With the 2026 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Swimming & Diving Championships approaching, the Tigers are chasing more than podium finishes.

University of the Pacific aims to defend last season’s conference title on the men’s team and both programs have their sights set on rewriting the school record board when competition begins at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

For a young Pacific roster, the championship meet represents the culmination of months of steady growth and refinement.

“We’ve built a lot of momentum going into this point. We have been fine-tuning things and getting ready to compete our hardest,” said Pacific Head Coach Katelyne Herrington. “We have the opportunity to break three to four records and bring 12 or more athletes to National Invitational Championships, which for me, knowing the young team that we have, would be a big accomplishment.”

Among those chasing history is Nate Rasmussen ’28, a sports management major who has quickly developed into one of Pacific’s top performers during the 2025-26 season.

“I’m extremely confident in my abilities and the team’s abilities to perform at the championships,” Rasmussen said. “I think we’re going to come in with a big swing on the first day, and we’re going to surprise everyone.”

Rasmussen enters the meet seeded second in the men’s 100 freestyle with a personal-best time of 43.46, just three-tenths of a second off the Pacific record held by Olympic gold medalist Brad Schumacher ’96.

“It would mean a lot to me to see my name up on the record board,” Rasmussen said. “I’m really excited to race. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”

On the women’s side, Christina Agiomamitou ’28, a speech-language pathology major, is within striking distance of a program milestone as she targets the school record in the 200 freestyle.

“I’m shocked from what I’ve accomplished so far,” Agiomamitou said. “At first, it was a challenge for me to adjust and adapt, but I feel like everything has worked well.”

The 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women’s Freshman Swimmer of the Year is seeded second in the event and sits just eight-tenths of a second shy of the school record.

“I know I’m super close and that’s what’s really boiling my blood right now,” Agiomamitou said. “I want to race and see that record with my name. I’m excited to compete for it.”

Pacific will be one of 11 programs competing at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Swimming & Diving Championships. The conference features 10 women’s teams—California Baptist, Idaho, Incarnate Word, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Pepperdine, Utah Tech and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley—and six men’s teams—Air Force, California Baptist, Incarnate Word, Pacific, University of Las Vegas and Wyoming.

Despite the expanded, competitive field, confidence inside the Tigers program remains high as they aim to build on a strong second half of the season.

“We are looking to carry over the momentum. We feel good about ourselves,” Herrington said.

For Pacific, the meet represents an opportunity to defend a title, break records and show how quickly a young team can grow into a championship contender. The Tigers will compete at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday, Feb. 25 through Saturday, Feb. 28.