SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For the second straight season, Minnesota State Moorhead swimming & diving bested the Sioux Falls Cougars in dual action. The Dragons defeated the Coo for their third win of the 2025-26 season, 153-105.
The 200-yard medley relay would open competition on Friday evening with the Dragon quartet of Kelsey Jackson, Rose Urick, Ruth Pavelski and Sophia Verke winning the race with a time of 1:50.12. MSUM’s team of Lacie Stark, Cami Mayo, Fernanda Leon and Tresa Baumgard would place third with a time of 1:55.64. The Dragons would make it a clean sweep of relays, winning the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Maggie Moore, Pavelski, Joanna Phillips and Verke. The team marked a 3:41.14 to earn the victory.
In distance swimming, Turin Johnson would earn third-place marks in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 12:03.61 while Claire Schlaefer would place fourth in the same race (12:10.05). Anika Grunenwald would be the top Dragon in the 500-yard freestyle, placing third with a time of 5:33.75 while Johnson placed fourth behind a time of 5:50.74.
Fernanda Leon owned the pool all evening, winning three events for the Dragons. Leon’s first victory came in the 200-yard butterfly, clocking a 2:08.03 finishing time. Cami Mayo would grab a team point for MSUM in the same event, marking a 2:27.02. Leon would also win the 100-yard butterfly with a blazing time of 59.43. For the second straight week, Pavelski finished right behind Leon with a time of 59.60. Mayo would place fourth in the race behind a 1:03.64 time. Finally, Leon won the 200-yard IM with another impressive time of 2:11.24. Kelsey Jackson would place fourth in the same race behind a time of 2:22.44.
The sprint freestyle events saw Moorhead pick up crucial team points from top to bottom. Maggie Moore would win the 50-yard freestyle for the Dragons with a time of 24.59. Pavelski (25.48) and Verke (25.77) would place third and fourth in the same race. Moore would also have a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200-yard and 100-yard freestyles. The junior paced a 1:56.54 for the placement in the 200-yard with the time just over a second off her personal best. Moore marked a 53.59 in the 100-yard installment, just .06 off her personal record. Grunenwald would place fourth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.24) while Verke (55.43) placed third in the 100-yard. Phillips earned team points for the Dragons in the 100-yard freestyle as well, clocking a 57.70.
Jackson would earn a pair of backstroke wins for the Dragons, winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.81. In the 200-yard backstroke, Jackson marked a 2:10.56 for the event win. Lacie Stark (1:04.05) and Adrianna Sullivan (1:05.34) would collect team points for MSUM in the 100-yard while Sullivan (2:23.50) also earned points in the 200-yard. Rose Urick would claim victory in the 200-yard breaststroke with a strong showing of 2:29.49 while Sarah Coe (2:54.55) and Haley Stainbrook (3:05.47) would stamp team points. Urick would place runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:08.99 with Coe (1:17.51) and Stainbrook (1:21.87) also grabbing valuable team points.
In diving action, Zoe Bjerke would continue her impressive start to the season with two more victories. Bjerke won the 1-meter competition with an overall score of 221.40 while teammate Isabelle Johnson finished runner-up with a score of 209.20. Bjerke would also win the 3-meter dive with a six-dive mark of 254.40, improving on the third-best score in program history. Kennedy Olson would earn runner-up marks on the high dive with a score of 207.05.
Up Next
The Dragons will look to remain perfect as they look towards a triangular with Southwest Minnesota State and Jamestown on Tuesday, November 11. Action from Marshall, Minn., is set for 12 p.m.
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