Records Fall Friday in Grand Junction

Swimming 2/14/2026 8:21:00 AM

Records Fall Friday in Grand Junction

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney Aqualopers set four new school records Friday at the Rocky Mountain Athletic (RMAC) Conference Championships in Grand Junction, Colo.

***UNK is well represented on the Academic All-RMAC team***

The five-day meet will wrap up Saturday night with UNK currently in seventh place (221 points) and well ahead of UT Permian Basin and Adams State. Host Colorado Mesa (1,357.50) will claim another title.

Norfolk senior Maggie Waddington had a hand in three of the new marks as she swam a 23.47 50-free time trial in the morning as well as a raw 58.22 (altitude-converted 58.12) in the 100-backstroke. Those efforts broke her records of 23.54 and 58.69, both set at last year's championships. In the evening, she was lead on the 200-free relay team that came in sixth with a 1:37.86. That bests the 1:38.02 set at last year's meet and included Waddington as the anchor.

Also on the relay team were Kearney sophomore Katy Buse, Colorado freshman Delaney Madnikoff and Beatrice freshman Jaedyn Baxa. A "B" team was then 15th and scored eight more points.

Waddington came in 10th in the 100-back with Madnikoff 22nd in the 100-breaststroke. Her altitude-converted 1:06.48 moves her up three placed to second all-time with Wyoming sophomore Jaesea Whitesell having a career-best 1:09.90 and remaining eighth in the books. Finally, Oklahoma senior Miriam Finch led UNK in the 500-free (31st/altitude-converted 5:35.93) with Kansas freshman Joslynn Grace breaking a four-year old record in the 200-backstroke. She managed a converted 2:14.72 in prelims, low enough to best the 2:15.67 Karley Bennett swam in Nov. 2022. Grace was 20th in the finals (2:15.17) with Connecticut junior Juliette Eaton two spots back (2:26.77)

Saturday's events are the 100 and 1,650-free, the 200 back and 200 breast, women's 1-meter diving and the 400-free relay.

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Players Mentioned

Karley Bennett: Senior

Katy Buse: Sophomore

Juliette Eaton: Junior

Miriam Finch: Senior

Maggie Waddington: Senior

Jaedyn Baxa: Freshman

Joslynn Grace: Freshman

Delaney Madnikoff: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Karley Bennett
: Senior

Katy Buse
: Sophomore

Juliette Eaton
: Junior

Miriam Finch
: Senior

Maggie Waddington
: Senior

Jaedyn Baxa
: Freshman

Joslynn Grace
: Freshman

Delaney Madnikoff
: Freshman