2026 Men’s Big Ten Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, February 25–Saturday, February 28
- Location: Soderholm Family Aquatic Center, Madison, WI
- Defending champions: Indiana men (4x)
- Live Results (also available on Meet Mobile: “2026 Men’s B1G Championship”)
- Live Video ($): B1G+
- Championship Central – Big Ten
- Championship Central – Wisconsin
- SwimSwam’s Meet Preview
- Teams: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, USC, Wisconsin
- SwimSwam Live Recaps
Day 4 Up/Mid/Downs
Team Scores After Day 3
- Indiana, 1061.5
- Michigan, 811
- Ohio State, 712.5
- Wisconsin, 569.5
- Purdue, 527
- Northwestern, 514
- USC, 463.5
- Minnesota, 430
- Penn State, 307
All that’s left is the shouting for the team title at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, with Indiana carrying a 250.5 point lead into the final day of competition.
There is still lots of action left in the chase for individual crowns on the final day of racing, though. Indiana swimmers took the top seed in all four individual event prelims on Saturday:
- 200 IM: Owen McDonald, 1:41.23
- 100 free: Mikkel Lee, 42.11
- 200 fly: Raekwon Noel, 1:39.97
- 200 back: Kai Van Westering, 1:39.21
Indiana are also the favorites in the 1650 free (Zalan Sarkany, Luke Whitlock, and Luke Ellis are the top three seeds) and the 400 free relay, leaving a sweep of the swimming events on the final day well within reach.
But that’s not a given either, as most of those top seeds in prelims have swimmers from other programs nipping at their heels. That’s especially true in the 100 free, where Northwestern’s Caden Duncan was just .01 seconds behind Lee in prelims; the 200 fly, where Michigan’s Colin Geer, who was just .12 seconds behind Noel in the morning; and the 200 back, where Northwestern’s David Gerchik was just .26 seconds behind Van Westering.
In the 200 IM, Owen McDonald will chase his 2nd straight Big Ten title in the event. He won the 100 back and was 4th in the 100 fly earlier in the meet; he’s one of the swimmers who has been forced to make event choices this season with the 200 IM and 200 back falling on the same day of the NCAA Championships.
MEN’S 200-YARD IM – Finals
- NCAA Record: 1:36.34, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) – 2024
- Big Ten Record: 1:39.42, Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 2025
- Big Ten Meet Record: 1:39.89, Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:44.13
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:42.65
Results:
- Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 1:40.11
- Colin Geer (Michigan) – 1:40.15
- Tristan Jankovics (Ohio State) – 1:41.49
- Joshua Staples (Northwestern) – 1:41.61
- Josh Bey (Indiana) – 1:41.68
- Luke Mladenovic (Michigan) – 1:41.93
- Eitan Ben-Shitrit (Michigan) – 1:42.19
- Toby Barnett (Indiana) – 1:42.90
Indiana senior Owen McDonald took the 200 IM out fast, splitting 21.47/24.25 to hit the first 100 in 45.72, with Michigan junior Colin Geer the only other under 47 at 46.47.
Geer outsplit McDonald on the breast leg, 29.18 to 30.53, taking a six tenths of a second lead heading into the final 50. McDonald had more in the tank, though, scorching a 23.86 on the final 50 to Geer’s 24.50, only passing him on the very last stroke to defend his title.
McDonald logged 1:40.11 to Geer’s 1:40.15, while Ohio State senior Tristan Jankovics hit 1:41.49 for bronze.
McDonald, who set the Meet Record of 1:39.89 and Big Ten Record of 1:39.42 last season, owns a lifetime best of 1:39.23 from the 2024 NCAA Championships, when he helped the Arizona State Sun Devils claim the national crown.
Geer, who was fourth last year, sliced four tenths off his previous best time of 1:40.55 from last season’s NCAAs. Jankovics’ personal best is the 1:41.09 he recorded to take fifth at this meet last year.
Geer will have to gear up in less than 40 minutes to try and defend his 200 fly title, where he advanced as the second seed this morning.
MEN’S 1650-YARD FREESTYLE – Finals
- NCAA Record: 14:12.08, Bobby Finke (Florida) – 2020
- Big Ten Record: 14:21.29, Zalan Sarkany (Indiana) – 2025
Big Ten Meet Record: 14:29.25, Felix Auboeck (Michigan) – 2017- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 15:06.60
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 14:48.80
Results:
- Zalan Sarkany (Indiana) – 14:25.40 *Meet Record*
- Luke Whitlock (Indiana) – 14:31.54
- Luke Ellis (Indiana) – 14:43.01
- Lorne Wigginton (Michigan) – 14:46.09
- Mason Edmund (Ohio State) – 14:52.97
- Isaac Fleig (Ohio State) – 14:55.18
- Luke Brennan (Minnesota) – 14:57.89
- Joshua Brown (Michigan) – 14:58.72
It was all about the Hoosiers in the 1650 free with senior Zalan Sarkany, sophomore Luke Whitlock, and freshman Luke Ellis sweeping the podium.
Sarkany defended his title with a dominant 14:25.40, breaking Felix Auboeck’s longstanding meet record en route to winning by over six seconds.
Despite being a meet record, it wasn’t a personal or season best time. His best time is the 14:21.29 he swam to win the NCAA title for the second-straight year last March, while his season-best is the nation-leading 14:23.85 he produced at the Ohio State Invite.
Whitlock swam 14:31.54, hacking nearly six seconds off his former best time of 14:37.47 from the Ohio State Invite, to move up to #5 in the NCAA on the season.
Ellis stopped the clock at 14:43.01, his third-fastest time ever; his PB remains the 14:29.48 he swam in December 2023, pre-college.
MEN’S 100-YARD FREESTYLE – Finals
- NCAA Record: 39.90, Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) – 2025
- Big Ten Record: 40.83, Bowe Becker (Minnesota) – 2019
- Big Ten Meet Record: 41.38, Ruslan Gaziev (Ohio State) – 2023
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 42.55
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 41.95
Results:
- Dylan Smiley (Indiana) – 41.81
- Stuart Seymour (Northwestern) – 41.87
- Caden Duncan (Northwestern) – 41.189
- Mikkel Lee (Indiana) – 42.17
- Antoine Sauve (Michigan) – 42.18
- Ole Eidam (Michigan) – 42.23
- Tomas Navikonis (Ohio State) – 42.42
- Ben Wiegand (Wisconsin) – 42.74
Indiana senior Dylan Smiley (41.81) led the Wildcat duo of Stuart Seymour (41.87) and Caden Duncan (41.89) in a hotly contested 100 free final. Smiley, who won bronze a year ago, split 20.12/21.69 by 50s, edging out Seymour (20.21/21.66) and Duncan (20.08/21.81).
The trio were the only swimmers in the heat to break 42 seconds.
While it was a win, Smiley’s performance was neither a personal nor a season best. His PB is the 41.59 he clocked at November’s Ohio State Invite.
Seymour entered the day with a 42.34 PB from this meet last year, clocked 42.18 in prelims, then went sub-42 for the first time tonight. Duncan was in a similar position, entering with a 42.31 PB, clocking 42.12 in prelims before another breakthrough swim this evening.
Notably, defending champion Tomas Navikonis, having already won the 200 free earlier in the week, finished seventh in 42.42. He was almost a full second off his current best of 41.55, which he clocked en route to his win last season.
MEN’S 200-YARD BUTTERFLY – Finals
- NCAA Record: 1:36.41, Luca Urlando (Georgia) – 2025
- Big Ten Record: 1:38.71, Brendan Burns (Indiana) – 2022
Big Ten Meet Record: 1:39.22, Brendan Burns (Indiana) – 2022- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:43.79
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:41.45
Results:
- Tyler Ray (Michigan) – 1:38.82 *Meet Record*
- Raekwon Noel (Indiana) – 1:39.26
- Michal Chmielewski (USC) – 1:40.19
- Jacob Johnson (Minnesota) – 1:40.20
- Colin Geer (Michigan) – 1:40.53
- Dominik Mark Torok (Wisconsin) – 1:40.56
- Enzo Solitario (Wisconsin) – 1:40.96
- Aaron Shackell (Indiana) – 1:42.67
USC junior Michal Chmielewski led at the first turn with the quickest opening 50 of 22.18, with Michigan senior Tyler Ray just behind at 22.20.
By the 100, Ray’s junior teammate Colin Geer had moved to the front on a 25.17 second 50 split to lead the field at 47.72, followed closely by Indiana sophomore Raekwon Noel (47.79) and Ray (47.87).
The third 50 shuffled the order again. Noel moved to the lead at the 150 wall, splitting 25.64 to sit at 1:13.43, with Ray second at 1:13.74. Johnson had climbed to third at 1:13.85, while Geer began to slip, splitting 26.16 to sit fourth in 1:13.88.
Ray then threw down the fastest closing 50 in the field, 25.08, to go right past Noel and win in a Meet Record of 1:38.82. Noel held on for silver in 1:39.26; while Ray was much better on the back end, Noel didn’t fade, closing in 25.83.
Chmielewski and Johnson were virtually inseparable at the finish, taking third and fourth in 1:40.19 and 1:40.20. Geer paid for his early speed on the back end of a tough double, splitting 26.65 to finish fifth in 1:40.53.
Ray, who won the 100 fly in a Big Ten Record on Thursday, smashed his previous best of 1:39.60 from November’s CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge.
It was a second PB on the day for both Noel and Chmielewski. Noel swam 1:39.97 in prelims after entering the meet with a best of 1:41.14 from a dual meet late last month, while Chmielewski entered the day with a best time of 1:40.91 before hitting 1:40.84 earlier today.
MEN’S 200-YARD BACKSTROKE – Finals
- NCAA Record: 1:34.24, Hubert Kos (Texas) – 2025
- Big Ten Record: 1:37.15, Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 2025
- Big Ten Meet Record: 1:37.15, Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:42.14
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:40.13
Results:
- Kai Van Westering (Indiana) – 1:39.19
- Cornelius Jahn (Ohio State) – 1:39.40
- Miroslav Knedla (Indiana) – 1:39.45
- Oliver Kos (Northwestern) – 1:40.33
- Blake Rowe (Purdue) – 1:40.69
- David Gerchik (Northwestern) – 1:40.97
- Nathan Welker (Wisconsin) – 1:41.81
- Cooper Morley (Penn State) – 1:41.96
After swimming as an exhibition swimmer a year ago, when he clocked 1:39.25 in prelims, a time that would have held up for silver in the final, Indiana senior Kai Van Westering is a Big Ten Champion.
Van Westering was six hundredths faster than he was a year ago to grab the win over Ohio State sophomore Cornelius Jahn (1:39.40) and sophomore teammate Miroslav Knedla (1:39.45). They were the only three swimmers to dip under 1:40.
Knedla led through the first 100 before Van Westering took the lead around the 140-yard mark and never relinquished it. Jahn was in bronze medal position for essentially the whole race before overtaking Knedla under the flags at the finish.
Van Westering’s time tonight was not a personal best; his PB of 1:38.47 came at last season’s NCAA Championships.
Jahn upgraded his bronze from last year to silver and dropped a tenth off his previous best of 1:39.50 from that same final. Knedla’s PB of 1:39.26 was set a year ago when he took runner-up honors behind McDonald.
Men’s PLATFORM DIVING – Finals
- Big Ten Meet Record: 557.90, David Boudia, Purdue – 2011
- NCAA Zone Qualifying: 300 points
Results:
- Andrew Bennett (Minnesota) – 442.55 pts.
- Tyler Wills (Purdue) – 436.45 pts.
- Maxwell Weinrich (Indiana) – 411.90 pts.
- Kaden Springfield (Purdue) – 380.05 pts.
- Laurent Gosselin-Paradis – 344.50 pts.
- Nathaniel Grannis (Purdue) – 348.50 pts.
- Adam Cohen (Northwestern) – 344 pts.
- Kyle Li (Northwestern) – 326.55 pts.
Men’s 400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY – Timed Finals
- NCAA Record: 2:42.30, Tennessee – 2025
- Big Ten Record: 2:45.08, Indiana – 2025 NCAAs
- Big Ten Meet Record: 2:45.62, Indiana – 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Standard (“A” Cut): 3:13.62
- 2026 NCAA Provisional Standard (“B” Cut): 3:14.92
Results:
- Indiana – 2:46.51
- Michigan – 2:47.01
- Ohio State – 2:48.19
- Northwestern – 2:48.44
- USC – 2:49.84
- Wisconsin – 2:50.55
- Purdue – 2:50.92
- Penn State – 2:52.85
- Minnesota – 2:55.69
Despite a fast start from Northwestern junior Caden Duncan, who led off in 41.98 to Owen McDonald‘s 41.99, Indiana led from essentially the 105-yard mark until the finish.
The quartet of McDonald, Dylan Smiley (41.21), Mikkel Lee (41.90), and Mira Knedla (41.41) stopped the clock at 2:46.51 to secure the win over the Michigan (2:47.01) quartet of Ole Eidam (42.07), Tyler Ray (42.01), Jack Wilkening (41.63), and Antoine Sauve (41.30).
Ohio State trailed Northwestern the whole way, but their quartet of Tomas Navikonis (42.67), Cornelius Jahn (41.59), Rasmus Hanson (42.37), and Evan Fentress (41.56) rallied over the final 100 to secure bronze in 2:48.19 to Northwestern’s 2:48.44.
Indiana’s time checks in as a new season best by just over a tenth and keeps them ranked sixth nationally.
Final Team Scores
PSU coaches need to be fired
same with MN
Talk about a monster swim from Raekwon Noel… that 200 fly was ridiculous. Watching it live. Can’t wait to see him swim for the next two years. Owen delivers as usual. Loved the 1-2-3 moments.
The Big Ten is lacking a star freestyle sprinter. Interesting because they are strong pretty much everywhere else.
Mikkel Lee was supposed to break out but he’s just not built for yards despite splitting 46 as a teen
Andrew Bennett rocks!!!
Still Minnesota, what’s going on???
Northwestern sniped Wisconsin for fourth in the team race on the relay! It was a 7.5 point margin in the end and the relay was an 8 point swing!
Go Cats!
platform came in clutch at the end
Go cats!!!
Pretty good results all around at this meet. Feel like Northwestern is on the come up
I’m so proud of these wildcats, they got some studs
Upvoted. Well done! Wisconsin will be bringing a fight next year!
Respectfully, USCs men’s coaching staff needs to be wiped clean. They seem to get worse and worse every year. They just need a change of some sort
Very true. Lea is awful
Look at how far the Gophers have tumbled down the standings! Talk about a staff that needs to be wiped clean!
The funny thing is everyone wants to have a good team, but the talent pool isn’t really that much bigger. USC is undeniably faster than they were 10 or even 5 years ago. But somebody’s got to get 7th.
Jeff knew what he was doing. Swimmers he coached swam PBs WHILE at UofM. Swimmers on the roster now are lucky if they are close to their lifetime bests.