MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead swimming & diving gets back to competition this week as part of the three-day Rochester Invitational. The meet is scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 4 and wrap up December 6.
Live video will be available at msumdragons.com. All three days of competition will feature preliminary events at 9 a.m. and a finals session at 5 p.m. The Dragons have not competed since a 163-137 dual victory over Concordia-St. Paul on November 15.
Fernanda Does It Again...Sophomore
Fernanda Leon was again named the NSIC Swimmer of the Week following MSUM's victory over the Golden Bears on November 15. Leon picked up a trio of event wins as part of MSUM's dual victory over CSP, winning the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:09.62, winning by over 14 seconds. She also earned a victory in the 100-yard butterfly, marking a time of 59.80, the lone competitor under one minute. The Lima, Peru, native concluded the dual with a win in the 100-yard IM, swimming a 1:02.01. The weekly honor was Leon's second of the 2025-26 season.
More Bjerke Dominance...Junior
Zoe Bjerke earned a pair of diving wins against the Golden Bears on November 15. Bjerke would open up the event wins for Moorhead, winning 1-meter diving with a six-dive effort of 240.55. In 3-meter action, Bjerke would win again, securing an overall score of 255.90, which improves on the third-best score in program history.
Maggie Dials In...Junior freestyler
Maggie Moore looked sharp again in the 200-yard freestyle against the Golden Bears. Moore would add another 200-yard freestyle win to her ledger on November 15, swimming a 2:00.06 for the finish.
Flying Under The Radar...Junior
Kelsey Jackson has came in clutch at numerous points for Moorhead during the dual season. Against Concordia-St. Paul, Jackson would earn an event win in the 200-yard backstroke, marking a time of 2:10.07. The Canton, Ga., native also earned runner-up marks in the 100-yard backstroke, touching the wall at 59.89. Against Southwest Minnesota State and Jamestown on November 11, Jackson provided needed team points with wins in the 200-yard and 50-yard backstrokes.
Locking In When It Matters...Moorhead was embroiled in a back and forth dual with the Mustangs on November 11, needing a late surge to claim a victory. Down the stretch of the dual, MSUM would claim three straight event wins beginning with
Ruth Pavelski in the 50-yard butterfly. The Sun Prairie, Wis., native marked a 26.94 for the event win. Pavelski's mark was under a second off her personal best. Moorhead's divers would take over from there as Bjerke won 3-meter action with a score of 251.25. Leon would cap the home stretch, winning the 400-yard IM with a mark of 4:40.61. The sophomore would own the race, winning by over 20 seconds.
Charlie King is in his eighth season as MSUM's head swimming & diving coach.
