JACKS OPEN SEASON AT AUGUSTANA

Friday, October 9

Sioux Falls, S.D.

5 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Augustana

Photo by: SDSU Athletics

10/8/2026 3:48:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

SWIMMING & DIVING: South Dakota State at Augustana

When	Friday, Oct. 9 \| 5 p.m. & Saturday, Oct. 10 \| 4 p.m.
Where	Midco Aquatic Center \| Sioux Falls, S.D.
Live Results	Friday Live Results \| Saturday Live Results \| Meet Mobile App
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #GoJacks

The South Dakota State men's and women's swimming and diving teams open the 2026-27 season with dual meets against Augustana on Friday and Saturday at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Friday's session is set for 5 p.m., with Saturday's following at 4 p.m.

Both Jackrabbit squads placed fourth of seven teams at the 2026 Summit League Championships with 458 points. The SDSU men went 4-3 in duals last season, while the women went 2-6. The teams split their 2022 meeting with Augustana, with the men winning 207-87 and the women falling 189-109.

MEN'S PREVIEW: SDSU returns a deep group of league medalists, led by two juniors who own school records.

Nik Keuser took silver in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Summit League Championships, lowering his own school record to 53.38 seconds. Zavier Kranz was third in the 100 freestyle (:44.32), a time that ranks second in program history. The two also swam on the 400 medley relay that won bronze in a school-record 3:14.43, alongside sophomore Colby Williams.

Senior Cody Vertin anchors the individual medley and breaststroke events. The Brookings native finished fourth in both the 400 IM (3:54.99) and the 200 breaststroke (1:58.88) at the league meet and holds school records in the 200 and 400 IM.

Junior Hayden Tellier is the top returner among the butterfly group. His 48.55 in the 100 fly prelims ranks second in SDSU history and his 1:49.04 in the 200 fly is third-fastest.

Sophomore Owen Byrd was sixth in the 400 IM and ninth in the 1,650 freestyle at the league meet, and his prelim time of 3:56.56 in the 400 IM ranks second in program history behind Vertin. Freshman Drew Gundrum adds depth in the backstroke and freestyle events.

In diving, sophomore Roman Billings returns and is joined by redshirt Anthony del Popolo of Sydney, Australia.

WOMEN'S PREVIEW: The Jackrabbit women return their top scorers from a team that improved by 127 points at the league meet. They also added seven freshmen.

Senior Gigi Hioki leads the freestyle group. She was fourth in the 200 butterfly (2:06.14) and swam on the 400 freestyle relay that set a school record of 3:24.46, ending a mark that had stood for 12 years. Junior Hannah Miller also returns from that relay after placing ninth in the 100 freestyle (:51.63).

Junior Emma Ingalls anchors the breaststroke group. Her prelim time of 2:18.42 in the 200 breaststroke is the sixth-fastest in school history. Senior Lily Esmas returns in the backstroke events after placing sixth in the 200 backstroke (2:02.67), and senior Poppy Mead was eighth in the 200 fly (2:08.84).

The newcomers include freshmen Leila Byer and Lucy Johansen in the freestyle events, Bella Nordaker, Addy Oelke and Taylor Tabino in the butterfly and IM events, and Sadie Rogers in the breaststroke and IM events. Sophomore Addy Trinidad joins the team from Utah Tech. Senior Annabelle Gifford, junior Lily Davis and freshman Branwen Loeffler lead the diving crew.

COACH HUMPHREY: Doug Humphrey is in his 10th season as head coach of the South Dakota State men's and women's swimming and diving teams.

Through his first eight seasons, Humphrey has guided the Jackrabbits to top-three team finishes at the Summit League Championships six times in the men's division and three times on the women's side. Both squads recorded runner-up finishes at the league meet during the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season.

Prior to SDSU, Humphrey served as the head women's swimming and diving coach at Northern Iowa for five seasons. His Panther squads showed steady progression in the Missouri Valley Conference, including posting back-to-back third-place finishes at the conference championship his final two seasons in Cedar Falls.
Humphrey served as the assistant swimming coach at the University of Nebraska from 2000-12 under Olympic gold medalist Pablo Morales. He swam for the Huskers from 1991-96 and later served as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater.

A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU travels to Omaha, Nebraska, on Oct. 17 for a meet with Omaha and Nebraska.

-GoJacks.com-