BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's swim and dive teams kicked off the 2026-27 season with its annual IWU Halloween Invite Saturday, Oct. 31 at Fort Natatorium. The women's team won the invite, while the men placed runner-up. In all, the Titans posted six individual wins alongside five relay victories.
The women's team finished in first place with 140 team points, while the men's team finished second with 101, as strong debuts by the freshman paired with quality showings from returners headlined the day. MSOE took home the win in the six-team meet on the men's side with 152 points.
IWU saw individual wins from freshmen Piper Lowder (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and Macy Cappa (Savoy, Ill.), sophomore Ellen Hoover (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central), senior Sam Borre (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant), and junior Sarah Worsley (Shorewood, Ill.-Joliet West) on the women's side. The top finishes on the men's side came from freshmen Max Chiappetta (West Dundee, Ill.-Harry D. Jacobs) and Carter Seiple (Naperville, Ill.) and junior Tate Thomas (Joliet, Ill.-Joliet West). Illinois Wesleyan's women added five relay wins.
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Lowder notched two wins on the day, with the first coming in the 50-yard freestyle, where she posted a time of 25.16 in her collegiate debut. The Bloomington, Ill. native came in more than a 10th of a second ahead of the second-place finisher, while freshman Brynley Wilber (Champaign, Ill.) grabbed third place in the event with a time of 25.89. Lowder tacked on another win in the 100-yard free (54.02), while Wilber claimed second.
Cappa collected the first win of her young career in the 200-yard free, touching in at 2:03.16. Leading from the opening leg, Cappa clocked the only sub-30-second split to lead from start to finish. Her time was nearly six seconds ahead of the next swimmer.
In the 200-yard butterfly, Hoover battled back to win the event and lead a one-two finish. Trailing slightly after the first split, the sophomore held steady to fight her way into the front with a time of 2:21.76. Freshman Veda Harkness (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Grand Rapids Christian) grabbed second, finishing nearly 12 seconds ahead of the third-place swimmer.
Adding to the Titans' tally, Borre rode a strong start to win the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:15.42. Worsley scored 157.75 points to earn the top spot in the 1-meter dive.
In his first collegiate meet, Chiappetta collected three top-five placements on the men's side. His best finish of the day came in the 500-yard freestyle, where he nabbed runner-up with a time of 5:04.36. He added fifth-place finishes in the 200-yard free (1:54.80) and 200-yard back (2:09.90).
Seiple snagged second place in the 200-yard fly, touching the wall in 2:07.33, while Thomas placed third in the 200-yard free (1:53.09).
Illinois Wesleyan's women won all but one relay, with the freshmen quartet of Lowder, Wilber, Cappa, and Maeve Harkness (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Grand Rapids Christian) taking first in the 200-yard (1:41.38) and 500-yard free (3:13.21) relays. The trio of Borre, Veda Harkness, and Hoover gave the Green and White the top spot in the 300-yard medley relay with a time of 3:20.80. Wilber then teamed up with junior Isabella Cano (River Grove, Ill.-East Leyden) and Hoover for a win in the 300-yard butterfly relay, clocking in at 3:13.21.
The Titan men secured second place in the 200-yard medley, 500-yard free, 300-yard back, and 300-yard breast relays.
Illinois Wesleyan looks to build off Saturday's success in a meet with North Central College and Olivet Nazarene University Friday, Nov. 6, at Fort Natatorium. The meet, which will begin at 5 p.m., will see the Titans recognize 2016 NCAA Division III National Champion Meg Stanley at the meet's first intermission.
IWU individual results
*denotes personal best
Women's 50 free
1. Piper Lowder – 25.16*
3. Brynley Wilber – 25.89*
6. Morgan Haddox – 26.93*
8. Julia Jozwiak – 27.27
11. Claire Paule – 28.76
Women's 200 free
1. Macy Cappa – 2:03.16*
Women's 1-meter dive
1. Sarah Worsley – 157.75
Women's 200 fly
1. Ellen Hoover – 2:21.76
2. Veda Harkness – 2:30.99*
Women's 200 back
1. Sam Borre – 2:15.42
7. Maeve Harkness – 2:30.68*
8. Libby Hamer – 2:34.35
Women's 200 breast
4. Maggie Souvignier – 2:46.15*
6. Caroline Stenger – 2:52.04
Women's 100 free
1. Piper Lowder – 54.02*
2. Brynley Wilber – 56.91*
5. Julia Jozwiak – 59.60
10. Morgan Haddox – 1:01.69*
12. Claire Paule – 1:02.70
Women's 500 free
3. Macy Cappa – 5:45.42*
6. Caroline Stenger – 6:09.60
Men's 50 free
5. Jim Campbell V – 23.10*
9. Jacob Nacional – 23.58
10. Connor Puk – 23.64*
15. Jack Hansen – 24.13*
Men's 200 free
3. Tate Thomas – 1:53.09
5. Max Chiappetta – 1:54.80*
Men's 200 fly
2. Carter Seiple – 2:07.33*
Men's 200 back
4. Jaxon Tomera – 2:08.44*
5. Max Chiappetta – 2:09.90*
Men's 200 breast
4. Ben Huk – 2:21.07
Men's 100 free
6. Tate Thomas – 51.29
7. Connor Puk – 51.60*
11. Jacob Nacional – 52.16
Men's 500 free
2. Max Chiappetta – 5:04.36*
