By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University is the unanimous pick to win the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship, as selected in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll, which was released Thursday in conjunction with the 2025-26 All-RMAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Team.
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
2025 Preseason Men's Swimming
& Diving Coaches’ Poll
|
| PL |
Team |
1sts |
2nds |
3rds |
Points |
| 1. |
Colorado Mesa |
5 |
– |
– |
25 |
| 2. |
Colorado School of Mines |
1 |
3 |
1 |
20 |
| 3. |
Simon Fraser |
– |
3 |
1 |
17 |
| 4. |
Oklahoma Christian |
– |
– |
4 |
14 |
| 5. |
Texas Permian Basin |
— |
— |
— |
8 |
| 6. |
Adams State |
— |
— |
— |
6 |
Notes:
Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their team.
5 points for a 1st-place vote, 4 for 2nd, etc.
25 points maximum in men’s swimming & diving |
Colorado Mesa diver Ryan Campbell, the reigning RMAC Diver of the Year, and Richard Schmiedefeld, the reigning Freshman of the Year, are among seven returning event champions named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team. That 16-person squad recognizes the top returning athlete in each championship event from last season’s RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships.
Colorado Mesa, the defending and nine-time RMAC champion, received all five first-place votes and 25 points in the poll. They were followed by Colorado School of Mines, which received the remaining first-place vote and scored 20 points. Simon Fraser University was picked third in the poll, followed by Oklahoma Christian, Texas Permian Basin, and Adams State.
The 2025-26 swimming and diving season is already underway, but begins in earnest this weekend with four programs competing – three at Oklahoma Christian’s TexaDawn Quadrathlon. All six RMAC teams are beginning their build-up to the 2025-26 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships set for Feb. 10-14 at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.
All RMAC swimming & diving competitions broadcast by its full and associate members will only be available via pay-per-view on the RMAC Network. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs.
In conjunction with the launch of the new pay-per-view plans, the winter RMAC Network “Peak Pricing” sale is October 13-26. During the sale, fans can purchase an annual subscription for $120 by using the code RMACELEVATE25 during the purchasing process.
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price is available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year by using the code Y26-RMACEDU and using their campus email address when purchasing an annual subscription.
2025 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Men's Swimming & Diving
|
| Event |
Top Returnee |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| 50 Free |
Richard Schmiedefeld (1, FotY) |
Colorado Mesa |
So. |
Stuttgart, Germany |
| 100 Free |
Jakson Winn (2) |
Colorado School of Mines |
Sr. |
Mercer Island, Wash. |
| 200 Free |
Vlad Kazakin (1) |
Colorado School of Mines |
So. |
Parker, Colo |
| 500 Free |
Vlad Kazakin (1) |
Colorado School of Mines |
So. |
Parker, Colo |
| 1,000 Free |
Vlad Kazakin (1) |
Colorado School of Mines |
So. |
Parker, Colo |
| 1,650 Free |
Owen Nicholson (1) |
Simon Fraser |
Jr. |
Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 100 Back |
Jackson Winn (1) |
Colorado School of Mines |
Sr. |
Mercer Island, Wash. |
| 200 Back |
Luka Samsonov (1) |
Colorado Mesa |
Sr. |
Allen, Texas |
| 100 Breast |
Thomas Bakica (2) |
Simon Fraser |
Sr. |
Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 200 Breast |
Thomas Bakica (1) |
Simon Fraser |
Sr. |
Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 100 Fly |
Gui Martins (2) |
Oklahoma Christian |
Jr. |
Shizuoka, Japan |
| 200 Fly |
Gui Martins (2) |
Oklahoma Christian |
Jr. |
Shizuoka, Japan |
| 200 IM |
Noah Rabb (2) |
Oklahoma Christian |
Sr. |
Dripping Springs, Texas |
| 400 IM |
Owen Nicholson |
Simon Fraser |
Jr. |
Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 1m Dive |
Wyatt Hermanson (1) |
Colorado Mesa |
Sr. |
Mandan, N.D. |
| 3m Dive |
Ryan Campbell (1, PotY) |
Colorado Mesa |
Sr. |
Delmar, N.Y. |
| Symbols in parentheses are 2024-25 All-RMAC Recognitions: Yellow background indicates a returning RMAC champion (or co-champion) in that event; PotY – was a Player of the Year at their position group; FotY – was a Freshman of the Year at their position group; 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC finisher in the event; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC finisher in the event. |
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
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