2026 Big 12 Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2026 Big 12 Championships

• Dates: Tuesday, February 24–Saturday, February 28, 2026
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending champions: Arizona State women (1x); Arizona State men (1x)
• Teams: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Christian, Utah, West Virginia
• Men’s Championship Preview
• Women’s Championship Preview
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video: ESPN +
• Live Recaps
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Prelims: Day 2 | Day 3
• Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheet

The fourth day of action at the 2026 Big 12 Championships in Greensboro gets underway this morning with preliminary heats in the women’s and men’s 200 fly, 100 breast and 100 back.

The defending champions will be back in two of the three events, with ASU’s Deniz Ertan and Ilya Kharun in pursuit of repeat victories in the 200 fly, and Cincinnati’s Joleigh Crye and Sun Devil senior Andy Dobrzanski aiming for a second straight victory in the 100 breast.

In the 100 back, ASU junior Miriam Sheehan comes in as the top seed in 51.83, the best time she established in November, after placing 6th in last year’s final in a time of 53.31.

• Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheet

Sun Devil grad senior Adam Chaney is the big favorite in the men’s 100 back in his first and only season in the Big 12. The former Florida Gator was the only swimmer in the conference sub-45 this season coming into the meet, and then further distanced himself from the pack on last night’s 400 medley relay, setting a new conference record and personal best of 43.93 in leading off the Sun Devils to victory.

Arizona’s Duncan Henderson led the Wildcats off in 44.86 last night to make it two swimmers in the Big 12 sub-45 this season.

Team Standings – Thru Day 3

Women

1. ASU — 960.5
2. Arizona — 690.5
3. Houston — 568.5
4. Utah/Cincinnati — 463
5. —
6. Kansas — 421.5
7. TCU — 415
8. BYU — 310
9. Iowa State — 300
10. West Virginia — 222

Men

1. ASU — 1032.5
2. Arizona — 868.5
3. Utah — 838
4. TCU — 474
5. BYU — 447
6. Cincinnati — 361
7. West Virginia — 351

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:49.11, Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 2025
• Big 12 Record: 1:49.95, Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 2023
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:51.66, Kelly Pash (Texas) – 2024
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 1:57.11
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:55.82

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Deniz Ertan (ASU), 1:57.46
2. Sydney Nethercutt (Houston), 1:58.25
3. Julia Ullmann (ASU), 1:58.54
4. Emma Kinsey (Arizona), 1:59.37
5. Noor El Gendy (Houston), 1:59.81
6. Kendall Mallers (Iowa State), 2:00.11
7. Ariel Beltran (ASU), 2:00.82
8. MJ Neilson (Arizona), 2:00.88

Defending champion Deniz Ertan paced the prelims in the women’s 200 fly, pulling away from Sydney Nethercutt on the back half en route to clocking 1:57.46 from the penultimate heat.

Ertan, an Arizona State senior, won the title last year in a personal best of 1:54.92, and had been as fast as 1:58.81 so far this season coming into the meet.

Nethercutt, a Houston junior and last year’s 3rd-place finisher, touched in 1:58.25 to advance 2nd overall. She came into the meet ranked 2nd in the conference with the 1:57.02 swim she produced at the Houston First Chance Meet in early February.

The top seed coming into the meet was Arizona State sophomore Julia Ullmann, who leads the conference with the 1:55.80 lifetime best she set earlier this season in November.

Ullmann, who did not race this event at Big 12s in her freshman year, cruised through the final heat and touched first in a time of 1:58.54, qualifying 3rd into the final.

Arizona sophomore MJ Neilson was the only swimmer out of the first circle-seeded heat to make the ‘A’ final, clocking 2:00.88 for 8th, while Iowa State freshman Kendall Mallers had a breakthrough swim to qualify 7th in 2:00.11. Mallers shattered her previous best of 2:01.61 set at the 2025 NCSA Spring Championships.

Arizona junior Emma Kinsey also had a noteworthy swim, producing her fastest time since 2023 in 1:59.37.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:36.41, Luca Urlando (Georgia) – 2025
• Big 12 Record: 1:37.35, Jack Conger (Texas) – 2017
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:39.17, Jack Conger (Texas) – 2017
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 1:43.79
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:41.45

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Ilya Kharun (ASU), 1:40.37
2. Joel Nace (Arizona), 1:42.87
3. Haakon Naughton (Arizona), 1:43.29
4. Evan VanBrocklin (Utah), 1:44.81
5. Filip Senc-Samardzic (ASU), 1:44.83
6. Jakub Walter (Utah), 1:45.16
7. Viktor Hristov (TCU), 1:45.20
8. Jacob Ballard (BYU), 1:45.21

Ilya Kharun cruised to the top time of the morning in the men’s 200 fly, winning the fourth and final heat in a time of 1:40.37.

The Arizona State junior eased through the first 150 yards, going stroke for stroke with Arizona sophomore Joel Nace, before turning on the jets and closing in 25.26 to touch first by two and a half seconds.

Kharun ranks 2nd in the nation this season with his time of 1:37.56 from the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge in November. He won the Big 12 title last season in 1:39.41 (after going 1:39.96 in the prelims).

Nace, who was 3rd last season as a freshman, clocked 1:42.87 to advance 2nd into the final, just shy of his lifetime best of 1:42.41 set earlier this season.

Arizona senior Haakon Naughton, the 2025 runner-up, went out fast in Heat 3, turning in 48-flat at the 100 and then was still ahead of Kharun’s pace through the 150 before fading come home in 28.31. Naughton still easily made the final, touching in 1:43.29 for 3rd overall. He owns a season-best of 1:40.77, set in a dual against ASU earlier this month.

The only one of the eight ‘A’ final qualifiers who set a new personal best was TCU sophomore Viktor Hristov, who knocked off two-tenths in 1:45.20 to qualify in 7th.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (Indiana) – 2019
• Big 12 Record: 56.88, Anna Elendt (Texas) – 2022
• Big 12 Championship Record: 57.27, Lydia Jacoby (Texas) – 2024
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 1:00.30
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 59.51

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Joleigh Crye (Cincinnati), 58.62
2. Eleni Gewalt (Arizona), 59.13
3. Lindi Worrell (Cincinnati), 59.61
4. Ginger McMahon (ASU), 1:00.05
5. Evelyn Entrekin (Houston), 1:00.11
6. Nina Vadovicova (TCU), 1:00.15
7. Grace Swoboda (Iowa State), 1:00.24
8. Lucie Vasquez (ASU), 1:00.48

Things went off as expected in the heats of the women’s 100 breaststroke as the top eight seeds all made their way into the ‘A’ final this morning, with one caveat.

Two swimmers were tied for 8th on the psych sheets in 1:00.45, Arizona junior Kelsey Wasikowski and Iowa State freshman Grace Swoboda, and it was Wasikowski who ended up on the outside looking in in 9th (1:00.63).

Cincinnati senior Joleigh Crye, the defending champion, asserted herself as the top swimmer in the field by clocking 58.62 in the prelims, earning her Lane 4 in tonight’s final. Crye has been as fast as 57.99 so far this season, and won the 2025 Big 12 title in a time of 58.09

Arizona senior Eleni Gewalt matched her season-best time on the nose in 59.13 to qualify in 2nd, having placed 4th in last year’s final in a lifetime best of 59.00.

The third swimmer cracking the 1:00 barrier was Cincinnati junior Lindi Worrell, who knocked 35 one-hundredths off her personal best in 59.61.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 49.51, Julian Smith (Florida) – 2025
• Big 12 Record: 50.49, Caspar Corbeau (Texas) – 2022
• Big 12 Championship Record: 50.96, Caspar Corbeau (Texas) – 2022
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 52.58
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 51.58

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Lucien Vergnes (ASU), 51.90
2. Andy Dobrzanski (ASU), 52.02
3. Tavner Wisdom (Arizona), 52.17
4. Brayden Taivassalo (ASU), 52.47
5. Peter Etzold (BYU), 52.49
6. Jonathan Itzhaki (ASU), 52.87
7. Will Bonnett (BYU), 52.88
8. Jon Reiter (ASU), 53.10

Arizona State claimed five of the eight spots in tonight’s ‘A’ final of the men’s 100 breaststroke, with sophomore Lucien Vergnes leading the way.

The Frenchman went out like a rocket, turning in the fastest opening 50 split in the field by a wide margin in 23.95 before closing in 26.95 to clock 51.90 from the penultimate heat, just shy of the 51.79 personal best he set during a time trial on Thursday.

Last season, Vergnes opted to race the 100 back instead of the 100 breast at Big 12s, placing 2nd.

Defending champion and top seed coming in, Andy Dobrzanski followed Vergnes’ swim up by winning the fourth and final heat in a time of 52.02 to advance 2nd into tonight. The Sun Devil senior is coming off setting a personal best of 51.00 at the Big 12 West Championships in January.

Arizona junior Tavner Wisdom, who was 3rd in the 2025 Big 12 final, matched that position this morning in a time of 52.17, lowering his personal best of 52.33 set at last year’s conference meet.

Joining Vergnes and Dobrzanski in the ‘A’ final from ASU will be Brayden Taivassalo, Jonathan Itzhaki and Jon Reiter, with Taivassalo’s 52.47 marking a new season-best.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• Big 12 Record: 50.51, Claire Adams (Texas) – 2020
• Big 12 Championship Record: 50.51, Claire Adams (Texas) – 2020
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 52.65
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 51.68

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Alexia Duncan (Houston), 52.41
2. Lila Lillie (Arizona), 53.12
3. Julia Smurzynska (Arizona), 53.13
4. Gerda Szilagyi (ASU), 53.37
5. Kayman Neal (Arizona), 53.38
6. Elizabeth Jimenez (Houston), 53.49
7. Natasha Whittall (WVU), 54.04
8. Magda Hagsten Skarda (Arizona), 54.07

Three swimmers were disqualified in the heats of the women’s 100 back, most notably top seed Miriam Sheehan, who ranks atop the conference this season with her time of 51.83 set in early November.

Along with ASU’s Sheehan, Arizona’s Paige Armstrong (seeded 9th) and Utah’s Kindsey Joyce (seeded 32nd) were also DQed.

Both Sheehan and Armstrong were disqualified for failing to surface before 15 meters, according to the live results, while Joyce was flagged for a false start. The results show that Sheehan and Armstrong were fast enough to comfortably make the ‘A’ final before being DQed, with Sheehan initially clocking 52.44 and Armstrong touching in 53.09.

Houston sophomore Alexia Duncan was the only swimmer to break 53 seconds, claiming the top seed in a time of 52.41 to lower her personal best of 52.62 set last month at the Big 12 East Championships.

Arizona sophomore Lila Lillie, who was 18th last season as a freshman, advanced 2nd into the ‘A’ final in 53.12 after hitting a best time of 52.91 back in November.

Rounding out the top three qualifiers was Arizona freshman Julia Smurzynska, who clocked 53.13 to chip two one-hundredths off her lifetime best set at the Big 12 East Championships.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 43.20, Hubert Kos (Texas) – 2025
• Big 12 Record: 43.93, Adam Chaney (ASU) – 2026
• Big 12 Championship Record: 43.93, Adam Chaney (ASU) – 2026
• 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 46.29
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 45.26

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Duncan Henderson (Arizona), 44.79
2. Adam Chaney (ASU), 45.69
3. Nolan Dunkel (Utah), 46.13
4. Filip Suchanski (TCU), 46.58
5. Edgar Cicanci (TCU), 46.59
6. Ryan Hardy (Arizona), 46.63
7. Owen Chiles (Cincinnati), 46.67
8. Alex Desangles (Arizona), 46.69

Arizona freshman Duncan Henderson followed up the lifetime best he produced last night leading off the 400 medley relay with another this morning in the heats of the 100 back, breaking a 19-year-old school record for good measure.

Henderson came into the meet with a personal best of 45.08, set in December, and then managed to crack the 45-second barrier for the first time last night leading off the Wildcats’ 400 medley relay, clocking 44.86.

On Friday morning, Henderson knocked seven one-hundredths off his hours-old best time, touching in 44.79 to crack Albert Subirats‘ Arizona School Record of 44.83 set nearly two decades ago. Subirats, a three-time Venezuelan Olympian, won the 2007 NCAA title with that performance.

Advancing 2nd into the final was Arizona State grad senior Adam Chaney, who cruised to a time of 45.69 this morning after shattering the Big 12 Record on last night’s 400 medley relay in 43.93. That swim improved on his personal best of 43.99 set at the 2024 NCAAs while he was at Florida.

Utah sophomore Nolan Dunkel, who spent his freshman year at NC State, set a lifetime best of 46.13 to advance 3rd into the final, taking down his previous mark of 46.45 set at the SMU Invitational in November.

Arizona’s Ryan Hardy, the top returner from last year’s final with champion Jack Wadsworth graduating and runner-up Lucien Vergnes not entering the event, qualified 6th overall in 46.63. Hardy set a best time of 45.64 at the 2025 Big 12s but had not broken 47 seconds this season until this morning.