Leavenworth, Kan.— The Spires women's swimming team capped off an outstanding 2025–26 season with energy, determination, and impressive performances in the pool and in the classroom. USM's hard work and strong sense of unity paid off in a big way, earning them a well-deserved six national invitations on the women's side to the 45
th Annual Women's Swimming and Diving National Championship. It's been a year full of growth, resilience, and exciting achievements for head coach
David Bresser's squad.
The USM women were a constant figure on the national leaderboards, opening their 2025-26 campaign strong at the No. 7 slot in the nation through the month of November. The Spire women saw huge marks from a stacked roster top to bottom, from veteran returners including
MaryBeth Clark,
Ainsley Duell,
Rilynn Guynes,
Olivia Kindle,
Ayla Pierce,
Olivia Ringle, and
Reagan Salsbury. USM was also highly impressed with their group of underclassmen including freshman
Kaitie Coleman,
Rylee Randle, and sophomore varsity contributors
Ava Steier,
Taya Swarts,
Maria Trotta,
Ella Bombardier,
Mandy Butscher, and
Sania Cay.
The Spire women ended their season No. 3 in the KCAC and No. 14 in all of NAIA, an incredible feat for the USM squad. End of season recognitions are due to Coach Bresser's teams always holding themselves to the highest standard. Their dedication paid off in a big way, as they rose to the top of the national leaderboards—an achievement that reflects not just talent, but months of relentless hard work and team unity.
A successful early season for the women's swim team was exemplified by an outstanding outing at the KCAC Women's Swimming and Diving Conference Championships as the meet saw USM athletes on both the men's and women's sides with fantastic personal finishes with many top 3 and top 8—medaling finishes—in the ultra-competitive few days in Hobart, Indiana.
Each of the Spire women's relay teams made a huge splash at the KCAC Conference Championships, highlighted by an impressive performance in the 200-yard Freestyle relay.
Taya Swarts,
Reagan Salsbury,
Maria Trotta, and
Sania Cay combined their strengths to deliver a standout swim, finishing 3
rd overall with a final time of 7:58.73.
USM would continue to make waves with another strong showing in the 200-yard Medley relay.
Reagan Salsbury,
Ainsley Duell,
Ayla Pierce, and
Sania Cay combined their talents across each stroke to deliver a cohesive and competitive race, finishing 4
th in the finals with a time of 1:48.95.
Taya Swarts,
Ayla Pierce,
Maria Trotta, and
Sania Cay delivered another powerful and well-coordinated race in the standout showing in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The squad securing an impressive 3
rd place finish and reinforced the Spire's strong presence in the pool and adding yet another podium finish.
Continuing on this success was
Olivia Ringle,
Reagan Salsbury,
MaryBeth Clark, and
Taya Swarts, combining their strengths across each stroke in the 400-yard Medley relay to post a time of 4:02.77, earning their fourth top-four finish.
In their fifth podium finish, the Spire women's relay squad delivered yet another standout performance in the 800-yard Freestyle relay.
Ayla Pierce,
Taya Swarts,
Ava Steier, and
Olivia Ringle battled through a competitive field with determination and grit, securing a 3
rd place finish with a final time of 7:58.73.
On top of their grueling relay battles, a handful of Spire women would add to their personal impressive resumes, capping off what was another highly successful meet for a squad that was excelling at the right time. Their success this season went far beyond the results at the KCAC Championships, as seven athletes earned well-deserved postseason honors:
All-KCAC First Team Women's Swimming:
All-KCAC Second Team Women's Swimming:
After their conference success, USM waited with bated breath to hear their names called for the national meet. Coach
David Bresser was exceptionally proud of his group, with six female athletes and one Spire men's swimmer selected. This would be the highest number of individual qualifiers Bresser's USM squad has sent to the national meet since 2022. Further, since the Spires had at least four women selected, USM had the opportunity to compete in all five relays at the national meet, including the 800 Free, 400 Free, 200 Free, 200 Medley, and the 400 Medley relays.
The Spire women made a strong statement at the national meet, establishing a solid presence on the biggest stage of the season. Throughout the competition, they earned a handful of top-twenty finishes, showcasing both depth and consistency against elite competition.
A few notable performances from the Spire women were
Taya Swarts in the 50 Freestyle (24.53) & 100 Freestyle (53.77). Senior
MaryBeth Clark in the 100 Butterfly (58.30) & 200 Butterfly (2:10.75),
Olivia Ringle in the 1650 Freestyle (18:38.75). Fellow senior
Ayla Pierce in the 100 Butterfly (58.77) & 1650 Freestyle (18:31.01), all placing top 30 in the country for their performances. As a unit, the USM women placed 12
th in the 200 Freestyle Relay with the time of 1:38.21 (
Reagan Salsbury,
Ayla Pierce,
Sania Cay,
Taya Swarts).
Another highlight of the meet came in the 400-yard Freestyle relay, where
Taya Swarts,
Sania Cay,
MaryBeth Clark,
Ayla Pierce, and
Olivia Ringle delivered a record-breaking performance, setting a new USM Swim record with a time of 3:34.01 and finishing 11
th in the nation. Continuing to rise to the moment when it mattered most.
Coach Bresser proudly boasts, "This was one of our most successful seasons in program history. The women's relays were outstanding and nationally competitive.It was truly impressive to watch them compete throughout the year especially at KCAC. We had incredible relay swims and amazing individual swims throughout the team. We graduate a very talented group of seniors that we extremely successful throughout their USM career. This class will be very difficult to replace both in and out of the pool. Their accomplishments extend far beyond their athletic talent."
The University of Saint Mary is thrilled for the Spire swimmers and is exceptionally proud of the way this team represented what it means to be a USM athlete. Congratulations on an incredibly successful year in the pool and we eagerly await what next season brings.
