Swimming & Diving Wins 17th State Championship!

Since 1973, the Marian Swimming and Diving Team has been breaking records and creating leaders in the sport! This February, the team won its 17th State Championship, making it the winningest program in Nebraska state history. 

The meet started with the diving portion of the event on Thursday. The divers were a young group this year, as all three were freshmen! Luciana Popp '28 had never dove before this season started. However, she qualified for State with her last chance at Metros and ended up making the semifinals at State. Leila Steinhoff '28, an experienced diver, led the way with a third-place finish at State. Her sixteen points were very valuable to the team championship race.

In the swimming portion of the weekend, the team dominated placing first in five individual events and three relays. Meredith Peyton '26 was named the most outstanding female swimmer of the meet after winning four events at the state championship. Marian scored over 330 points to win the State Meet.
This year's state meet was also special because past Marian swimmers had the opportunity to coach this yea's team! Naeleah Hadford '17 served as an assistant swim coach for the Swimming and Diving Team this year after her sister Alaria asked her to come back and coach.

For Hadford, it was rewarding to see the team work together to accomplish their goals and cheer on her sister. "I will be forever grateful that I was allowed to give my sister her gold medal! She was only 6 years old when I was a freshman, and our sister Indiga was a senior. She was our biggest cheerleader, so being there for her was an incredible gift that I will never forget!" said Hadford.

For many alumnae their experiences at Marian left a profound impact on them. One way alumnae can give back is coaching. "'Once a Crusader, always a Crusader' may be cliche, but it's actually true. It is very rewarding to give back what was given to me," Hadford said.

For head coach BJ Christiansen, alumnae support has also been something he has been grateful for. "It means the world to our girls and the coaches. Each year, we have alumnae speak at our team retreat, come to visit practices, and reach out to our current girls. It's great to hear about their experiences at Marian and being on the swim team. Our girls learn so much, and it helps them feel connected to the history and tradition of Marian Swimming and Diving.”

Marian Swimming and Diving had another great year! Thank you to everyone who supported the program; we look forward to another great season in 2025-26.