BRIGHTON, Mich. -- Hope College has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026-27 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Women’s Swimming and Diving Preseason Poll, collecting 16 points and four first-place votes. Calvin University follows with 13 points and one first-place vote, while Kalamazoo College rounds out the top three with eight points.
The MIAA announced the preseason poll following a vote of the league’s five head coaches. The Flying Dutch enter the season seeking their seventh-consecutive conference championship, while the league’s five programs feature returning All-MIAA performers and NCAA Championship competitors looking to make their mark in the pool and on the diving boards.
1. Hope College – 16 points (4 first-place votes)
Hope captured its sixth-straight MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship in 2026, totaling 1,284 points at the league meet.
Sophomore Grace Dawson leads the Flying Dutch divers after being named the 2026 MIAA Most Valuable Diver in her first conference championship appearance. Dawson won the one-meter diving title with a score of 441.25 and narrowly missed the three-meter championship, finishing second with 451.50 points — just 0.40 points behind the winner. At the NCAA Championships, she placed 20th on the three-meter board with a score of 409.15 and 26th in the one-meter event with 368.45 points. Senior diver Laura Zupancic, a two-time All-MIAA honoree, also returns after competing at the NCAA Championships, where she placed 18th on the one-meter board with 389.50 points and 28th in the three-meter event with 372.45 points.
Sophomore Makenzie Baldwin also made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, earning All-MIAA honors and setting a new MIAA championship record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:58.09. Baldwin won the 100 back in 56.29 and the 200 back in 1:59.36. She also contributed to championship-winning performances in the 800 free, 200 medley, and the 400 medley relays. At the NCAA Championships, Baldwin finished 15th in the 200 back in 2:00.73 and recorded a time of 56.59 in the 100 back.
Junior Emme D’Errico, a two-time All-MIAA honoree, adds another championship performer to Hope’s lineup. D’Errico established a new MIAA championship record in the 200 fly with a time of 2:03.58, won the 400 IM in 4:24.06, and helped the Flying Dutch win the 800 free relay. At the NCAA Championships, she placed 18th in the 200 IM (2:04.85) and completed the 200 fly in 2:06.01. Senior swimmers Avery Bills, Natalie Pitera, and Anna Stolle also return after earning All-MIAA honors last season.
Head coach Jake Taber was named the 2026 MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year after guiding Hope to another conference title. The Hope alum enters his ninth season leading the Flying Dutch.
2. Calvin University – 13 points (1 first-place vote)
Calvin finished second at the 2026 MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with 990 points.
Senior Emma Merkel, a three-time All-MIAA swimmer, leads the Knights’ returning group after winning the 200 free in 1:50.04 and contributing to the championship-winning 400 free relay. Merkel also competed at the NCAA Championships, placing 23rd in the 200 free (1:51.82) and 29th in the 200 back (2:03.38). Additionally, Merkel recorded a time of 57.06 in the 100 back.
Junior Zoe Poe, a two-time All-MIAA honoree, brings back another record-setting performance. Poe broke the MIAA championship record in the 1,650 free with a time of 17:11.60. At the NCAA Championships, she placed 13th in the event in 17:10.02, finished 30th in the 500 free (5:02.87), and completed the 200 fly in 2:07.89.
3. Kalamazoo College – 8 points
Kalamazoo placed third at the 2026 MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with 466 points.
Junior diver Parker Keim highlights the Hornets’ returning group after taking third on the one-meter board with a score of 431.15 and fourth in the three-meter event with 437.55 points.
Senior Jackie Stoddard also provides experience across the relays. She contributed to Kalamazoo’s second-place finish in the 400 free relay and third-place finishes in the 200 free, 200 medley, and 400 medley relays. Junior Mallory Gentry adds further relay experience after swimming on the second-place 400 free relay, the third-place 200 free and 400 medley relays, and the fourth-place 800 free relay.
4. Albion College – 7 points
Albion finished fifth at the 2026 MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with 344 points.
Senior Wen Wadsworth-Curcuru leads the Britons after earning All-MIAA honors in her first season with the program. Wadsworth-Curcuru won the three-meter diving title at the conference championships with a score of 451.90. Sophomore diver Alyssa Schafer adds another key contributor to the lineup after scoring 22 points at the championships. Schafer placed fourth on the one-meter board with a score of 424.90.
Sophomore Casey Adcock also made a strong contribution in her first season, scoring 34 points for Albion with fourth-place finishes in the 1,650 free (18:11.05) and the 400 free relay.
5. Alma College – 6 points
Alma placed fourth at the 2026 MIAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with 407 points.
Sophomore diver Abby Dumond leads the Scots’ returning group after scoring 24 points at the conference championships. Dumond placed sixth on the one-meter board with 397.90 points and eighth in the three-meter event with 374.75 points.
Sophomore Emma Hoy also contributed 17 points at the championships, finishing 10th in the 400 IM with a personal-best time of 5:01.78 and 11th in the 200 fly with a personal-best 2:26.13. Sophomore Abi Spitzley adds another returning contributor after scoring 11 points at the conference meet. Spitzley placed 10th in the 100 fly with a personal-best time of 1:02.47.
Up Ahead
Conference competition begins with the MIAA Fall Invite, hosted by Hope at the Holland Aquatic Center on October 24 at 11:00 a.m. The MIAA Winter Invite will follow at Calvin on January 23 at 11:00 a.m.
Calvin will host the 2027 MIAA Swimming and Diving Championships, February 17-20. The NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled for March 17-20 in Greensboro, North Carolina.