Hillsdale's women's swimming and diving team was the top squad at the Bethel Invitational on Saturday, edging out host Bethel and Lindsay Wilson for the top spot in a one-day meet held at the Elkhart Aquatic Center.

The Chargers won five events to beat the competition, led by two individual titles from freshman Avery May, who took first with a season best in the 1,000 freestyle (10:50.81) and won the 500 free (5:17.37) as well. May also took third in the 100 freestyle (56.39) for the Chargers, and swam a leg on the runner-up 200 freestyle relay (1:40.57) for the Chargers with fellow freshmen Sasha Babenko and Rylee Harris and sophomore Ella Schafer. 

Babenko had maybe the single best race of the day with a title in the 100 backstroke, taking the crown in a time of 58.24 that ranks fifth-fastest in the event in program history. Along with that race and the 200 free relay, Babenko also took fourth in the 100 freestyle (56.41) and fifth in the 50 freestyle (25.61) for the Chargers.

Hillsdale's final individual title in the meet was brought home by another freshman, Kate Potwardowski, who won the 200 breaststroke in a season-best time of 2:30.89. Potwardowski also was a part of the title-winning 200 medley relay for the Chargers, along with Ella Malone, Inez McNichols and Schafer, and also took runner-up in the 100 breaststroke in a season-best time of 1:08.89.

Sophomore Yvonne Botha had a strong time in the 200 backstroke, setting a new personal best in 2:15.97 to earn runner-up honors for the Chargers, and McNichols took runner-up in the 400 individual medley in 4:56.24, as well as finishing fifth in the 200 butterfly (2:18.79) and sixth in the 100 freestyle (57.13).

Another freshman for Hillsdale, Harris, had several high finishes along with her runner-up finish on the relay. The freshman from Clarkston took third in the 200 freestyle in a season-best time of 2:01.56, as well as fifth in the 200 backstroke (2:17.59) and sixth in the 50 freestyle (26.15). 

Schafer was a part of both relays and also took third in the 100 butterfly for the Chargers in 1:00.32, as well as sixth in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.08, and Ella Malone also added to the relay win with a season-best time and third-place finish in the 200 butterfly (2:17.57), a fifth place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:01.37), and a sixth-place finish in the 200 backstroke (2:20.82).

Isabel Ondracek added a pair of fourth-place finishes, in the 200 freestyle (2:02.00 in a season best time) and in the 500 freestyle (5:30.36), while Irene Del Castro took fourth in the 1,000 freestyle with a season-best time of 11:29.27 as well. 

Rotem Andegeko placed fourth in the 400 individual medley for Hillsdale (5:06.45), Lauren Kamp took fifth in both the 200 breaststroke (2:36.13) and the 400 IM (5:09.12) and sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.34), and Sasha Alles finished fifth in the 100 backstroke for the Chargers (1:03.89).

Alyson Early placed sixth for Hillsdale in the 200 freestyle (2:05.29) and Aine Maloney placed sixth in the 200 breaststroke in a season-best time of 2:37.30.

Up next for Hillsdale are its only two home dates in the 2025-26 campaign, as Hillsdale hosts Albion and Davenport in a tri-meet on Friday, Nov. 7, then returns to the Jack McAvoy Natatorium the following day on Nov. 8 to battle Aquinas and Indiana Wesleyan.