BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Swimming and Diving Team, which was nationally ranked a year ago after an 8-0 dual season, has been picked to finish third in the 2020-21 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Cougars, which earned a first place vote and had 51 ballot points for third place, (2019-20), the Cougars put together its best performance in its four years as a program by finishing third with 797 points or 192 more than in 2018-19 (605.5, 2019).
The Cougars, which had eight individuals or relays crowned champions at the 2020 NSIC Championships, finished third for a third consecutive year but with 797 points the team finished just 8.5 points from second place and Minnesota State at 805.5 points.
In the preseason poll, St. Cloud State was selected as the top team in the league for a fifth consecutive season. The defending NSIC Champions received eight first place votes and amassed 64 points, nine points ahead of Minnesota State. The Mavericks received 55 points while Sioux Falls was third..
Directed by third-year Head Coach
Chris Hamstra, USF had its first unbeaten dual mark of 8-0 a year ago and earned a No. 15 national ranking by the CSCAA in 2019-20. In addition, USF had four student-athletes (
Chantal Kasch,
Ella Johnson,
Jenna Krahn and Lizzie Spaans) earn All-American honors before the CoVID-19 pandemic shut down the national championships.
With the momentum of the unbeaten regular season in duals, national ranking, and top-three placing at the NSIC Championships, the Cougars head in 2021 with high expectations. It is a veteran team with strong senior leadership, including senior
Chantal Kasch, who was recognized as an NSIC Athlete to Watch. She and
Jenna Krahn are among 10 seniors – nearly all which scored points at the NSIC Meet. At the NSIC Meet, the Cougars had eight individual or relay champions with 12 DII provisional marks and 34 All-NSIC performers. Add in a talented of newcomers and a strong group of sophomores and juniors, including All-American Lizzie Spaans, and the Cougars should again be a team on the move.
As the NSIC Athlete to Watch, Kasch, a senior psychology/criminal justice/sociology/social science major, is a three-time CSCAA Individual Scholar Athlete All-American. She was named a CSCAA All-American in 2020 and has won five career NSIC titles, individually or as part of a relay team. A year ago, she won the 100 breast (1:02.30) and 200 breast (2:16.43) and captured the 50 breast in 2018-19. Kasch was also part of the two-time 400 medley relay, including the 2018-19 squad which set an NSIC meet record of 3:45.23. Additionally, she is a two-time Academic All-NSIC and Academic Team of Excellence.
The NSIC sponsored women's swimming and diving during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years with the aid of affiliated members. In 2016-17 season, NSIC Swimming and Diving returned as a seven team all NSIC sport. In 2019-20 the NSIC moved to eight participating members with the addition of Southwest Minnesota State and is now an nine-team league with the addition of Concordia-St. Paul in 2020-21.
USF will open their season with a road dual against Northern State on Jan. 9. For USF's Swimming schedule,
click here. The NSIC Swimming & Diving Championship will be on February 10-13, 2021 at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo, North Dakota; and hosted by the MSU Moorhead.
NSIC Reveal video -
