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Charlotte Gibbs wins swim event at UMary
Photo taken by: Brian Larson

Sioux Falls Swimming Opens 2026-27 Season with Five Individual Victories at MSU Moorhead

10/17/2026 4:42:00 PM

By: Madie Brink

MOORHEAD, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Swimming team opened its 2026-27 season Saturday afternoon with a road dual against Minnesota State Moorhead. The Cougars recorded five individual event victories and several strong performances throughout the lineup, ultimately falling to the Dragons, 188-104.

Charlotte Gibbs led the Cougars with two individual victories, while Kalina Zaharieva, Isabella Perkins and Elena Kalaydzhiyska each added first-place finishes. Sioux Falls also recorded multiple runner-up performances, showcasing its depth across freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and individual medley events.

The Basics

Meet: Sioux Falls at MSU Moorhead
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Location: Moorhead, Minn. | Nemzek Pool
Final Score: MSU Moorhead 188, Sioux Falls 104
USF Event Victories: 5 Individual Wins

How It Happened

Sioux Falls opened the afternoon with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay as Isabella Perkins, Abigail Warmbrand, Charlotte Gibbs and Nil Ilter combined for a time of 1:51.11. The Cougars' second relay team of Hailey Walter, Elena Kalaydzhiyska, Irene Paris and Lotta Keitel followed in fourth with a time of 1:52.79.

Kalina Zaharieva delivered USF's first individual victory of the season in the 1000-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 11:16.20 to secure nine points for the Cougars. Gibbs followed with another first-place performance in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking a 1:56.76 to finish more than three seconds ahead of the field. Xenia Tauer added a fourth-place finish in the event with a time of 2:05.33.

The Cougars continued their early momentum in the 100-yard backstroke as Perkins captured first place with a time of 1:01.82. Walter followed in fourth, finishing in 1:04.92.

Kalaydzhiyska added another victory for Sioux Falls in the 100-yard breaststroke, posting a winning time of 1:08.73. Warmbrand finished just behind in third at 1:09.12, giving the Cougars two of the top three finishers in the event.

In the 200-yard butterfly, Paris secured runner-up honors with a time of 2:10.43, finishing less than one second behind the event winner. Miley Mieczkowski added a third-place finish in 2:32.84.

USF continued to collect points in the sprint freestyle events as Ilter finished third in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.69, followed closely by Keitel in fourth at 24.97. The duo returned in the 100-yard freestyle, with Ilter placing third in 54.04 and Keitel taking fourth in 55.32.

The Cougars added several strong finishes in the 200-yard events, highlighted by Kalaydzhiyska's runner-up performance in the 200 breaststroke (2:29.84). Warmbrand followed in third with a time of 2:31.83, while Walter placed third in the 200 backstroke (2:20.41).

Gibbs returned to the pool for her second individual victory of the afternoon in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 5:28.92. Zaharieva added a third-place finish in 5:30.88, giving Sioux Falls another pair of top-three performances.

Paris led the Cougars in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing third in 59.90, while Tauer followed closely in fourth with a time of 1:00.13.

Sioux Falls closed its individual events with three of the top four finishes in the 200-yard individual medley. Gibbs placed second in 2:12.36, followed by Paris in third (2:16.25) and Warmbrand in fourth (2:17.99).

The Cougars concluded the afternoon in the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the team of Walter, Zaharieva, Mieczkowski and Anna Pride finished fourth overall with a time of 4:03.95.

Key Numbers

  • 5 – Individual event victories for Sioux Falls in its season opener.

  • 2 – Individual wins for Charlotte Gibbs, capturing the 200-yard freestyle (1:56.76) and 500-yard freestyle (5:28.92).

  • 11:16.20 – Kalina Zaharieva's winning time in the 1000-yard freestyle.

  • 1:01.82 – Isabella Perkins' first-place time in the 100-yard backstroke.

  • 1:08.73 – Elena Kalaydzhiyska's winning time in the 100-yard breaststroke.

  • 3 – Top-four finishes for USF in the 200-yard individual medley, led by Gibbs, Paris and Warmbrand.

Up Next

Sioux Falls will head to Jamestown for a two day event next weekend. The Knight Invite is slated for October 23-24 at the JHS Pool. The Cougars will return to Midco Aquatic Center November 6-7 to host Augustana, Jamestown and UMary in a quad dual.

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