JACKRABBIT WOMEN TO TAKE ON NEBRASKA

WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING DUAL: South Dakota State (2-0) at Nebraska (2-1)

When	Friday, Oct. 20 \| 4 p.m.
Where	Devaney Natatorium \| Lincoln, Nebraska
Live Video	None
Results	Meet Mobile \| Women's Season Performance List
Meet Notes	See Below \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram

Following a successful opening weekend, the South Dakota State women's swimming and diving team returns to competition Friday with a nonconference dual meet at Nebraska. Start time at the Devaney Natatorium on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln is set for 4 p.m.

South Dakota State is 2-0 in duals this season after recording home victories over Augustana (146-95) and Iowa Central (147-24) on Oct. 6 and 7, respectively. Nebraska, meanwhile, is 2-1 after splitting a double dual at Minnesota (L, 74-226) and against South Dakota (W, 177-120) on Oct. 13, before posting a 167-132 victory at Iowa State a day later.

SUMMIT PREVIEW: The Jackrabbit women's swimming and diving team was tabbed to finish fifth in the 2023-24 Summit League preseason coaches' poll, which was announced Sept. 27.

The Jackrabbits' placing in the poll was the same as their finish at last season's Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships. Denver, which claimed the league title during the 2022-23 campaign, was selected to repeat this season, with South Dakota picked to finish second.

In addition, senior backstroke swimmers Sianne Downes and Kelsey Kocon.were named Summit League Swimmers and Divers to Watch. Downes, from Edenvale, South Africa, eclipsed her own school-record marks in the 100 (:54.98) and 200 backstroke (2:01.10) while placing fourth and sixth, respectively, at the 2023 league championships

Kocon, a native of St. Michael, Minnesota, turned in respective fifth- and eighth-place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke, while adding an 11^th-place showing in the 200 individual medley.

DOWNES OFF TO FAST START: Jackrabbit senior Sianne Downes set a pair of Marshall Center pool records in the backstroke events during the opening weekend of competition.

Downes clocked a winning time of 2 minutes, 5.17 seconds in the 200-yard backstroke in season-opening dual action Oct. 6 against Augustana. She came back with a pool-record time of 57.76 seconds in the 100 backstroke the next day against Iowa Central.

Teammate Emma Walz set the previous 200 backstroke pool record of 2:05.71 in 2022, while the 100 backstroke pool record had stood since 2009, when set by Iowa State's Nan Liu (57.96 seconds).

HIOKI ALSO SHINES IN FIRST WEEKEND: Freshman Gigi Hioki made a splash by going undefeated in individual freestyle races on the opening weekend of competition.

A native of Liberty Lake, Washington, Hioki first claimed the 200-yard freestyle in her Oct. 6 collegiate debut against Augustana by clocking a winning time of 1 minute, 56.10 seconds, followed by a victory in 54.50 seconds in the 100 freestyle. Hioki closed out the meet by teaming with Gabriella Gnewuch, Kelsey Kocon and Emma Walz for a winning time of 3:35.00 in the 400 freestyle relay.

To close out the weekend, Hioki moved up to the 500 freestyle and came away with her third individual victory over a two-day span with a time of 5:16.77.

As a team, SDSU swimmers won all 11 events against Iowa Central and claimed 10 of 13 events versus Augustana.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will face a weekend full of competition Oct. 27-28. Both the men's and women's squads will travel to Minneapolis on Oct. 27 for a double dual against Minnesota and St. Thomas. That competition begins at 5 p.m. at the Jean K. Freeman Natatorium on the University of Minnesota campus.

SDSU then faces a quick turnaround for a home dual Oct. 28 against Iowa State. Start time is slated for 1 p.m., with the men's squad also hosting Augustana that afternoon.

-GoJacks.com-

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Sianne Downes

Gabriella Gnewuch

Gigi Hioki

Kelsey Kocon

Emma Walz

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving versus Summit League Championships on February 18, 2026 , , 4th of 7 Teams — 458 Points

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving at Coyote Invite on January 30, 2026 , , No Team Scores — 3 Event Titles

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving at South Dakota on January 24, 2026 , Loss , 110.5, to, 188.5

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving versus St. Thomas on January 17, 2026 , Loss , 97, to, 142

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving at Minnesota on January 17, 2026 , Loss , 43, to, 198

Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving at St. Thomas Invite on November 20, 2025 , , 2nd of 4 Teams — 1,239 Points

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