GRINNELL, Iowa -- The Ripon College men's and women's swim and dive teams wrapped up their 2025-26 campaigns at the Midwest Conference Championships, hosted by Grinnell College, Thursday through Sunday.

After four days of competition, the Red Hawk women placed eighth out of nine teams, while the men finished ninth in the nine-team field, closing the book on the winter season.

The weekend began with strong relay efforts on both sides. The men's 200-yard medley relay team of senior Cooper Herr (Ashwaubenon, Wis., Ashwaubenon HS), junior Wil Hargrave (Ripon, Wis., Wisconsin Connections Academy), senior Brendan Kile (Verona, Wis., Verona Area HS), and sophomore John Kakuzi (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan Area Lutheran HS) touched in 1:51.17, while the women's quartet of senior Kennedy Moore (De Pere, Wis., De Pere HS), sophomore Kiarra Kahl (Monona, Wis., Monona Grove HS), junior Lily McGuire (Crystal Lake, Ill., Crystal Lake South HS), and senior Natalie Weidner (Portage, Wis., Portage HS) clocked a 1:57.22 in the same event. Both squads also competed in the 800-yard freestyle relay to open the meet, setting the tone for a competitive championship environment.

Individually, Herr highlighted the men's meet with a 13th-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle, posting a 4:55.79 in the finals after qualifying out of prelims earlier in the day. He also contributed to multiple relays across the four-day stretch, capping his collegiate career with a busy championship slate.

On the women's side, Kahl scored in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing 17th overall with a time of 5:34.93 after advancing from prelims. Weidner also competed in the 500 free, while the Red Hawks saw representation across freestyle, IM and relay events throughout the weekend.

Across the board, Ripon's swimmers gained valuable championship experience, competing in prelims and finals sessions against some of the conference's top performers. The four-day format tested endurance and depth, with athletes balancing individual races and relay responsibilities.

For the Red Hawk seniors, the meet marked the final races of their collegiate careers, while underclassmen closed the season with momentum and experience to build on heading into next year.

With the conclusion of the Midwest Conference Championships, the 2025-26 season comes to an end for both programs.