The Illinois College men’s swimming team placed fifth at the 2025-26 Midwest Conference Championships, which concluded Sunday at the Russell K. Osgood Pool in Grinnell, Iowa.
Three Illinois College swimmers achieved two top 10 finishes each during the event. Scottie Nicotra finished second in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:08.55 and took tenth place in the 100-yard freestyle, clocking in at 47.98 seconds. John Masiliunas secured third place in the 200-yard backstroke (1:56.93) and finished tenth in the 100-yard backstroke (54.46 seconds). Lucas Sullens earned eighth place both in the 400-yard individual medley (4:21.53) and in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.09).
Cade Emerick added a ninth-place finish for Illinois College in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17:34.11.
Two relay teams from Illinois College also recorded fifth-place finishes on Sunday. The squad of Nathen Trachta, Lucas Sullens, Gavin Rasmusen, and Scottie Nicotra completed the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:39.35. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Nicotra teamed up with Trachta, Masiliunas, and Rasmusen to post a time of 3:15.79.
Illinois College Blue Boys Swimming participates as part of NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics within the Midwest Conference (official website). The program is based out of Jacksonville, Illinois and uses Coultas Natatorium for its training and competitions (official website). The coaching staff emphasizes athlete development and competitive performance (official website).
