The NCAA Championships are heating up, and the competition is fierce! Swimming enthusiasts, get ready for a thrilling update.
On Wednesday night, the second week of the 2026 Division I conference season kicked off with a bang, as 14 swimmers secured their spots in the NCAA Championships. This is a significant increase in qualifiers compared to previous years, thanks to the new 'win-and-you're-in' model.
But here's the twist: while conference winners from power-four schools typically qualify regardless, we're keeping an eye on them too, ensuring a comprehensive overview.
The Mountain West Championships took center stage, with UNLV's Ava Olson shining in the women's 500 freestyle. She not only achieved a personal best but also smashed the qualifying time by a significant margin. And that's not all; Darcy Revitt of Washington State narrowly missed her lifetime best in the 50 freestyle, securing her spot for the second year in a row.
The American conference also made its mark, with Rice's Ava Portello and Liberty's Aly Bozzuto qualifying in the 500 freestyle and 50 freestyle, respectively. Florida Atlantic's Daniel Laureyssens tied the NCAA standard in the men's 50 free, adding to the excitement.
The ACC and SEC Championships witnessed exceptional performances, with every event winner easily surpassing the qualifying standards. A total of 14 swimmers (7 men and 7 women) from these conferences earned automatic qualifications, bringing the overall counts to 16 women and 12 men.
A quick reminder: We list swimmers only once, even if they've won multiple titles. So, some athletes with multiple conference wins are listed under their first qualifying event.
Now, let's dive into the details of the new qualifiers:
Women's Qualifiers:
- Ava Olson (UNLV) - Mountain West, 500 Free (4:43.08)
- Darcy Revitt (Washington State) - Mountain West, 50 Free (21.84)
- Ava Portello (Rice) - American, 500 Free (4:46.73)
- Aly Bozzuto (Liberty) - American, 50 Free (22.26)
- Jillian Cox (Texas) - SEC, 1650 Free (15:32.75)
- Jillian Crooks (Tennessee) - SEC, 100 Back (50.50)
- Campbell Stoll (Texas) - SEC, 200 Fly (1:50.60)
- Anita Bottazzo (Florida) - SEC, 100 Breast (57.11)
- Katie Grimes (Virginia) - ACC, 500 Free (4:33.78)
- Torri Huske (Stanford) - ACC, 200 IM (1:51.27)
- Sara Curtis (Virginia) - ACC, 50 Free (21.09)
Men's Qualifiers:
- Daniel Laureyssens (FAU) - ASUN, 50 Free (19.43)
- Ahmed Jaouadi (Florida) - SEC, 1650 Free (14:25.14)
- Hubert Kos (Texas) - SEC, 100 Back (43.86)
- Luca Urlando (Georgia) - SEC, 200 Fly (1:38.46)
- Nate Germonprez (Texas) - SEC, 100 Breast (49.92)
- Max Carlsen (NC State) - ACC, 500 Free (4:09.44)
- Arsenio Bustos (NC State) - ACC, 200 IM (1:40.39)
- Quintin McCarty (NC State) - ACC, 50 Free (18.63)
And here's the full list of qualifiers so far:
Women:
1. Sara Curtis (Virginia) - ACC, 50 Free
2. Darcy Revitt (Washington State) - Mountain West, 50 Free
3. Aly Bozzuto (Liberty) - American, 50 Free
4. Holly Nelson (Hawaii) - Big West, 50 Free
5. Asia Kozan (UC San Diego) - Big West, 200 Free
6. Katie Grimes (Virginia) - ACC, 500 Free
7. Ava Olson (UNLV) - Mountain West, 500 Free
8. Ava Portello (Rice) - American, 500 Free
9. Jillian Cox (Texas) - SEC, 1650 Free
10. Jillian Crooks (Tennessee) - SEC, 100 Back
11. Anita Bottazzo (Florida) - SEC, 100 Breast
12. Chloe Braun (UC San Diego) - Big West, 100 Breast
13. Campbell Stoll (Texas) - SEC, 200 Fly
14. Samantha Banos (UCSB) - Big West, 200 Fly
15. Torri Huske (Stanford) - ACC, 200 IM
16. Eva Boehlke (UC San Diego) - Big West, 200 IM
Men:
1. Quintin McCarty (NC State) - ACC, 50 Free
2. Karol Ostrowski (Hawaii) - Big West, 50 Free
3. Daniel Laureyssens (FAU) - ASUN, 50 Free
4. Max Carlsen (NC State) - ACC, 500 Free
5. Ahmed Jaouadi (Florida) - SEC, 1650 Free
6. Hubert Kos (Texas) - SEC, 100 Back
7. Nate Germonprez (Texas) - SEC, 100 Breast
8. Carter Dooling (Grand Canyon) - Big West, 200 Breast
9. Vili Sivec (CSUB) - Big West, 100 Fly
10. Luca Urlando (Georgia) - SEC, 200 Fly
11. Arsenio Bustos (NC State) - ACC, 200 IM
12. Tom Thalau (Hawaii) - Big West, 200 IM
As the season progresses, we can expect more thrilling races and even more qualifiers. Who will be the next swimmers to secure their spots? Stay tuned, as the road to the NCAA Championships is full of surprises and exceptional talent!
