SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Nationally-ranked Drury swimming and diving kicks off its 2026-27 season this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., as the No. 4 DU women compete head-to-head against NCAA Division I foes Arkansas and TCU. Competition begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at Arkansas Natatorium, with live results available via the Meet Mobile app.
Ranked fourth in the CSCAA's Preseason NCAA Division II Dual Meet Poll, the Drury women are coming off of their 31st consecutive top-five national finish at last March's 2026 NCAA D-II Swimming and Diving Championships. DU totaled 284 points to place fifth behind West Florida (298.5), Colorado Mesa (328.5), Tampa (424.5) and national champion Nova Southeastern (486).
The Drury swimming programs will once again be led by Brian Reynolds, one of the nation's most accomplished collegiate swimming coaches. Reynolds enters his 44th year as head coach of the Panthers men's team and his 39th season leading the women's program.
PRESEASON NOTES
- Drury checked in at No. 4 in the preseason CSCAA Top 25 Dual Meet Poll that was released earlier this week; DU trailed only Colorado Mesa, Tampa and Nova Southeastern in the organization's initial set of 2026 rankings.
- Combined with DU's 20 men's national championships, Reynolds has guided his alma mater to 33 total NAIA and NCAA-II titles since taking the reins of the program from Hall of Fame head coach Jack Steck in 1983; Reynolds has led DU to eight NAIA men's national championships and 12 NCAA Men's Division II crowns, as well as three NAIA women's national championships and 10 NCAA Women's Division II national titles.
PANTHERS TO WATCH
- Gwen Bergum (breast/IM/relays) returns for Drury following a breakthrough junior campaign in which the Norway native captured individual national titles in the 100 Breast (1:00.91) and 200 Breast (2:10.78) at the NCAA Division II Championships, helping the Panthers to a fifth-place team finish as DU's top individual scorer (70) in Evansville.
- Bergum also earned a runner-up finish in the 200 IM with a personal best of 1:59.11 and placed sixth in the 400 IM (4:20.14) at the NCAA meet; she also plays a pivotal role on the Panthers' relay teams (200 Medley).
- Paula Rodríguez Rendón (sprint free/relays) enters the new campaign as one of Drury's top newcomers; she figures to factor in the 50 Free and 100 Free competitions, as well as the Panthers' 200 Medley and 400 Free Relays in her debut for DU this weekend.
- Rianne Rose (fly/free/relays) returns for her second year in Scarlet and Gray on the heels of a standout performance at the 2026 NCAA Championships, where she earned All-America honors with her third-place finish in the 200 Fly (1:59.36); the Germany native also brought home silver in the 200 Fly, as well as top-10 finishes in the 200 Free and 100 Fly, from the GLVC Championships last February.
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury swimming and diving will make its first home appearance of the 2026-27 campaign at Breech Pool on Oct. 30-31, when the Panthers host the Drury Invitational.
For all the latest information on Drury swimming and diving, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on Instagram.
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