Women's Swimming 11/24/2025 5:23:00 PM

Valkyries Post Strong Showing at Centre College Midseason Invite

DANVILLE, Ky. - Both Converse University swim programs had a strong showing at their midseason invite, with the men placing third out of 12 teams and the women placing seventh out of 12.

Sophomore Henry Stockton led the way for the men with 101 points added to the Valkyries' total over the three-day event while freshman Kayla Smith led the charge on the women's side, accounting for 93.5 of the Valkyries' total.

Men's Notes

Stockton claimed the Valkyries' lone gold medal with a time of 1:39.74 in the 200 free finals. Junior Micah Lesley, freshman Mason Reed and junior Daniel Merzthal finished in the B final. Lesley and Reed recorded personal bests in the event while Stockton and Merzthal recorded season bests.
Stockton claimed three of the Valkyries' four silver medals, hitting an NCAA DII B-Mark in the 1650 freestyle. He recorded a 15:54.89, also a season best.
- Reed finished eighth in the event as a timed final.
Freshman James Owens claimed the Valkyries' other individual silver medal in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:03.47, a personal best.
- Senior Luigi Ballivian finished 10th in the A final with a time of 4:22.00, a season best.
- Freshman Gavin Gordy, sophomore Davis Dial, junior Henry Winstead, and junior Kirill Lyzhin competed in the B final.
The Valkyries other two silver medals at the meet came in the 200 and 400 freestyles.
- Sophomore Joey Lilley, senior Louis Milczynski, Merzthal and Stockton finished with a time of 1:23.41 in the 200 free with a timed final.
  - The Valkyries' B squad of Lesley, junior Keith Rogers, sophomore Alexander Kuznetsov and freshman Alexander Nichols finished 10th with a time of 1:26.33.
- The 400 freestyle, also a timed final, saw Milczynski, Lilley, Rogers and Stockton race a 3:01.95 while claiming second place.
  - Converse's B relay of Nichols, Owens, Kuznetsov and Merzthal finished 11th with a time of 3:12.22.
Stockton also accounted for two of the team's three bronze medals and one of the two solo bronze medals. He finished the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:33.79, a season best.
- Reed and Lesley competed in the B final, recording times of 4:47.11 and 4:49.54 respectively.
The Valkyries A relay of Lilley, Leal, Milczynski and Stockton finished the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:24.08 in third place.
Owens finished third in the 200 backstroke finals with a time of 1:51.29, a season best.
- Nichols, Lesley and Lyzhin competed in the B finals with times of 1:55.88, 2:03.30 and 2:10.37 respectively. Nichols and Lesley recorded personal bests while Lyzhin recorded a season best.

Women's Notes

Smith recorded the Valkyries' lone gold medal of the meet in the 100 freestyle, finishing with a time of 51.46, a personal best and hitting a DII B mark.
- Sophomore Alison Ludeman finished fifth in the A final with a time of 53.01, a season best.
Freshman Maya Guevara claimed the Valkyries' lone silver medal in the 100 fly with a time of 57.76, a personal best.
- Smith also competed in the event final with a time of 58.68 in fifth place, also a personal best.
In the 50 freestyle, Smith Guevara and Ludeman finished tied for seventh, ninth and 10th respectively with times of 24.37, 24.70 and 24.83 respectively.
Ludeman, Smith and Guevara teamed up with sophomore Juli Ganim to place seventh in the timed finals of the 200 freestyle relay.
Sophomore Mayle Iwanski and junior Ember Hill teamed up with Smith and Guevara in the 200 medley relay with the Valkyries also finishing seventh. They recorded a time of 1:50.38.
Ludeman, Hill, Guevara and Smith finished sixth in the timed finals of the 400 medley relay with a time of 4:03.11.
- The Valkyries' B squad of junior Kaitlin Williams, sophomore Kate Hollingsworth, Iwanski and Ganim finished 17th with a time of 4:12.73.
In the 400 freestyle relay, Converse's A squad of Iwanski, Ludeman, Hollingsworth and Smith finished with a time of 3:40.63 in eighth.
Smith, Ludeman, Guevara and Iwanski finished the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 8:09.56 in seventh place.

The full results can be found here.

Up Next
The Valkyries are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 10, as they host the Emmanuel Lions at the Montgomery Student Center for senior day. The meet is scheduled for 11 A.M.

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Players Mentioned

Luigi Ballivian: 5' 8"; Senior

Davis Dial: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alexander Kuznetsov: 6' 3"; Sophomore

Micah Lesley: 5' 9"; Junior

Joey Lilley: Sophomore

Kirill Lyzhin: 6' 1"; Junior

Daniel Merzthal: 5' 9"; Junior

Louis Milczynski: 5' 6"; Senior

Keith Rogers: Junior

Henry Stockton: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Luigi Ballivian
: 5' 8"; Senior

Davis Dial
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alexander Kuznetsov
: 6' 3"; Sophomore

Micah Lesley
: 5' 9"; Junior

Joey Lilley
: Sophomore

Kirill Lyzhin
: 6' 1"; Junior

Daniel Merzthal
: 5' 9"; Junior

Louis Milczynski
: 5' 6"; Senior

Keith Rogers
: Junior

Henry Stockton
: Sophomore