Kansas City, Mo. - In the first SwimCloud Ratings released by the NAIA this season, both Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving are ranked first in the NAIA. 

For the Men's team, their first-place rating comes with 576.41 points. The next closest team, St. Ambrose, is 44.01 points behind the Bobcats. Rounding out the top five are Midland, Keiser, and Cumberlands. 

A big factor for the Men this year has been Brandon Holder. The transfer from Cumberlands has the best time in the NAIA this season in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:49.63. Holder also ranks third in the NAIA in the 100-yard backstroke. The Bobcats have dominated the 1,650 freestyle this year, as they have five of the six best times in the NAIA so far. Flynn Smith ranks second in the NAIA in the event, with a time of 16:29.71. St. Thomas has also done well in relays, as they have the second-best 200-yard medley relay and third-best 400-yard medley relay. 

The Women's team is also ranked first in the NAIA in this rating, with 510.03 points. The next closest team is Keiser, who are 40.63 points behind the Bobcats. Also in the Women's top five are Cumberlands, Aquinas, and SCAD. 

Two freshmen on the St. Thomas Women's team are making noise nationally throughout the NAIA. Taylor Wagner, from Sarasota, leads the NAIA in the 1,650-yard freestyle, with a time of 17:51.29. She also ranks fourth in the NAIA in the 500-yard and 1,000-yard freestyle. Also, freshman Ingeborg Marie Smehaug, from Norway, is making national headlines. Her 200-yard butterfly last week at Indian River, which set a program record, is also the best time in the NAIA this season in the event (2:07.63). Smehaug also has the second-best time in the 200-yard IM in the country. When looking at relays, the Bobcats lead the NAIA in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 1:35.92. 

When asked about the new ratings, Head Coach Caesar Asadi said, "We are proud of the commitment this young program has made to building better habits. There's a long road ahead, and our actions will show who wants it more in February and March". 

The Bobcats return to the pool next week as they travel north to Melbourne, Florida, for the FIT Classic. The meet is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm.