Huskers Sign Seven-Time NJCAA Champ Aurora Zanin

Head Coach Pablo Morales announced the addition of NJCAA Female Swimmer of the Year Aurora Zanin to the Nebraska women’s swimming and diving team in late April.

The freestyle and butterfly specialist from Vittorio Veneto, Italy, captured four NJCAA individual national championships and two more relay titles in March to help Indian River State College to its 47th team national championship. Zanin swept the 1,000 (10:29.10) and 1,650 freestyle (17:24.73) NJCAA titles, while adding individual crowns in the 400 IM (4:24.09) and the 200 butterfly (1:59.52). She added NJCAA titles as part of the 400 and 800 freestyle relays.

She also posted a career-best time in the 100 fly (58.43) at the NJCAA Championships. 

Zanin will join four incoming freshmen in the 2025-26 Husker class of newcomers, including Natalie Dunaway, Addison Farman, Alaira Hadford and Sophie Kissuk.

Dunaway, a native of Kansas City, Mo., is a four-sport athlete out of Park Hill South High School. She recently helped the Panthers to their first state title in swimming. In mid-March, she notched a personal-best 50 free time (23.07) at the Speedo Sectionals in Columbia, Mo. She added career-best times in the 100 free (50.83), 200 free (1:52.27) and the 50 fly (25.68) at sectionals. She was also a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. 

Addison Farman, a diver from Snohomish, Wash., who attended Glacier Peak High School, has specializing in the one- and three- meter diving events, Farman posted a 351.30 on the one-meter boar at the 2024 USA Diving Junior Region 10 Championships and notching a 358.70 on the event at the 2023 Region 9 Championships. In the three-meter dive, Farman produced a 330.90 at the 2024 USA Diving Zone E Championships and 359.50 at the 2023 USA Diving Junior 9 Region Championships. Farman is expected to compete on both events at the 2025 Region 9 Championships in Cheyenne, Wyo. (April 26-27). 

Nebraskan Alaira Hadford will be joining the Huskers from Omaha Marian High School. Hadford had an impressive showing in March at Speedo Sectionals in Columbia, Mo. She recorded eight career-best times at the meet in the 100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyles, along with the 50 and 200 backstrokes and the 400 IM. At the 2025 Nebraska State Swimming Championships in late February, she won a pair of state championships (500 free, 400 free relay) and two more silver medals (200 free).

Sophie Kissuk will also begin her career as a Husker this fall. Kissuk hails from Oakville, Ontario and swam with the Etobicoke Swim Club. The Canadian Olympic Trials finalist enjoyed several top performances, including five titles (50, 100, 200 back, 200 breast, 200 IM) at the Hall of Fame Meet in Ontario. At the Speedo Canadian Swimming Open, she also notched a season best in the long-course 50 free event (29.80).