2026 Women’s NCAA Division I Championship: Day 3 Prelims Scratches – Three Texas Swimmers Scratch

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
• Preview Index
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1| Day 2

Three Texas swimmers have scratched individual events this morning, with Emma Kern (100 back), Piper Enge (200 breast), and Erin Gemmell (500 free) looking likely to be on the 400 medley relay team which will swim at the end of the session.

Texas has dropped time in all three relays so far, two of which they have swum in the morning heats. They sliced 1.14 seconds off in the 200 medley, going from 1:34.52 to 1:33.38 to finish 7th, and dropped 0.20 seconds in the 200 free relay to take 7th again in 1:26.42. They were seeded 9th in both races.

The Longhorns also hacked 3.45 seconds off in the 800 free relay, going 6:46.91 for a new school record and pushing Virginia all the way until the final 50. With the relay success they have had so far, prioritising the 400 medley makes sense from a team perspective, as Texas are currently in a close battle with Stanford for 2nd.

All three swimmers were seeded outside the points today, with Kern seeded at #38, Enge at #26, and Gemmell at #30. Both Kern (50 back) and Enge (100 breast) have set season bests in Atlanta so far.

Bella Brito of USC has scratched the 200 breast in favor of the 50 free later in the session. She will swim on the Trojans’ 400 medley relay as the breaststroke leg after swimming 59.87 in the 100 yesterday, and was seeded outside the top 16 in both her individual entries for today. At Big Tens she set a new best of 22.25 in the 50 free, but was 0.68 seconds off her 200 breast best in 2:09.40.

Emelie Fast of Tennessee also scratches the 200 breast after adding 1.30 seconds in the 100 breast yesterday to drop out of the points.

Abby Wanezek (Wisconsin) and Claudia Yovanovich (UCLA) have both scratched the 50 free, likely to be fresher for their teams’ 400 medley relay. Yovanovich also has the 100 backstroke at the beginning of the session, where she is the #25 seed.

All Day 3 Scratches

• 100 Back
  • #38 Emma Kern (Texas) – 51.73
• 200 Breast
  • #26 Piper Enge (Texas) – 2:08.53
  • #39 Bella Brito (USC) – 2:09.40
• 500 Free
  • #30 Erin Gemmell (Texas) – 4:40.87
• 50 Free
  • #45 Abby Wanezek (Wisconsin) – 22.14
  • #47 Claudia Yovanovich (UCLA) – 22.17