UNC Wilmington Sweeps Gardner-Webb in men's and women's swimming

UNC Wilmington Dominates Gardner-Webb in Dual Meet Sweep

The UNC Wilmington swimming programs secured decisive victories over Gardner-Webb this weekend, winning both the men’s and women’s competitions at the Allen Natatorium in Wilmington, N.C. According to reports from swimswam.com and Gardner-Webb Athletics, the Seahawks’ men outpaced the Runnin’ Bulldogs with a 228-67 margin, while the women’s squad delivered an even more commanding 228-69 victory.

The two-day meet, which took place October 30-31, 2026, showcased significant individual depth for the Seahawks. On the women’s side, Grace Tuchi emerged as a standout performer, claiming first place in both the 200 IM with a time of 2:03.82 and the 200 Breast with a 2:16.87. Maeren McGonigal also secured two individual titles, winning the 100 Breast in 1:03.53 and the 200 Back in 1:57.25. The UNCW women’s team further solidified their dominance by sweeping all relay events.

The men’s side saw similar multi-event success for the Seahawks. Dylan Fisk took first place in both the 200 Free (1:37.89) and the 400 IM (3:55.03), while William Carrico led the sprint events with victories in the 50 Free (20.62) and the 100 Free (44.16). These individual performances contributed to a massive point gap that saw UNCW winning 30 total events across the meet.

Individual Highlights for the Runnin’ Bulldogs

Despite the lopsided team scores, Gardner-Webb recorded several notable individual performances. Jenna Valentine provided a bright spot for the Bulldogs’ women, winning the 200-yard butterfly in 2:05.18 and following that up with a second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly at 56.56. The Gardner-Webb women’s 200-yard medley relay team, consisting of Slawka Ndubuisi, Dakota Townley, Jillian Hawkins, and Valentine, earned a second-place finish with a time of 1:44.90.

Other top finishes for the Gardner-Webb women included Madison Richardson taking third in the 100-yard backstroke (58.96), Slawka Ndubuisi placing third in the 100-yard freestyle (52.34), and Dakota Townley finishing third in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:19.81). The team’s A relay also secured third place in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:51.91.

On the men’s side, the Runnin’ Bulldogs saw competitive finishes from Carter Redelman and Aaron Willis in the backstroke events. Redelman took second in the 100-yard backstroke with a 50.59, while Willis placed third in both the 100-yard backstroke (50.77) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:49.28). In the freestyle events, Joe Sorrell led the group with a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (46.87), followed by Jackson Beck in fifth (47.20) and Jacob Jensen in sixth (47.23).

The men’s relay performance for Gardner-Webb included a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay, clocking in at 3:25.03. Other notable placements included Luke Weber finishing fourth in the 400-yard individual medley (4:06.25), and Will Loftin and Alex Cook placing fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard butterfly.

Looking Ahead to November Competition

The conclusion of this meet marks the end of the fall semester schedule for the UNCW swimmers, who are now preparing for the Queens Fall Frenzy scheduled for November 19-22. While the swimmers head to that competition, the UNCW divers are set to travel to Fairfax, Va., for the Patriot Invitational, which also begins on November 19.

Gardner-Webb Swimming — Photo: gwusports.com

Gardner-Webb will also move into their next phase of competition shortly, returning to the pool for the Queens Fall Frenzy in Charlotte, N.C., from November 20-22.