VERMILLION – Four members of the South Dakota men's and women's swimming and diving teams were named as athletes to watch Thursday as the Summit League released its preseason coaches polls.
The women's team saw senior
Sabrina Sabadeanu and junior
Haley Pederson while the men's team had sophomore's
Hudson Wilkerson and
Jake Leichner earn that distinction.
Sabadeanu earned All-Summit League honors in six of the seven events she swam in at the conference championships last spring. She set school records in meters in the 100 and 200 back as well as a member of the 200 medley and 400 medley relay teams.
Pederson earned All-Summit League honors in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events during the championships. She set a new personal best in the three-meter event with a 299.85 that qualified her for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships.
Wilkerson earned All-Summit League honors with a runner-up finish in the three-meter diving event while he also placed fourth in the one-meter event.
Leichner set school records in the 100 IM and 200 IM as a freshman while he received All-Summit League accolades in four events, two relays and two individual. He was a member of the 800 free relay team that won the school's first Summit League title in a swimming event.
South Dakota men's and women's swimming and diving teams were picked to finish second, the same spot each finished at the Summit League Championships last season.
The Coyote men's team garnered one first-place vote and had 20 points while the women's squad also received a first-place vote and had 21 points.
Denver, winners of the last six Summit League Championships in both men's and women's were tabbed the preseason favorites.
Men's Preseason Polls
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1 |
Denver |
25 (5) |
| 2 |
South Dakota |
20 (1) |
| 3 |
South Dakota State |
18 |
| 4 |
Western Illinois |
14 |
| 5 |
Eastern Illinois |
9 |
| 6 |
Valparaiso |
4 |
Women's Preseason Polls
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1 |
Denver |
25 (5) |
| 2 |
South Dakota |
21 (1) |
| 3 |
Omaha |
17 |
| 4 |
South Dakota State |
13 |
| 5 |
Western Illinois |
9 |
| 6 |
Eastern Illinois |
5 |
