2026 W. NCAA Previews: Bellard vs Shackell Headlines Women’s 200 Fly Battle

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 18 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending Champions: Virginia (5x)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results

Women’s 200 Fly

• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith, Sun Devil Swimming (2023)
• American Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith, Sun Devil Swimming (2023)
• NCAA Record: 1:49.11 – Emma Sticklen, Texas (2025)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Emma Sticklen, Texas – 1:49.11

The women’s 200 butterfly will crown a new champion as Emma Sticklen has since graduated Texas and Alex Walsh has graduated from Virginia. The event will be in search of another swimmer to go sub-1:50, but is that what it will take to win the title?

In total, 10 out of 16 scorers from last year’s NCAA Championship graduated, and another, Addison Reese from Florida, didn’t qualify for this year’s meet, so this race will be full of fresh faces in Atlanta.

The Pilots Are Ready For Takeoff

Top seeded Hannah Bellard has had a huge junior season for the Michigan Wolverines and swam to a Big Ten Record twice this year, with the first coming in January in a dual meet against Indiana and then again at Big Tens when she swam to a 1:50.34. Bellard is no stranger to the ‘A’ final as she swam a 1:52.86 in prelims to make the ‘A’ final before posting a 1:51.89 in the final for 5th. Her junior season has been outstanding, highlighted by three best times and two Big Ten titles last month as she also won the 500 free in a best time of a 4:34.60.

Bellard has already faced off against Alex Shackell, the #3 seed, on two occasions this year, first spoiling Shackell’s Indiana debut before also earning the touch at Big Tens. Despite earning the wins, Shackell comes in with winning potential as well as her lifetime best of a 1:50.15 from high school is the fastest in the field. She has been as fast as a 1:50.71 this season, a time that earned her 2nd at Big Tens behind Bellard.

The final 1:50 seeded swimmer if Campbell Stoll who, like Bellard, brings experience to Atlanta as she was 6th a year ago during prelims with a 1:52.61 before she dropped a 1:52.29 in finals. Both were off her season best of a 1:51.64 that she swam at 2025 SECs. Stoll sits as the #2 seed this year with a 1:50.60 that she swam to win the SEC title.

Lady Vol Duo Join The Flight Crew

Tennessee looks to score big in this event, with two of the top eight seeds. Sophomore Emily Brown sits as the #4 seed with a 1:51.52. She will look to make her first ‘A’ final in the event after finishing 12th in a 1:53.99 a year ago, a time that was 0.68 off her season best 1:53.31 from SECs. Based on her seed time, if she adds about a half a second again, she should be safe, assuming that the rest of the field does not drop over half a second instead.

Fellow sophomore Ella Jansen also looks to make moves up this year as Jansen did not final in the event last year, finishing 19th in a 1:54.27, 0.29 off her best time. Jansen has made huge strides this season, entering as the #6 seed with a 1:52.08. She has been consistently faster this season compared to last, swimming best times three times this season already.

Frequent ‘A’ Flyers

Virginia’s Tess Howley will look to go three for three in the ‘A’ final of the 200 fly, after finishing 4th the last two seasons. This year, Howley enters as the #5 seed with a 1:51.60. She swam a lifetime best 1:51.95 for 4th in prelims as a freshman before swimming a 1:52.41 for 4th in the final, and she continued her trend of lifetime bests in the event at NCAAs last year with a 1:51.92 in prelims before a 1:51.79 in the final. She clearly hits her taper well, so she is one to watch for.

Also looking to return as a frequent ‘A’ flyer in the event Caroline Bricker, who made the switch from the 200 breast to the 200 fly last year as a sophomore. The now Stanford junior enters as the #7 seed with a 1:52.46 but has been as fast as a 1:51.55, a time that she swam for 3rd a year ago. She has dropped time in all five of her individual NCAA final appearances, though Stanford has a new head coach this year so her training has changed to whatever degree.

It’s worth pointing out that in spite of Bricker being the top returner in this event from last year’s NCAA Championship meet, the top four seeds in the race (Bellard, Stoll, Shackell, and Brown) have all been faster than her lifetime best already this season.

Earning Your Wings

The psych sheets have a plethora of athletes that look to make their first final ever in the event. #8 seeded Carli Cronk leads the way with a 1:52.59 that she swam as a lifetime best at ACCs last month. The Notre Dame sophomore makes her return to NCAAs as she was 28th in the 200 fly last year with a 1:55.40, only 0.12 off her lifetime best.

LSU senior Sofia Sartori has been a prelims frequent flyer but will look to make her first appearance in finals as she is the #10 seed with a 1:53.29. She has raced prelims of the event the last two years, finishing 23rd in 2024 (1:55.49) and 18th last year with a 1:54.53. She has been off her lifetime best on both occasions, so a strong prelims swim will be key to make it to the top eight.

Virginia sophomore Bailey Hartman will also look to potentially make her first ever final in the event as the #11 seed coming to Atlanta with a 1:53.33. Hartman was 20th a year ago in a lifetime best 1:54.68, dropping 0.05 off her previous best time.

SwimSwam’s Picks:

Darkhorse Pick

Charlotte Hook (Stanford): Hook was a ‘B’ finalist in the event in 2024 and did not compete last season for Stanford. Hook had a strong showing at ACCs with a season best 1:54.92 but has a lifetime best 1:52.48 from November 2022. She has been open about her injuries since then, but ACCs was a good sign.