Evansville, Ind. – The University of Findlay men's and women's swimming teams marched on at the 2026 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championship meet on Thursday, March 12 at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Indiana. Findlay picked up another pair of national runner-up finishes along with a few other placers to remain in the top ten in the standings with both teams currently sitting in seventh place.
After qualifying all of its' competing athletes through the morning prelims and into either championship or consolation finals, the Oilers got their chance to shine once again in the evening.
The first race of the night was the women's 100 butterfly which saw a pair of athletes wearing the white cap with script Findlay in the championship finals. Both senior Emily Mears-Bentley and sophomore Olivia Scheibelhoffer, who bested her seed time by almost six-tenths to earn a spot in the finals, had secured first team all-American honors with solid swims in the morning. Mears-Bentley saved her best for last as she went nearly a second faster in the evening than in her morning session, touching the wall in 53.14 which was good for a runner-up finish and a new program record. Scheibelhoffer hung tough, ultimately taking eighth to earn a podium spot with her time of 55.62.
After posting the fastest qualifying time in the men's 100 butterfly, senior Camilo Marrugo had his sights set on the evening finals, hoping to claim the Oilers first national title of the meet. A national runner-up in this event two years ago, finishing behind teammate Tim Stollings, Marrugo was ready for his turn. Marrugo was tied for first through the first 50, posting a 20.72 split, but was narrowly beaten, finishing the race in a time of 45.47 which is a new program record and the fifth-fastest time in DII history.
Next up for Findlay was the 400 medley relay as the team of Emily Mears-Bentley, Helmi Käkelä, Olivia Scheibelhoffer, and Troie Grubbs hit the water again 24 hours after finishing runner-up in the 200 medley relay. The Oilers were in the middle of the pack for much of the race and did so thanks to a steady backstroke from Mears-Bentley and a 1:00.33 breaststroke from Käkelä. Scheibelhoffer's exchange of .04 was lightning quick and kept UF in the race and freestyler Troie Grubbs closed with a sub-50 second split giving the Oilers a fifth place finish with a time of 3:39.19.
The final event of the night was the men's 400 medley relay and the Oilers scored in the event with an 11th place finish and a time of 3:12.27. Randy Keener led off in the backstroke and gave way to Arnaldo Guimaraes in the breaststroke. Camilo Marrugo and Juan Blandon Torres wrapped up the race for the Oilers.
First in the water tomorrow morning will be freshman Sebastian Camacho who is seeded third in the 500 freestyle. Findlay's top seeded athlete on Friday is Mears-Bentley who comes in as the top time in the women's 200 butterfly.
Results all week can be found HERE.
