For Immediate Release
Monday, November 17, 2025
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women's Swimmer of the Week
Fernanda Leon (Fly/IM, So., Lima, Peru / Liceo Naval Almirante Guise) - MSU Moorhead
- Collected two wins in MSUM's triangular sweep of SMSU and UJ 
- Won the 400-yard IM with a mark of 4:40.61, winning by nearly 22 seconds
- Also won the 200-yard butterfly, touching the wall at 2:08.16
- Was a member of MSUM's winning 400-yard medley relay team with an overall time of 4:03.58, swimming a 59.34 split
- Picked up a trio of event wins as part of MSUM's dual victory over CSP
- Won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:09.62, winning by over 14 seconds
- Earned a victory in the 100-yard butterfly, marking a time of 59.80, the lone competitor under one minute
- Concluded the dual with a win in the 100-yard IM, swimming a 1:02.01
- Named NSIC Swimmer of the Week for the second time this season (10/28/25)

NSIC Women's Diver of the Week
Karlie Woodall (Diver, Sr., Tomahawk, Wis. / Tomahawk HS) - St. Cloud State
- Competed in four diving events against Eau Claire and St. Benedict's 
- Finished first or second in all four events
- Finished first in the 1-meter dive (241.85) and second in the 3-meter dive (237.70) against Eau Claire
- Placed first in the 3-meter dive (251.90) and second in the 1-meter dive (243.65) against St. Benedict's

Other Top Swimming Performances
Sophie Leo (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Tallied a season-high three first-place finishes in the dual with MSUM
- Finished first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.45
- Recorded a first place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.77
- Broke the Nemzek Pool record in the 100-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 52.76
- Has now taken nine top-finishes this season
Averi Larsen (Minnesota State)
- Won the 100 IM event vs. SMSU with a time of 1:00.07
- Won the 100 breaststroke event vs. SMSU with a time of 1:07.49
- Was a member of the 200 medley relay team that finished first with a time of 1:49.40
- Was a member of the 200 freestyle relay team that finished first with a time of 1:38.97
Emma Hoppman (St. Cloud State)
- Finished first in six events over the weekend against Eau Claire and St. Benedict's
- Finished first in the 50 freestyle (24.6) and 100 freestyle (54.4) 
- Anchored the 200 medley relay (1:47.54) and 200 freestyle relay (1:39.17) teams that finished first with legs of 23.91 and 23.78 against Eau Claire,
- Finished first in the 50 freestyle (24.38) and 100 backstroke (1:01.86) versus St. Benedicit's

Other Top Diving Performances
Kaitlyn Hettiarachchy (Minnesota State)
- Won the 3-meter diving event vs. SMSU with a score of 213.25
- Won the 1-meter diving event vs. SMSU with a score of 230.20
Zoe Bjerka (MSU Moorhead)
- Finished runner-up in 1-meter diving in MSUM's triangular sweep of SMSU and Jamestown, scoring a 223.30
- Won 3-meter competition against the Mustangs and Jimmies, posting a score of 251.25
- Swept a pair of events as part of MSUM's dual win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Claimed 1-meter diving with an overall score of 240.55
- Also won 3-meter diving behind a six-dive score of 255.90
 
NSIC Women's Swimming & Diving Athletes of the Week
9/30/25
S: Sophie Leo – Concordia-St. Paul
D: Jacie Flockhart – Northern State
10/7/25
S: Lexi Weems - Southwest Minnesota State
D: Jacie Flockhart – Northern State (2)
10/14/25
S: Sophie Leo – Concordia-St. Paul (2)
D: Natalie Freeman - Minnesota State
10/21/25
S: Savannah Acker - Minnesota State
D: Natalie Freeman - Minnesota State (2)
10/28/25
S: Fernanda Leon - MSU Moorhead
D: Natalie Freeman - Minnesota State (3)
11/4/25
S: Averi Larsen - Minnesota State
D: Natalie Freeman - Minnesota State (4)
11/11/25
S: Izzy Koebele - St. Cloud State
D: Avery Lommel - Augustana
11/17/25
S: Fernanda Leon - MSU Moorhead (2)
D: Karlie Woodall - St. Cloud State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past three decades, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 122 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.