SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury swimming and diving returns to Breech Pool to host the Drury Invitational for its first home action of the 2026-27 season Friday (Oct. 30) and Saturday (Oct. 31). Competition begins at 3 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday, as fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference foes William Jewell, Missouri S&T, Rockhurst and Southwest Baptist will compete against both Drury squads.
Live results for the two-day event will be available via the Meet Mobile app and DiveMeets.com.
Ranked No. 4 in this month's CSCAA poll, the Drury women are coming off strong season-opening performance in duals with NCAA Division I foes Arkansas and TCU on Oct. 3. Arkansas claimed a 209-83 overall decision over Drury, while TCU edged the Panthers by a 195-102 count.
On the men's side of the ledger, the Panthers hold the top spot in the CSCAA NCAA D-II Top 25 poll after posting a dominant win over Missouri S&T in their first dual meet of the season on Oct. 9, and a runner-up finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships in March.
The Drury swimming programs are 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 in 2026.
LAST TIME OUT...
Drury received big performances from Gwen Bergum and Belen Morales, who combined for five top-four individual finishes at Arkansas, as well as bronze-worthy efforts by Yevheniia Zhukova (100 fly) and Sophia Deane (200 back). Bergum's second-place finish in the 200 IM represented the top individual effort by a Panther, while Deane was named GLVC Women's Swimming Athlete of the Week after posting a trio of podium finishes in Fayetteville, highlighted by a third-place effort in the 100 back with a personal best of 55.65. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native also helped DU's 200 medley relay team to a third-place finish (1:44.39) with a leadoff leg of 26.25, which also marked a personal best in the 50 back.
The Panthers' dive contingent wrapped up a solid weekend with second and third-place finishes at the Don Leas Invitational and Clarion Fall Classic in Clarion, Pa. (Oct. 16-17). DU was led by Maddie Rogers' win in the 1-meter (230.70) on Friday, as well as her NCAA-qualifying score of 265.20 in the 3-meter Saturday.
Ranked No. 1 in the CSCAA's Preseason NCAA Division II Dual Meet Poll, the Drury men rode individual victories by Ivan Adamchuk (100 back), Austin Metzler (1000 free), Belhassen Ben Miled (200 IM), Fran Miodrag (100 breast), Kostas Vaiciunas (200 free and 500 free) and Yuri Cabral (50 free) to its first dual win (141-64) of the season Oct. 9 at Missouri S&T. Adamchuk set the Missouri S&T Pool record in the 100 back, while Vaiciunas eclipsed the previous pool records in both the 200 and 500 free. Additionally, Cabral shattered the pool mark in the 50 free, as well as the 100 free as part of the Panthers' 400 free relay performance en route to capturing GLVC Men's Swimming Athlete of the Week recognition.
Additionally, the Panthers claimed individual wins in seven of the evening's nine events, as well as both relay competitions (400 free and 400 medley).
Drury turned in a pair of third-place team diving finishes in Clarion, led by Carter Austin, who shared high-point honors (37.0) with one first-place performance and one second-place effort at the Don Leas Invite. Austin also delivered a win in the men's six-dive 3-meter with an NCAA qualifying score of 310.43 the following day. Santiago Santodomingo also turned in an NCAA qualifying score, finishing second in the 11-dive 3-meter (534.45).
PANTHERS TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND
- Belhassen Ben Miled (IM/fly) turned in a first-place effort in the 200 IM at Drury's season-opening victory at Missouri S&T with a time of first-place effort of 1:49.60, leading a DU sweep of the top three podium spots in the event.
- Vasil Tushev (free/back) took silver in both the 200 free (1:39.64) and 500 free (4:35.60) at Missouri S&T in his Drury debut.
- Kostas Vaiciunas (free) also delivered a memorable debut as a Panther at Missoui S&T, claiming wins in the 200 free and 500 free, setting pool records in each event.
- Belen Morales (free) claimed a third-place finish in the 100 free at Arkansas, clocking in at 52.40; also brought home fourth-place finishes in both the 200 free (1:53.82) and 500 free (5:08.49).
- Nikol Maniko (free) anchored the Panthers' third-place effort in the 400 free relay, and placed sixth in the 200 free (1:55.11) at Arkansas.
- Luiza Dias (free/back/IM) was also a part of Drury's third-place 400 free relay team at Arkansas, in addition to her fourth-place effort in the 1000 free (10:36.23) and a fifth-place performance in the 500 free (5:09.29).
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury swimming and diving will travel to Dallas for the SMU Invitational, Nov. 19-22 at Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center.
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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