GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sophomore swimmer Braden Ripken (Blaine, Minn.) concluded the season for the Gustavus swimming and diving team Saturday morning, March 22, swimming in his final event at the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships. 

Ripken, who qualified for the meet in the 100-yard breaststroke, swam the 200 of the same stroke in the morning session, taking 25th with a time of 2:05.16, a personal best. He was seeded 28th in the event with a time of 2:16.05. 

Just a day earlier, Ripken took 26th in the 100 breaststroke in the prelims, finishing with a time of 55.28 for 26th overall. He made his NCAA Championship debut in the 50 freestyle on Wednesday, March 19, with a time of 21.31 in the prelims for 46th overall.

The Gustavus men's and women's swimming and diving teams made history in 2024-25, as both teams repeated as MIAC Championships for the first time. The title was the sixth consecutive for the men's program and the 27th in program history, while the women collected their first back-to-back titles since the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. The Gusties swept the conference Swimmer and Rookie of the Year Awards, while Ripken was the sole qualifier to the national meet for both teams.