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2024-25 USF Swim Team at NSIC Championships

Cougars Claim Second Place at Knight Invite Behind Seven Individual Event Victories

10/24/2026 4:53:00 PM

By: Madie Brink

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The University of Sioux Falls Swimming team turned in a strong two-day performance at the Knight Invite, finishing second overall behind seven individual event victories and numerous top-three finishes. The Cougars competed Friday and Saturday, October 23–24, showcasing their depth across freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and individual medley events.

The Basics

  • Meet: Knight Invite

  • Dates: October 23–24, 2026

  • Location: Jamestown, N.D.

  • Team Finish: 2nd Place

  • Individual Event Wins: 7

How It Happened

Day One – Friday, October 23

Sioux Falls opened the Knight Invite with four individual event victories, highlighted by standout performances from Alessia Moro, Charlotte Gibbs and Irene Paris.

Moro set the tone in the distance events, capturing the 1,650-yard freestyle title with a time of 18:34.31. Gibbs added two victories of her own, winning the 200-yard individual medley in 2:12.18 before returning to claim the 500-yard freestyle in 5:20.94.

Paris continued the Cougars' success with a first-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly, touching the wall in 2:11.25. Teammate Xenia Tauer followed closely behind in second place at 2:15.12, giving Sioux Falls the top two spots in the event.

The Cougars also collected several strong podium finishes throughout Friday's competition. Abigail Warmbrand placed third in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:16.55, while Nil Ilter earned third in the 50-yard freestyle at 25.40.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Elena Kalaydzhiyska finished second in 1:08.53, while Isabella Perkins secured third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.70.

Sioux Falls also showed its relay depth, placing second and third in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of Hailey Walter, Kalaydzhiyska, Tauer and Ilter recorded a time of 1:52.35, while Perkins, Warmbrand, Paris and Gibbs followed in 1:53.09.

At the conclusion of Friday's competition, Sioux Falls occupied second place in the team standings with 639 points.

Day Two – Saturday, October 24

The Cougars carried their momentum into Saturday, adding two more individual victories and several additional podium performances.

Moro secured her second individual title of the weekend with a first-place finish in the 1,000-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 11:12.29. Kalina Zaharieva joined her on the podium, finishing third in 11:16.88.

Ilter delivered the Cougars' other Saturday victory, winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:58.32. Sioux Falls swept the top three positions in the event as Gibbs finished second in 1:58.80 and Paris followed in third at 2:02.98.

The Cougars also recorded a pair of runner-up finishes in the breaststroke events. Kalaydzhiyska placed second in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 31.53 before adding another second-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:30.48. Warmbrand finished third in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:34.09.

In the butterfly events, Tauer finished second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 59.71, while Warmbrand placed third in 1:00.16.

Moro returned to the pool for another strong distance performance, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 5:28.91, with Zaharieva placing third at 5:34.32.

The Cougars continued to collect valuable finishes in the backstroke and individual medley events. Perkins finished third in the 50-yard backstroke at 29.76, Walter placed third in the 200-yard backstroke at 2:21.08, and Gibbs added a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 1:02.47.

In relay competition, Sioux Falls claimed second and third in the 400-yard medley relay. The team of Perkins, Kalaydzhiyska, Paris and Gibbs finished second in 4:06.34, followed by Walter, Warmbrand, Tauer and Ilter in third at 4:08.33.

Key Numbers

  • 2nd – Overall team finish at the Knight Invite.

  • 7 – Individual event victories across the two-day competition.

  • 3 – Individual victories for Alessia Moro, who swept the 1,650-, 1,000- and 500-yard freestyle events.

  • 2 – Individual victories for Charlotte Gibbs, who captured the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle on Friday.

  • 1–2–3 – Sioux Falls swept the podium in Saturday's 200-yard freestyle, led by Nil Ilter, Charlotte Gibbs and Irene Paris.

  • 1–2 – Irene Paris and Xenia Tauer claimed the top two positions in Friday's 200-yard butterfly.

Coach's Take – Rickey Perkins

"Great team effort this weekend. We saw a lot of great things from our swimmers across both days of competition, along with some areas where we know we can continue to improve. I was pleased with the way our team competed, supported one another, and maintained their energy throughout the meet. Finishing second is a positive step for our program, but we know there is still plenty of room for growth. We are excited about what lies ahead for USF Swimming this season and look forward to building on this performance."

Up Next

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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