Millikin Swimmers Finish Fifth at Halloween Invite
Millikin University's men's and women's swimming teams each placed fifth at the Illinois Wesleyan Halloween Invite in Bloomington.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Swimming
The Millikin University men's swimming team finished fifth of five with 36 points, and the women's team finished fifth of six with 38 points, at the Illinois Wesleyan Halloween Invite held Saturday. Standout performances included a third-place finish by Becka Dunakey in the 100 freestyle and Imy Moreno's third place in the 200 butterfly.
Why it matters
The results give Millikin's swimmers a measure of where their squads stand against regional competition ahead of the next meet on November 7. Individual podium finishes in the 100 freestyle and 200 butterfly highlight depth that coaches can build on.
Millikin's men's relay trio of Alex Tabuchi, Tyler Brown, and Gavin Dobson placed fourth in the 300 breaststroke relay and sixth in both the 300-yard butterfly relay and 300 medley relay. Individually, Tabuchi finished 20th in the 50 freestyle and Dobson 9th in the 200 freestyle.
The players
Millikin University
A private university in Decatur, Illinois, whose swimming program competes in NCAA Division III and fields both men's and women's teams.
Illinois Wesleyan University
A private liberal arts university in Bloomington, Illinois, that hosted the Halloween Invite swim meet.
The details
The meet was held Saturday in Bloomington as the Illinois Wesleyan Halloween Invite, with relay teams drawn from each squad competing alongside individual events. Emily Loy finished fifth in the 200 freestyle for the women's team.
Timeline
Saturday, October 31, 2026: Illinois Wesleyan Halloween Invite held in Bloomington.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Millikin's next meet, the Monmouth Invite.
Season Trajectory
Early-season invitationals like the Halloween Invite give Division III programs a benchmark against regional rivals before conference and national qualifying meets. Millikin's fifth-place finishes position both squads in the middle of this early field.
Relay placings of fourth and sixth give the Millikin men a concrete baseline for lineup decisions at the Monmouth Invite. Individual third-place finishes by Dunakey and Moreno show which swimmers are currently scoring points for the squad.
The takeaway
Early invitational placings are most useful as a baseline, and the relay and individual results from this meet show where each squad can add points before the next competition. Tracking those same events at Monmouth will show whether the gains hold.
What happens next
Millikin's next meet is the Monmouth Invite on November 7, 2026.
Further reading
Find more early-season results in Bloomington Swimming coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Herald-Review.
