points, finishing comfortably ahead of Augustana (445) and North Central (55). The meet also doubled as Senior Day, honoring a 10-member senior class that played a central role in the weekend’s success.
 
Veteran leadership showed throughout the lineup. Sam Yonan captured the 50-yard backstroke in a season-best 25.68, while Ben Coley continued to assert himself as one of the conference’s premier sprinters. Coley won two individual events and posted a CCIW-leading 23.48 in the 50-yard butterfly, reinforcing his status as a title contender in multiple championship races.
 
The invitational also marked the season debut of senior diver Mateo Anderson, whose return immediately altered the conference landscape. Anderson, the CCIW Diving Student-Athlete of the Week, produced a 345.80 on the 1-meter board and a 313.55 on the 3-meter, both of which rank second in the CCIW this season.
 
Junior Jac Cummings won the 100-yard individual medley in 53.64, a time that sits second in the conference, while sophomore Jed Ritchie turned in a season-best 4:12.33 in the 400 IM, finishing second at the meet and third in the CCIW rankings.
 
Vikings on the Verge: Leslie’s Record-Breaking Saturday
Augustana made the most of its opportunities during the Thunder Invitational, particularly on the second day of competition. Despite only participating in a portion of the overall event schedule, the Vikings produced several standout performances, led by a historic effort from CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week Tyler Leslie.
 
Leslie shattered the Augustana school record in the 400-yard individual medley, touching in 4:04.02. The swim now stands as the fastest time in the CCIW this season and positions Leslie squarely among the conference’s top championship contenders. He followed that performance with a victory in the 100-yard breaststroke, winning in 59.36.
 
Augustana’s speed was evident throughout the freestyle events. Emanuel Anguelov claimed the 50-yard freestyle in 21.51, while Mark Addison controlled the 500-yard freestyle with a winning time of 4:38.67. Lukas Rettig added another sprint victory by taking the 100-yard freestyle in 48.22.
 
Relay depth also surfaced, as the Vikings placed second in the mixed 200-yard freestyle relay. Oskar Bannister, Kendle Mihm, Rettig and Sophia Warren combined for a 1:31.43 effort.
 
Firebirds Unleashed: A Scorching Performance in Appleton
While attention centered on Illinois, Carthage delivered one of the most decisive results of the weekend in Appleton, Wis.. Competing at Lawrence on Friday, the Firebirds rolled to a 170-14 victory.
 
The meet opened with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, as AJ Landorf, Tyson Politsch, William Murray and Ian Glossa posted a 1:40.55. Landorf later doubled up individually, winning the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.00) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:08.52).
 
Carthage’s individual highlights spanned nearly every discipline. Trey Halas captured the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:15.84 and the 100-yard backstroke in 56.99. Adam Hollis won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.87, while Andrew Laborevitch took the 100-yard butterfly in 56.28. In diving, Devon Kuhn continued his strong season with a 328.05 on the 1-meter board.
 
Road Warriors and Senior Celebrations: Millikin, NCC and IWU
Millikin faced a challenging road dual at Monmouth last Friday. Despite a 90-73 team loss, the Big Blue produced several bright spots. Dawson Loafman led the way with victories in the 100-yard backstroke (57.64) and the 200-yard IM (2:12.14), while Gavin Dobson added runner-up finishes in the 100-yard butterfly and the 50-yard freestyle. Millikin was originally slated to compete at the Thunder Invitational but withdrew due to weather-related travel issues.
 
North Central used the Thunder Invitational as both a competitive opportunity and a senior celebration. Griffin Laurin recorded a season-best 26.98 in the 50-yard butterfly and dropped more than a second and a half in the 200-yard butterfly to finish second. Clark Wilson also made significant progress, improving by 1.36 seconds in the 50-yard backstroke (29.93).
 
Illinois Wesleyan competed in a demanding tri-meet on Saturday against Wabash and Valparaiso. Tate Thomas placed fourth in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:34.24) and third in the 500-yard freestyle (5:08.81), while Jay Jenkins finished among the top five in the 50-yard freestyle with a 23.11.
 
The Statistical Summit: Conference Leaders Heading into February
As February approaches, the CCIW leaderboard reflects a blend of established veterans and emerging contenders. Augustana’s Bjorn Sievert remains atop the 50-yard freestyle standings with his 20.94 from November. Wheaton’s Ben Coley leads both the 100-yard freestyle (45.74) and 200-yard freestyle (1:39.88), while teammate Isaac Eilmes controls the distance events with conference-best times in the 1,000 (9:56.18) and 1,650 (16:12.25).
 
In the specialty events, Jac Cummings leads the 100-yard backstroke at 50.93, Tyler Leslie tops the IM rankings in both the 200 (1:52.83) and 400 (4:04.02), and Carthage’s Tyson Politsch owns the fastest times in the 100 (55.76) and 200 (2:05.77) breaststroke. Wheaton currently holds the top marks in all four major relay events.
 
The Road to Pleasant Prairie: Upcoming Events
The final stretch of the regular season is now underway. Augustana will host Wheaton this Saturday for Senior Day, a meet shaped by their recent one-two finish at the Thunder Invitational. 
 
Carthage and Carroll turn their attention to the Wisconsin Private College Championships beginning Friday. 
 
Ultimately, the focus shifts to Carthage and the Pleasant Prairie RecPlex, site of the CCIW Diving Championships (Feb. 13-14 in Kenosha) and the CCIW Swimming Championships (Feb. 18-21 in Pleasant Prairie).