By: Davis Barlow: Assistant Sports Information Director
ELKHART, Ind. — The Life University men's swim team traveled to Elkhart, Ind. for the 2025-26 NAIA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with the action covering four days. The Running Eagles earned a Top 10 finish overall with 150 total points. The meet was highlighted by sophomore Xavier Trovesi, who earned three individual All-American honors and two relay All-American honors across the week.
DAY 1:
Bence Meresz, Xavier Trovesi, Leo Guleryuz and Raffaele Urtiola Rojas kicked off the week for the Running Eagles, placing just outside of All-American territory in the 200 medley relay. Turning in a combined time of 1:30.66, the group took home a ninth-place finish. Urtiola Rojas and Trovesi then joined forces with Mate Dort and Max Oppermann to take on the 800 free relay. Swimming a 6:56.41, the squad placed 11th in the event.
DAY 2:
In the 200 IM prelims, Xavier Trovesi showed out, recording a personal best time of 1:49.34 and earning a trip to the final heats. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, the sophomore became the first All-American for Life U of the weekend, placing fourth overall with a new program record (1:49.13). The All-American honors continued for the Running Eagles, this time at the end of the day. The team of Guleryuz, Urtiola Rojas, Trovesi and Meresz turned in a brilliant 1:22.76 in the 200 free relay, earning a sixth-place, All-American finish.
Raffaele Urtiola Rojas and Mate Dort kicked off Day 2 for the Running Eagles in the 500 free prelims. Dort recorded a 25th place finish with a time of 4:43.01 in the prelims while Urtiola Rojas earned a birth to the final heats. In the final heats, the freshman placed 14th, swimming a personal-best time of 4:35.26.
Leo Guleryuz earned a trip to the finals after swimming a personal-best 20.49 in the 50 free prelims, placing 11th while teammate Bence Meresz finished 25th (21.00). Once in the finals, the freshman turned in a time of 20.65 for fifteenth place.
Max Oppermann placed 33rd in the prelims of the 200 IM with a time of 1:57.19.
DAY 3:
Xavier Trovesi continued his brilliant run for the Running Eagles on Day 3, opening the morning by breaking his own 400 IM school record in the prelims, placing second with a time of 3:55.16. Teammate Mate Dort placed 28th in the event (4:16.03). In the finals, Trovesi dropped another three seconds off his time, once again breaking his own record in 3:52.17. The time earned him a fourth-place finish overall, marking his second All-American honor of the weekend.
Bence Meresz left his mark on Day 3 in the 100 breast. In the prelims, the senior turned in a time of 54.84, qualifying for the final heat. Earning his All-American status, Meresz swam a blazing 53.76, tying for third place while breaking his own school record and becoming the second individual All-American on the weekend for Life U. Teammate Max Oppermann placed 22nd (57.10) in the same event.
In the 200 free prelims, Raffaele Urtiola Rojas qualified for the final heats, swimming a 1:40.32. Once in the finals, the freshman turned in a time of 1:42.47, placing 16th.
Meresz hopped back in for the 100 back prelims, placing 23rd (51.39) while Leo Guleryuz placed 30th in a time of 52.14.
Closing the day with the 400 medley relay, Meresz, Trovesi, Guleryuz and Urtiola Rojas placed tenth with a combined time of 3:20.68.
DAY 4:
The dominance from Xavier Trovesi continued in the morning prelims as the sophomore qualified for the 200 breast finals after swimming a 2:00.78. Once in the finals, the sophomore earned his All-American status with a fifth-place finish in a time of 1:58.97. The podium finish marked his third individual All-American honor of the weekend.
Leo Guleryuz kicked off the final day of action in the 100 free, turning in a 24th-place finish in a time of 45.87. Max Oppermann swam a 2:05.85 in the 200 breast prelims.
In the longest event of the meet, the 1650 yard free, Raffaele Urtiola Rojas placed 10th (16:27.50) while teammate Mate Dort placed 16th (16:47.48).
Closing out the meet with a bang, Urtiola Rojas, Trovesi, Guleryuz and Bence Meresz posted an All-American finish in the 400 free relay. Swimming a 3:03.79, the group raced to an eighth-place finish to close out the meet.
FINAL SCORES:
1. Keiser University - 675 2. Cumberlands - 397
3. SCAD - 377 4. Milligan - 360
5. St. Thomas - 328 6. William Carey - 272
7. The Masters - 246 8. Saint Ambrose - 244.5
9. Lindsey Wilson - 165 10. Life U - 157.5
UP NEXT:
This marks the end of the 2025-26 season.
