By: Davis Barlow: Assistant Sports Information Director
OCALA, Fla. — The Life University men's and women's swim team traveled to Ocala, Fla. for the 2025-26 SUN Conference Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with the action spanning three days. Both teams placed sixth at the meet, with the men's team totaling 334 points while the women's team earned 252 points.
DAY 1:
After qualifying for the women's 200 yard medley relay in the morning prelims, Kyleigh Shonk, Petra Beky, Elisa Gross and Terangimarie Moanaroa earned the first all-conference finish of the week in the finals. Racing to a third place finish, the group turned in a time of 1:47.00. Malfrid Seteklev and Zara Kleinhans joined Shonk and Moanaroa in the women's 800 yard free relay, swimming a combined time of 8:10.81 and placing sixth.
Raffaele Urtiola Rojas picked up points with an eighth-place finish in the men's 500 yard free (4:41.12). Teammate Xavier Trovesi followed next, swimming to a fourth-place finish in the men's 200 yard IM (1:50.92). In the men's 50 yard free, Leo Guleryuz placed seventh with a time of 20.57 while teammate Bence Meresz placed eighth in the event (20.93).
In the men's 800 yard free relay, Arthur Silva, Mate Dort, Trovesi and Urtiola Rojas posted a time of 6:58.58, earning themselves a fifth-place finish. Trovesi then teamed up with Carl Bonnemark, Meresz and Guleryuz for the men's 200 yard medley relay where the group placed fifth (1:30.66).
DAY 2:
Highlighting the day, Bence Meresz earned all-conference honors in the men's 100 yard breaststroke with a third-place finish. Swimming a 54.52, the senior held off fourth place by just .25 seconds to claim the podium honors.
Nikita Snoeren, Petra Beky, Elisa Gross and Zara Kleinhans earned the first top-eight finish of the day for the Running Eagles in the women's 400 yard medley relay final. The group combined for a 4:01.18, earning fifth place in the event.
Arthur Silva picked up the first top-eight individual finish of the night for the men, placing eight in the A Finals of the men's 200 yard free (1:43.22).Teammate Carl Bonnemark followed directly after in the men's 100 yard backstroke with an eighth-place finish of his own. The race was extremely tight with just over one second separating sixth and eighth place. Xavier Trovesi nearly earned all-conference honors in the men's 400 yard IM, placing fourth with a time of 3:57.52.
Meresz and Silva later teamed up with Leo Guleryuz and Rasmus Petersen for the men's 200 yard free relay, earning a fifth-place finish as the group turned in a finals time of 1:24.60.
DAY 3:
Petra Beky earned the lone top-eight placement of the final day of action for the women's side. The senior turned in a time of 2.28.10 in the 200 yard breaststroke to claim eighth place.
FINAL SCORES:
Women:
1. Keiser University 917 2. Savannah College of Art and De 885
3. St. Thomas University 786 4. William Carey University 382
5. Ave Maria 320 6. Life University 252
7. New College of Florida 167 8. Thomas University 166
9. Loyola New Orleans 147
Men:
1. Keiser University 818.5 2. St. Thomas University 798.5
3. Savannah College of Art and De 640.5 4. William Carey University 507
5. Ave Maria 349.5 6. Life University 344
7. Loyola New Orleans 284 8. Thomas University 230
9. New College of Florida 5
Up next, the qualified Running Eagles will travel to the NAIA National Championships, beginning on Wednesday, March 4.
