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2026 NCAA Division II Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

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2026 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships

There are just two finals sessions left at the 2026 NCAA Division II Championships, and there is a very tight team race brewing on the men’s side between Drury and Tampa.

Women’s Standings – Thru Day 3:

  1. Nova Southeastern- 265
  2. Tampa- 209.5
  3. Colorado Mesa- 160.5
  4. Drury- 158
  5. Indy- 153
  6. West Florida- 143
  7. Findlay- 128.5
  8. Grand Valley- 111
  9. Wingate- 103
  10. Delta State- 87

Men’s Standings – Thru Day 3:

  1. Drury- 253
  2. Tampa- 244
  3. Indy- 228
  4. Colorado Mesa- 214
  5. McKendree- 151.5
  6. Lynn- 124
  7. Findlay- 95
  8. Wingate- 92
  9. Grand Valley- 91
  10. Florida Southern- 90

The prelims session saw some fast swimming, and we will be on major NCAA record watch tonight, with a variety of swimmers up for titles and potential record swims.

In the 500 free, Justice Beard is the women’s top seed in 4:49.30. In the men’s event, Swann Plaza is the top seed in 4:20.17, and he will be trying to hold off outside smoke from NCAA record holder Jacob Hamlin, who will be in lane one after swimming 4:22.57 in prelims.

DII record holder Agata Naskret earned the top spot in the women’s 100 backstroke more than a second ahead of the rest of the field, and she will be looking to take down her NCAA record time of 51.24 from yesterday’s 400 medley relay leadoff.

Drury’s Alvaro Zornoza Quiros will be hoping to pick up big points for Drury as the top seed in the men’s event as the Drury men have two finalists and the Tampa men have two finalists.

Annika Luce leads the women’s 100 breaststroke by just under a tenth in 1:01.26 while DII record holder Jeremias Pock swam the fastest time for the men in 52.01, and he will be hoping to break his own 51.58 record.

Burlingtyn Bokos and Gabriel Morales are the respective top seeds in the 200 butterfly, which will be the last individual swimming event of the session. We will wrap up with the men’s 3-meter final and the 200 freestyle relays. Every night so far has seen at least one NCAA record and we will see if the trend continues tonight.

WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 4:39.28, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2016
  • Meet Record: 4:39.28, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2016

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Justice Beard (USML) — 4:48.09
  2. Hailey Williams (NSU) — 4:50.63
  3. Emilia Ronningdal (NSU) — 4:51.11
  4. Olivia Hansson (MESA) — 4:51.25
  5. Abigail Andrews (SFU) — 4:53.07
  6. Laura Hodgson (TAMP) — 4:53.42
  7. Hanna Sasivarevic (MESA) — 4:54.59
  8. Danielle Meinema (CATC) — 5:03.33

University of Missouri St. Louis junior Justice Beard was the only sub-4:50 swimmer in the 500 freestyle final, touching in 4:48.09 to win the National Title by just over two seconds.

Her swim was a new personal best time, taking about a tenth off the 4:48.17 she swam at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships. Beard took over the lead early, splitting 53.15 on the first 100 to turn about a second ahead of Nova S’Eastern’s Hailey Williams, who turned 2nd in 54.05.

Beard split 57.15/59.36/59.60/58.51 over the final four 100s to extend her lead to two seconds over Williams who split 57.73/59.27/59.99/59.59 to touch in 4:50.63, missing her lifetime best of 4:47.94 by about three seconds.

NSU senior Emilia Ronningdal and Colorado Mesa senior Olivia Hansson battled throughout the race for the bronze medal, with Hansson leading through the first 450, but Ronningdal split a massive 28.47 to take over the position, touching in 4:51.11. Hansson was 29.43 on the final 50 to touch in 4:51.25. Ronningdal dropped from the 4:51.23 she swam last month.

MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – Finals

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Jacob Hamlin (TAMP) — 4:14.35 **New NCAA Record
  2. Sebastian Camacho Gomez (UFIN) — 4:15.92
  3. Swann Plaza (INDY) — 4:17.63
  4. Matteo Vissotto (DRUR) — 4:21.14
  5. Nazar Herashchenko (CATC) — 4:21.38
  6. Fernando Dehaudt (WIN) — 4:21.67
  7. Barnabas Fluck (TAMP) — 4:25.03
  8. Marti Rosell Diez (WCU) — 4:25.32

Tampa junior Jacob Hamlin set his first NCAA record of the season in the men’s 500 freestyle, stopping the clock in 4:14.35 to pick up his 2nd title of the meet from lane one after barely earning a qualification in prelims.

Hamlin jumped out to the lead early, but Findlay sophomore Sebastian Camacho Gomez was right on his tail. Hamlin split 47.72 on the opening 100, coming in about half-a-second ahead of Camacho Gomez’s 48.29.

The lead stayed about the same through the 200 with Hamlin splitting 51.53 to Camacho Gomez’s 51.59. The 3rd 100 saw Camacho Gomez begin chipping away at Hamlin’s lead, with the Findlay swimmer splitting 52.22 to Hamlin’s 52.32.

On the 3rd 100, the two swimmers had nearly identical times with Hamlin turning in 52.37 to Camacho Gomez’s 52.40.

Hamlin had a huge split on the final 100, touching in 50.41 with a final 50 split of 24.55. He touched in 4:14.35, taking three tenths off his former NCAA and Meet Record time of 4:14.62 from last season. Camacho Gomez came home in 51.42 with a final 50 of 25.51 to finish 2nd in 4:15.92, a three second drop from the 4:19.14 he swam in December of 2025.

Swann Plaza picked up the bronze medal in 4:17.63 for U Indy, about a second off his best 4:16.21 from December.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Finals

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Agata Naskret (UWF) — 50.91 *New NCAA Record
  2. Vittoria Proietti (GVSU) — 54.60
  3. Sidni Meister (TAMP) — 54.68
  4. Sophia Leo (CSP) — 54.75
  5. Valentina Masella (INDY) — 54.92
  6. Kasha Stokes (IUP) — 54.94
  7. Lindsey Louder (TAMP) — 55.13
  8. Taylar Hooton (MESA) — 55.52

Two NCAA records in two events. West florida’s Agata Naskret dominated the 100 backstroke final, swimming 50.91 to drop under 51 seconds for the first time, and take another three tenths off own her record time of 51.24.

Naskret was out in 24.76, turning nearly two seconds ahead of the rest of the field with Tampa’s Sidni Meister turning 2nd in 26.47. Grand Valley’s Vittoria Proietti turned in 26.75.

Naskret split 26.15, a second-and-a-half faster than anyone else in the field, to touch in 50.91, nearly four seconds faster than Proietti’s 54.60 for 2nd. Proietti split 27.85 on the 2nd 50 to drop three tenths from the 54.98 she swam at last year’s NCAA Championships.

Tampa’s Sidni Meister finished 3rd in 54.68, splitting 28.21 on her final 50 to touch just a tenth off the 54.53 mark she set at last year’s meet.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 45.09, Marius Kusch (Queens) – 2019
  • Meet Record: 45.09, Marius Kusch (Queens) – 2019

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Maurice Grabowski (Lynn) — 45.78
  2. Alvaro Zornoza Quiros (DRUR) — 46.36
  3. Ivan Adamchuk (DRUR) — 46.45
  4. Gabriel Morales (CN)/Rufus Bernhardt (TAMP) — 46.47
  5. —
  6. William Beckstead-Holman (TAMP) — 46.59
  7. Mahmoud El Walid Abdelkarim (GVSU) — 46.85
  8. Olin Charnstrom (WAYN) — 47.27

Maurice Grabowski earned his 3rd individual event win in as many days in Evansville, swimming 45.78 in the men’s 100 backstroke to come in half-a-second ahead of Drury’s Alvaro Zornoza Quiros, who touched in 46.36 for the silver.

Grabowski added the gold to his top times in the 50 free on Wednesday and the 100 fly yesterday. He did not swim the event last year, but his swim tonight was a four tenth drop from the 46.14 he swam to win the Sunshine State Conference Championships last month.

He was out in 21.58, four tenths ahead of Zornoza Quiros, who split 21.91 on the opening 50. Grabowski came home in 24.20, which was the fourth fastest split in the field, but it was two tenths faster than Zornoza Quiros’s 24.43 to finish 2nd in 46.34.

Drury junior Ivan Adamchuk won the event last year, and this year he earned the bronze in 46.45, about half-a-second off his winning time of 46.06 from last season.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 59.51, Theresa Michalak (West Florida) – 2017
  • Meet Record: 59.51, Theresa Michalak (West Florida) – 2017

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Gwen Bergum (DRUR) — 1:00.91
  2. Natalia Dwojak (WIN) — 1:01.14
  3. Alena Rozova (UWF)/Celina Schmidt (INDY) — 1:01.41
  4. —
  5. Helmi Kakela (UFIN) — 1:01.53
  6. Zsofia Kurdi (NSU) — 1:01.80
  7. Mahee Gory-Lauret (CATC) — 1:01.97
  8. Annika Luce (WIN) — 1:02.30

Drury junior Gwen Bergum won the women’s 100 breaststroke final, touching in 1:00.91 from lane one, chasing down Wingate’s Natalia Dwojak on the final 50 to massively improve her 29th place finish in the event from last season.

Bergum came into the year with a lifetime best 1:03.26 from last year’s NCAAs, and she dropped more than two seconds this season. At the Great Lakes Valley Championships, she swam 1:00.67 to win the event, which she was just over two tenths off in her title winning swim.

Bergum split 28.78 on the first 50, coming in three tenths behind Dwojak, who was 28.43 to open the race. Bergum had a very strong 2nd 50 split of 23.13, the fastest in the final, to take over the lead from Dwojak’s 32.71.

Dwojak touched in 1:01.14, just three hundredths off the 1:01.11 mark she swam at last year’s NCAAs to finish 4th overall.

There was a tie for 3rd at 1:01.41 between West Florida’s Alena Rozova and U Indy’s Celina Schmidt. Schmidt was out just ahead in 28.83 with Rozova splitting 28.96, but Rozova came home in 32.45 to catch Schmidt’s 32.58. Rosova dropped five hundredths from her previous best of 1:01.46 that she swam in December of 2024, and Schmidt added a bit from her 1:00.49 that she swam in February at the Great Lakes Valley Championships.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 51.58, Jeremias Pock (Indy) – 2026
  • Meet Record: 51.63, Anton Lobanov (Nova Southeastern) – 2015

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Jeremias Pock (INDY) — 51.59 **New Meet Record
  2. Maxim Tsyfarov (LYNN) — 51.83
  3. Joao Nogueira (DRUR) — 52.45
  4. William Slowey (ROLL) — 52.97
  5. Jordan Christensen (MS&T) — 53.12
  6. Jurica Dragun (UBPK) — 53.14
  7. Elliot Weber (DRUR) — 53.16
  8. Maksymilian Minichowski (CATC) — 53.40

NCAA Record holder Jeremias Pock just missed his DII record time of 51.58, but he set a new meet record en route to his win in the 100 breaststroke, touching in 51.59 to take four hundredths off the 51.63 mark set by Anton Lobanov back in 2015.

Pock touched just under three tenths ahead of Lynn’s Maxim Tsyfarov, who swam 51.83 for the silver. He outsplit Tsyfarov on both 50s, turning in 24.39 at the 50, exactly a tenth faster than the Lynn junior’s 24.49.

On the 2nd 50, Pock had the fastest split in the field of 27.20 to pick up 0.14 seconds on Tsyfarov’s 27.34 split, ultimately earning him the win in 51.59.

Tsyfarov took more than half-a-secnd off his previous best time of 52.51 from last year’s meet where he finished 4th in the event.

Drury’s Joao Nogueira picked up big points for the team with his bronze medal swim of 52.45. He split 24.89/27.56 to take two tenths off his previous best of 52.63 form November.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:55.98, Ann Carozza (West Chester) – 2022
  • Meet Record: 1:55.98, Ann Carozza (West Chester) – 2022

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Emily Mears-Bentley (UFIN) — 1:58.93
  2. Maria Fe Munoz (DRUR) — 1:59.25
  3. Rianne Rose (DRUR) — 1:59.36
  4. Viktoriia Kostromina (NSU) — 1:59.49
  5. Megan Corcoran (CN) — 1:59.68
  6. Jane Bodemer (DSU) — 1:59.97
  7. Burlingtyn Bokos (TAMO) — 2:00.33
  8. Lydia Douthit (LYNN) — 2:01.23

The women’s 200 fly final was exciting with the lead changing hands during the race and the top four swimmers coming in about half-a-second apart.

Drury freshman Rianne Rose got out to a quick start, turning in 26.47 after the first 50 and 56.08 after the first 100 to sit about half-a-second ahead of Findlay senior Emily Mears-Bentley, who was 26.59/56.55 over the first 100.

Rose fell of the blistering pace she set early, splitting 31.10 on the 3rd 50 to trail Mears-Bentley, who was 30.58, by just five hundredths at the 150 meter mark.

Mears-Bentley split 31.80 on the final 50 to lock up the event win in 1:58.93, a half second off her best of 1:58.41 from December.

Drury senior Maria Fe Munoz finished 2nd after splitting 31.48 on the final 50 to make up ground on Rose. She touched in 1:59.25, adding about a second from the 1:58.34 she swam at the 2024 NCAA Championships to also finish 2nd.

Rose was 1:59.36 in 3rd, dropping almost three seconds from the 2:02.20 mark she set last month at the Great Lakes Valley Championships, and swimming under 2:00 for the first time.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – Finals

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:40.75, Jackson Lustig (McKendree) – 2023
  • Meet Record: 1:40.75, Jackson Lustig (McKendree) – 2023

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Volodymyr Gavrysh (MKU) — 1:42.52
  2. Luke Dinges (ROLL) — 1:43.14
  3. Vitaly Kostin (LYNN) — 1:44.66
  4. Akos Hajagos (FIT) — 1:44.88
  5. Nicholas Cavic (TAMP) — 1:44.96
  6. Matteo Ballardin (NMU) — 1:45.39
  7. Gabriel Morales (CN) — 1:45.95
  8. Joshua Noll (TAMP) — 1:46.96

McKendree’s Volodymyr Gavrysh picked up his 2nd event win of the meet, swimming 1:42.52 in the 200 fly to touch half-a-second ahead of 2nd place finisher Luke Dinges of Rollins.

Gavrysh behind Dinges through the first 150 yards of racing. Dinges split 23.12 on the opening 50 to turn just behind Tampa freshman Nicholas Cavic, who had the fastest opening 50 of 23.02. Gavrysh was 3rd in 23.16.

Dinges took over the lead at the 100, splitting 25.48 to turn nearly in 48.60, nearly a second ahead of Gavrysh’s 49.62 (26.46). Dinges was also faster on the 3rd 50, splitting 26.54 to sit just over a second ahead of Gabrys, who was 26.61, with just a 50 to go.

On the final 50, Dinges was 28.00, dropping bhind Gavrysh who had a massive 26.29 to pick up the overall event win. He was about two tenths off his lifetime best of 1:42.33 from November of 2025.

Dinges touched in 1:43.14 for 2nd, nearly a full second faster than the lifetime best 1:43.96 he set at the Sunshine State Conference Championships last month.

Lynn’s Vitaly Kostin rounded out the top three in 1:44.66, about a second off the 1:43.96 mark he swam to finish 2nd at last year’s NCAAs.

Men’s 3-Meter Diving — Finals

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Santiago Santodomingo (DSU) — 622.75
  2. Ryan Campbell (MESA) — 571.90
  3. Max Wasiniak (WAYN) — 553.00
  4. Donovan McMahon (INDY) — 547.80
  5. Jax Juarros (MESA) — 539.35
  6. David Roethlisberger (MESA) — 524.75
  7. Parker Schut (DAVE) — 512.40
  8. Giani Benoit (MESA) — 462.70

The men’s 3-meter diving competition was full of surprises with no divers from Clarion qualifying for the ‘A’ final.

Delta State junior Santiago Santodomingo earned the win in 622.75, more than 50 points ahead of 2nd place finisher Ryan Campbell from Colorado Mesa’s 571.90.

Wayne State junior Max Wasiniak scored 553.00 to finish 3rd overall, just over five points ahead of Indy freshman Donovan McMahon, who scored 547.80.

Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:30.04 — Nova S’Eastern (2026)
  • Meet Record: 1:30.05 — Queens (NC), (2018)

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Nova S’eastern — 1:29.03 **New NCAA Record
  2. Indy — 1:30.43
  3. Tampa — 1:31.28
  4. Delta State — 1:31.65
  5. Findlay — 1:31.72
  6. Grand Valley — 1:31.97
  7. West Florida — 1:32.06
  8. Catawba — 1:32.11

The Nova S’eastern women eviscerated their former 200 freestyle relay NCAA record time, swimming 1:29.03 to earn the win and become the first ever Division II relay to break 1:30 in the event.

Nova was in 2nd after the leadoff legs with Zsofia Kurdi splitting 22.55 to touch two tenths behind Indy’s Kirabo Namutebi, who split 22.33 to get Indy out to an early lead.

On the 2nd leg, Kristina Orban split 22.10 to take over a commanding lead for the Nova women, more than eight tenths faster than Addisyn Newman’s 22.95 for Indy.

Maxine Egner swam 3rd for the Sharks in 22.18, a little under two tenths ahead of Indy’s Jasmin Hoffman, who split 22.32 on their 3rd leg.

On the anchor legs, Maya Esparza split 22.20 for Nova, bringing the team home in 1:29.03. They took almost exactly a second off their 1:30.04 from the 2026 Sunshine State Conference Championships, which had taken one hundredth off the former record of 1:30.05 set by Queens in 2018.

Indy’s anchor Caroline Reinke was 22.83 to touch in 1:30.43 for the silver medal, nearly a second ahead of Tampa.

Tampa finished 3rd with Laney Jones (23.28), Tilde MOrin (22.46), madalee Roberts (22.70), Avery Frece (22.84) swimming 1:31.28 to earn the bronze.

Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:16.50 — Henderson State, (2024)
  • Meet Record: 1:16.50 — Henderson State, (2024)

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Tampa — 1:17.36
  2. Colorado Mesa — 1:17.37
  3. Drury — 1:17. 76
  4. Indy — 1:28.35
  5. Florida Southern — 1:18.41
  6. NMU — 1:18.45
  7. St. Cloud State — 1:18.80
  8. Wingate — 1:18.84

The men’s team race is getting incredibly exciting. With just one day remaining, Drury holds a 2.5 point lead over Tampa, and the Tampa men proved in this race that they are not going to let up easily.

Coming in swimming in lane nine, the Tampa men barely earned their spot in the final heat. Tibor Tistan led the team off in 19.11, a new personal best time by one hundredth from the 19.12 he swam last year to win the NCAA title, but it was more than three tenths faster than his season best 19.49.

From there, the Tampa men held on as tight as they could to the lead. Riccardo Pandin was 19.45 on the 2nd leg. Nicholas Cavic split 19.28 on the 3rd leg, and William Beckstead-Holman anchored the team in 19.52 to hold off the Colorado Mesa team by just one hundredth. This was Tampa’s first NCAA title in the event since 2016

Beckstead-Holman had, perhaps, the split of the race. His lifetime best in the event is 21.10 from November, and it appears his fastest ever relay split is 20.48 from Tampa’s dual meet with Nova Southeastern in November.

Colorado mesa finished 2nd with faster splits than Tampa on every leg except the leadoff. Guillaume Guth swam 19.55 on the opening 50, coming in 0.44 seconds behind Tistan. Richard Schmiedefeld split 19.21 in the 2nd position. Marcos Otero split 19.23 in 3rd, and Oskar Sawicki brought the team home in 19.38 to touch in 1:17.37, just one hundredth behind the Tampa team.

Drury finished 3rd in 1:17.76 with Marwane Sebbata (19.88), Lucas Minuer (19.17), Yuri Cabral (19.37), and Matteo Vissotto (19.34).

Top 10 Women’s Teams After Day 4

  1. Nova S’Eastern — 374
  2. Tampa — 308.5
  3. Drury — 229
  4. Colorado Mesa — 224.5
  5. Indy — 220.5
  6. West Florida — 211.5
  7. Findlay — 197.5
  8. Grand Valley — 211.5
  9. Delta State — 149
  10. Wingate — 145

Top 10 Men’s Teams After Day 4

  1. Drury — 384
  2. Tampa — 381.5
  3. Colorado Mesa — 330
  4. Indy — 324
  5. McKendree — 198.5
  6. Lynn — 193
  7. Wingate — 135
  8. Grand Valley — 128
  9. Findlay — 125
  10. Florida Southern — 124

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PKWater
2 months ago

Super close team races! This meet has been pretty fun to watch so far

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