NCAA Swimming Qualification List
NCAA Diving Qualification List

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.- Twelve student-athletes were selected to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. starting on March 7. West Florida will send seven swimmers along with five divers. 

The seven swimmers for UWF will include Stefanie Markwardt, Yael Danieli, Brooke Simila, Katelyn Balent, Shannah Dillman, Sofia Kendzior, and Nina Imboden.

Markwardt, Danieli, and Kendzior lead the Argos with three individual events each. Markwardt qualifies for three individual events (200 breast, 100 breast, and 100 fly) and she is currently seated fifth in the 200 fly. This is the fourth straight year the Niceville, Fla. native has qualified for the NCAA Championships. At conference, she led the Argos in first-place finishes with four. Last season, Markwardt earned CSCAA First Team All-American honors after the Argos finished seventh in the 200 free relay.

Another key swimmer for the Argonauts will be Danieli. At the NSISC Championships, Danieli dominated in the pool, winning the 400 IM and 1650 free for her third consecutive year. The graduate student from Reut, Israel will be competing in the 1650 free, 1000 free, and 400 IM. This will be her fourth year swimming at the NCAA Championships.

Dillman, Imboden, and Kendzior will be swimming in their first collegiate NCAA Championships. Dillman will be competing in the 200 IM and 400 IM, which she set a new school record in. The 200 back school record holder, Imboden, is swimming the 100 back and 200 back, where she is seated eleventh in the 200 back. Kendzior will be competing in the distance events 1000 free, 1650 free, and 500 free at nationals.

Senior Balent will be making her first NCAA appearance in the 200 fly. At the NSISC Championships, Balent finished second in the 200 fly event with a personal best of 2:03.98. For junior Simila, this will be her second year competing on the national stage for the Argos as she will be competing in the 100 and 200 breast events.

On the boards, Daniela Reyes, Jade Fontenelle, Olivia Nelson, Michelle Mejia, and Adriana Mieses-Sanchez will compete in the NCAA Diving Qualifier to see who will advance to the 1- and 3-meter diving competition. A year ago, the Argos had three divers advance to the NCAA Diving Championships. History was made last year with two divers advancing to the 3-meter finals.

All five of these divers performed exceptionally well to help the Argonauts win their fourth straight NSISC Championship. At the meet, all five divers finished in the top-five places on both boards As the NSISC Diver of the Meet, Nelson won both the 3-meter (438.15) and Mejia dominated the 1-meter posting a score of 454.45. Mejia is making her second championship appearance as a junior.

Veteran diver Reyes returns for her fourth appearance at the NCAA Qualification meet. At last year's NCAA Championships, Reyes earned CSCAA All-America First Team in the 3-meter with a score of 423.30. She recently finished second at the NSISC Championships on the 1-meter and third on the 3-meter.

Newcomers Nelson, Mieses-Sanchez, and Fontenelle will be competing in their first NCAA Diving Qualifier as freshmen.

The NCAA diving qualifier and the 800 free relay will take place on March 7^th. The championships will be held from March 8-11 at the Indiana University Natatorium.

For the latest information on UWF athletics, visit goargos.com or follow UWF Swimming and Diving on social media on Instagram @uwfswimdive or twitter @UWFSwimDive.