2026 Big 12 Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2026 Big 12 Championship

• Dates: Tuesday, February 24–Saturday, February 28
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending champions: Arizona State women (1x); Arizona State men (1x)
• Live Results
• Live Video: ESPN +
• Championship Central
• Men’s Championship Preview
• Women’s Championship Preview
• Teams: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Christian, Utah, West Virginia
• Psych Sheets
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

We are back in action at the 2026 Big 12 Championships, and tonight’s finals session will see ASU try to extend their leads over Arizona and Utah.

The meet will start with the men’s 1-meter diving finals and will have the women’s 3-meter finals wrap up the individual events before the 400 medley relays.

Miriam Sheehan and Julia Ullmann lead the women’s 100 fly final, earning the top two seeds in 52.32 and 52.41 for the Sun Devils.

Ilya Kharun earned the top seed in the men’s 100 fly, touching in 44.25 to come in more than a second ahead of 2nd seed Filip Senc-Samardzic from ASU.

In the 400 IM, Sonia Vaishnani earned the top time in prelims, touching in 4:13.01 to lead the field by more than two seconds. The men’s event has BYU junior Tanner Nelson in the top spot in 3:46.29, about a second over Utah’s Strahinja Maslo‘s 3:47.48.

Last night’s 50 free champion Albane Cachot earned the top seed in the women’s 200 freestyle with her prelims time of 1:45.05, which was a second-and-a-half faster than teammate Grace Lindberg‘s 1:46.67 in 2nd.

ASU grad student Remi Fabiani swam the top time in the men’s 200 free prelims of 1:32.68 to earn the middle lane for tonight’s final and the last individual swimming event of the session.

The meet will wrap up with the 400 medley relays where the ASU men and women are the favorites to win.

Men’s 1-Meter Diving — Finals

Top 8 Finishers

1. Elias Petersen (UTAH) –400.10
2. Luke Hernandez (ARIZ) — 399.15
3. Gage Dubois (ARIZ) — 396.10
4. Bo Bridges (ARIZ) — 368.90
5. David Ekdahl (TCU) — 366.45
6. Colin Agor (ARIZ) — 352.65
7. Elliot Dillon (TCU) — 340.85

The top three finishers in the men’s 1-Meter diving event were separated by just four points, and nobody held a significant lead at any point in the competition.

On the final dive, Utah’s Elias Petersen had a massive score to finish with 400.10 points, just 0.95 points ahead of Arizona’s Luke Hernandez, who scored 399.15 to finish 2nd overall.

Arizona also picked up the bronze with Gage Dubois finishing just 3.05 points behind Hernandez in 396.10 as thet op three separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

Women’s 100 Fly – Finals

• NCAA: 46.97 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• Big 12: 49.70 – Emma Sticklen, Texas (2024)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 50.07 – Olivia Bray, Texas (2023)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 52.52
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 51.87

Top 8 Finishers

1. Julia Ullmann (ASU) — 51.97
2. Miriam Sheehan (ASU) — 52.48
3. Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah (ARIZ) — 52.50
4. Lydia Lafferty (KANS) — 53.12
5. Kate Mardis (CINC) — 53.37
6. Emma Kinsey (ARIZ) — 53.43
7. Noor El Gendy (UH) — 53.70
8. Joleigh Crye (CINC) — 53.78

ASU’s Julia Ullmann was the only woman on Thursday to break 52 seconds in the women’s 100 butterfly, swimming 51.97 to earn the event win and NCAA Qualification at the Big 12 Championships.

Ullmann was out in 2nd place at the 25 mark, turning in 11.39 to sit more than three tenths behind teammate Miriam Sheehan‘s 11.04 in 1st and Arizona’s Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah, who swam 11.29 for 2nd.

Ullmann took over the lead at the 50, touching in 24.18 to sit ahead of Ullmann (24.31) and Sheikhalizadehkhanghah (24.46).

From there, she continued to have the fastest 25 splits, and came home in 27.79 to lock up the top time of 51.97. She missed her lifetime best of 51.25 from the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge by about six tenths.

Sheehan finished 2nd in 52.48, a near second add from the 51.67 she swam in February of 2023 before she started college, and just off her season best of 52.42 from the Tennessee Invite.

Sheikhalizadehkhanghah finished 3rd in 52.50, a new personal best by a little over half-a-second from the 53.03 mark she swam in November.

Men’s 100 Fly – Finals

• NCAA: 42.80 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Big 12: 43.43 – Ilya Kharun, ASU (2025)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 44.06 – Joseph Schooling, Texas (2017)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 46.11
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 45.12

Top 8 Finishers

1. Ilya Kharun (ASU) — 43.77 **New Meet Record
2. Haakon Naughton (ARIZ) — 44.69
3. Filip Senc-Samardzic (ASU) — 44.95
4. Jordan Tiffany (ASU) — 45.61
5. Evan Van Brocklin — 45.69
6. Tommy Palmer (ASU) — 45.84
7. Tolu Young (ASU) — 46.24
8. Lior Mizrahi (TCU) — 46.83

Two events, two meet records for ASU junior Ilya Kharun. He won the men’s 100 fly final in dominant fashion, swimming 43.77 to take three tenths off Joseph Schooling’s 2017 mark of 44.06.

Kharun had the lead from the 1st 25, splitting 9.38 to sit almost a tenth ahead of the field. He only extended it from there, turning in 20.24 to sit six tenths ahead of Arizona’s Haakon Naughton, who split 20.83 in 2nd.

Kharun came home in 23.53 to pick up the top time in 43.77, sitting four tenths off his lifetime best 43.38. This was his 3rd fastest time ever in the event.

Naughton swam 44.69 for 2nd, which was a new lifetime best, dropping from the 44.80 mark he swam against ASU at the beginning of February. He closed in 23.98.

Filip Senc-samardzic was 3rd in 44.95 to be the final swimmer under 45 seconds. He was out in 20.97 and came home in 23.98. He added two hundredths from the 44.93 he swam at this meet last year.

Women’s 40o IM – Finals

• NCAA: 3:54.60 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• Big 12: 4:00.97 – Madisyn Cox, Texas (2017)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 4:01.15 – Madisyn Cox, Texas (2017)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 4:13.20
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 4:09.53

Top 8 Finishers

1. Alexa Reyna (ASU) — 4:09.22
2. Sonia Vaishnani (ASU) — 4:10.52
3. Lucy Warnick (BYU) — 4:15.78
4. Sydney Nethercutt (UH) — 4:16.57
5. Libby Michel (CINC) — 4:17.55
6. Ella Derby (UTAH) — 4:18.63
7. Alondra Ortiz (UH) — 4:22.36
8. Lia Csulak (ASU) — 4:22.50

ASU junior Alexa Reyna had a massive swim in the women’s 400 IM final, swimming 4:09.22 to chase down teammate Sonia Vaishnani on the last 50 yards and set a massive new personal best time.

Reyna did not swim the event a single time last season, and her last recorded swim is from the 2024 Pac-12s, when she swam 4:25.88. Her previous best stood at 4:15.35 from November of 2023, and she cut more than six seconds off that time tonight.

From the beginning, the primary race was between Reyna and ASU teammate Sonia Vaishnani, and they traded the lead multiple times throughout the race, each time leading by about a second. After the butterfly, Vaishnani led, splitting 55.79 to sit nearly a second ahead of Reyna’s 56.68 split.

On the backstroke, Reyna split 1:02.49 to move into the lead turning in 1:59.17 to move ahead of Vaishnani, who split 1:04.50 and 2:00.29

Vaishnani retook the lead on the breaststroke with her 1:10.42 split putting her ahead of Reyna’s 1:12.78.

Finally on the freestyle leg, Reyna had a massive closing 100 of 57.27, splitting 29.24/28.03 to overtake the lead with the fastest closing 50 in the field. Vaishnani split 59.81 (30.00/29.81) to touch 2nd overall.

Vaishnani just missed her personal best of 4:09.06 from the Eddie Reese Showdown in January of 2025.

BYU’s Lucy Warnick swam 4:15.78 to finish 3rd overall, about a second-and-a-half off her lifetime best 4:14.35 from the NC State Invite earlier this season.

Men’s 400 IM – Finals

• NCAA: 3:28.82 – Léon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• Big 12: 3:33.79 – Carson Foster, Texas (2022)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 3:35.49 – Carson Foster, Texas (2023)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 3:46.19
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 3:41.61

Top 8 Finishers

1. Tanner Nelson (BYU) — 3:44.46
2. Reece Grady (ASU) — 3:44.55
3. Strahinja Maslo (UTAH) — 3:45.89
4. Beck Parnham (ARIZ) — 3:47.16
5. Filip Suchanski (TCU) — 3:48.07
6. Kyle Bumgardner (CINC) — 3:50.56
7. Matthew Sexton (UTAH) — 3:50.75
8. Brandon Miller (UTAH) — 3:53.00

BYU’s Tanner Nelson won the men’s 400 IM ‘A’ final, but his swim was overshadowed by the massive performance from Michael Hochwalt in the ‘B’ final.

Hochwalt finished 10th in the prelims, touching in 3:51.45 to earn a spot in the ‘B’ final after coming in as the top seed and reigning Big 12 Champion. He came back with a vengeance tonight, swimming 3:40.02 in the ‘B’ final to drop more than a second from his previous best 3:41.40 and set the 12th fastest time in the country this season (before this week’s meets). While he won’t earn the automatic NCAA bid, it seems very likely he will earn a traditional invite in the event.

• Hochwalt’s Splits: 50.06/57.08/1:01.41/51.47

Moving back to the ‘A’ final, the men’s race was incredibly close, and it came down to the last 15 yards. Utah’s Strahinja Maslo had the fastest opening 300 of the top three swimmers, splitting 50.54/57.88/1:03.78, turning in 1st at the 300 mark with his 2:53.23 split.

Grady and Nelson sat just one hundredth apart with Grady splitting 51.74/56.75/1:04.74 to turn in 2:53.23 just ahead of Nelson’s 51.26/58.25/1:03.73 splits for a 2:53.24.

Nelson and Grady turned on the gas for the final 100, Nelson splitting 26.36/24.86 to touch in 51.22 and 3:44.46. This was just off his lifetime best of 3:42.87 from the 2022 NCAA Championships.

Grady split 51.32 on the final 100 (26.45/24.87) to finish 2nd in 3:44.55, a second-and-a-half drop from the 3:45.92 mark he swam at this meet last year.

Maslo was 53.69 (26.94/26.75) to finish 3rd in 3:45.89, a two second add from his best of 3:43.91 from earlier this season.

• Nelson’s Splits: 51.26/58.25/1:03.73/51.22
• Grady’s Splits: 51.74/56.75/1:04.74/51.32
• Maslo’s Splits: 50.54/57.88/1:03.78/53.69

Women’s 200 Free — Finals

• NCAA: 1:39.10 – Missy Franklin, California (2015)
• Big 12: 1:42.38 – Kelly Pash, Texas (2022)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:42.70 – Kelly Pash, Texas (2021)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 1:45.53
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:44.74

Top 8 Finishers

1. Albane Cachot (ASU) — 1:44.58
2. Kayman Neal (ARIZ) — 1:45.33
3. Grace Lindberg (ASU) — 1:45.35
4. Gerda Szilagyi (ASU) — 1:46.75
5. Ella Guilfoil (ASU) — 1:46.98
6. Avery Dillon (TCU) — 1:47.27
7. Jordan Greber (ASU) — 1:47.86
8. Taira Vroom (CINC) — 1:47.89

Albane Cachot picked up her 2nd individual event win of the meet, swimming 1:44.58 in the women’s 200 freestyle to come in about eight tenths ahead of the rest of the field. She just missed her lifetime best of 1:44.34 from earlier this month.

Cachot grabbed the lead early, splitting 23.76 on her opening 50 to be the only swimmer under 24 seconds. Arizona’s Kayman Neal turned 2nd (24.47) and ASU’s Grace Lindberg was 3rd (24.49).

At the 100 mark, Cachot was the only swimmer under 50 seconds, turning in 49.82 to sit ahead of Lindberg (50.88) and Neal (51.09).

Neal and Lindberg began making up ground at the 150 mark, with Neal splitting 27.03 and Lindberg splitting 27.02 to Cachot’s 27.41. Cachot still held the lead, turning in 1:17.23.

The final 50 saw Cachot hold onto her victory with her 27.35 split touching in 1:44.58. Neal split 27.21 on the final 50 to touch in 1:45.33, five tents faster than her previous best 1:45.84 from January.

Lindberg finished 3rd in 1:45.35, a tenth drop from the 1:45.43 mark she set in November.

Men’s 200 Free – Finals

• NCAA: 1:28.33 – Luke Hobson, Texas (2024)
• Big 12: 1:28.81 – Luke Hobson, Texas (2024)
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:31.48 – Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri, Arizona (2025)
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 1:33.93
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:32.27

Top 8 Finishers

1. Remi Fabiani (ASU) — 1:31.24 **New Meet Record
2. Tomas Lukminas (ARIZ) — 1:32.04
3. Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri (ARIZ) — 1:32.43
4. Quin Seider (ASU) — 1:33.05
5. Jonny Kulow (ASU) — 1:33.06
6. Nick Chirafisi (UTAH) — 1:33.60
7. Mattia Mauri (ASU) — 1:33.60
8. Ben Butler (ARIZ) — 1:35.32

Remi Fabiani set a new Big 12 meet record en route to the win in the men’s 200 free final. He touched in 1:31.34, taking two tenths off the 1:31.48 mark that Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri swam to win the event last year.

Fabiani had the fastest opening 50 split of 20.77 and the fastest opening 100 of 43.67, setting the tone for the remainder of the race.

Arizona’s Tomas Lukminas started gaining ground on Fabiani over the final 100, splitting 23.61/32.48 to Fabiani’s 23.73/23.84 splits. Lukminas finished 2nd in 1:32.04, just off his lifetime best 1:31.88.

Ciuferri finished 3rd in 1:32.43, a second add from his previous best and previous meet record of 1:31.48

Women’s 3-Meter Diving — Finals

Top 8 Finishers

1. Maisy Woloszyn (HOU) — 332.15
2. Shiyun Lai (KANS) — 326.80
3. Callie Eagleston (UTAH) — 326.25
4. Zara Ayazi (ARIZ) — 323.15
5. Lize Van Leeuwen (KANS) — 303.25
6. Michelle McLeod (UH) — 284.70
7. Caroline Roelen (UH) — 272.00
8. Maggie Bendell (ISU) — 257.05

University of Houston freshman Maisy Woloszyn picked up a huge upset win in the women’s 3-meter platform after squeaking into the ‘A’ final at 8th overall, she had a very strong performance in all of her dives to win.

After her final dive, she sat in the lead by just five points over Kansas’ Shiyun Lai, who had yet to dive for the final time. Lai was just five points behind Woloszyn, but she failed her dive, and scored zero points, earning the gold medal for Houston.

Lai won the silver, and Utah’s Callie Eagleston won the bronze in 326.80.

Women’s 400 Medley Relay — Finals