2026 ACC Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships

• Dates:
  • Diving: Sunday, February 15–Tuesday, February 17
  • Swimming: Tuesday, February 17–Saturday, February 21
• Location: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending champions: UVA women (6x); Cal men (1x)
• Live Results
• Live Video: ESPN+ ($)
• Schedule of Events (PDF)
• Championship Central
• Pre-Scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1|Day 2|Day 3
• Teams: Boston College, Cal, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (women swimming & diving/men diving), NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Day 4 Finals Heat Sheet

It is the 2nd night of swimming from the McAuley Aquatic Center and it will be our first individual swimming ACC champions will be crowned in the 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free, as well as the 200 freestyle relay.

Opening our session will be the 200 free relay, where top-seeded Virginia women will look to get their revenge on Louisville after the Cardinals topped the Cavaliers last night in the 200 medley relay, after Louisville outpaced the Cavaliers by just two tenths to set the tone for the swimming at these championships. Also in the mix for that relay will be Stanford, whose seed time of 1:25.30 slots them just behind UVA in 2nd. The men’s race will feature NC State, Cal, and Louisville battling in the middle of the pool, with the Wolfpack entering with the top time in 1:15.47.

The 500 free boasts several major names, with Katie Grimes leading the women’s race by just .05 seconds over her teammate Cavan Gormsen, and leading a top four of all Virginia women. Claire Weinstein swam her way to a 5th seed for tonight’s final this morning in 4;38.71, with the entire top 8 separated by just over four seconds. Cal’s Ryan Erisman was the men’s 500 top qualifier after a lifetime best performance of 4:11.17. The Cal men will be well represented as four of the top 8 will rep the script Cal on their caps. 5th-year swimmer Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes finished just behind his teammate Erisman in 4:13.02, giving Cal a major 1-2 punch at the top of the 500 free.

Stanford’s Torri Huske and Anastasia Gorbenko of Louisville each hold a share of the top spot for tonight’s 200 IM final after tying in the prelims at 1:53.99. Virginia’s Leah Hayes and Cal’s Mia West each clocked sub-1:55 times this morning, making for an enticing final.  NC State’s Arsenio Bustos‘ return to form placed him atop the 200 IM in prelims at 1:42.14, leaving Louisville’s Jackson Millard in 1:42.21, and a tightly contested field that was separated by less than a second from 1st to 8th.

Virginia’s Sara Curtis swam a career best 21,09 to earn top-seeded honors for tonight’s 50 free final. Seven of the eight championship finalists were under 21.70, and is one of three Cavaliers competing for a podium spot with Anna Moesch and Brynn Greenwaldt in 5th and 6th, respectively. NC State’s Quintin McCarty blasted the top time in the men’s 50 free this morning, setting a new meet record in 18.55, boasting a seven-hundredths lead over Virginia Tech’s Brendan Whitfield (18.62),

WOMEN’S 200 FREE RELAY

• NCAA: 1:23.63 — Virginia, 2017 (Nocentini, G Walsh, A Walsh, Parker)
• ACC: 1:23.63 — Virginia, 2017 (Nocentini, G Walsh, A Walsh, Parker)
• ACC Championship Record: 1:23.63 — Virginia, 2017 (Nocentini, G Walsh, A Walsh, Parker)
• Pool: 1:26.80 — California, 2016 (Osman, Vredeveld, Hull, Bilquist)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:28.26

Top 8:

1. Virginia- 1:23.75 *Pool Record
2. Stanford- 1:25.14
3. Louisville- 1:25.34
4. NC State- 1:26.33
5. California- 1:26.69
6. Duke- 1:28.14
7. Georgia Tech- 1:28.38
8. Pittsburgh- 1:28.40

Stanford took out the early lead with. Annam Olasewere in 21.50 and continued the momentum with Huske (20.63) in the 2nd leg, attaching the relay with two of their stringer sprinters early.

Virginia found a spark from a big 3rd leg with Anna Moesch in 20.94, who erased the half body length lead of Huske to give the Cavaliers the lead. 50 free top seed Sara Curtis put the finishing touches by blowing away the field in 20.46 to give Virgina the win in a pool record of 1:23.75, the second fastest 200 free relay ever.

Louisville would finish 3rd, behind a great 3rd leg from Julia Dennis in 20.79.

The first heat was tight, with SMU narrowly taking the win in 1:28.61, just ahead of Virginia Tech (1:28.65) and Florida State (1:28.77). The Mustangs bookended their relay with a pair of sub 22 swims from Maddy Parker (21.98) and Madeline Hebert (21.90).

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY

• NCAA: 1:12.80 — Tennessee, 2023 (Crooks, Caribe, Taylor, Blackman)
• ACC: 1:14.12 — California, 2025 (Alexy, Seeliger, Jensen, Lasco)
• ACC Championship Record: 1:14.29 — NC State, 2025 (McCarty, Fox, Salls, Miller)
• Pool: 1:14.11 — Florida, 2022 (Chaney, Friese, Davis, Smith)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:16.23

Top 8:

1. NC State- 1:14.02 *ACC, ACC Champs, Pool Record
2. California- 1:14.81
3. Louisville- 1:14.91
4. Virginia Tech- 1:15.00
5. Stanford- 1:15.45
6. Florida State- 1:15.65
7. Virginia- 1:15.79
8. Notre Dame- 1:15.97

A foursome of sub 19 second splits led the Wolfpack men of NC State to a new ACC, Meet and Pool record in this race in 1:14.02. Leadoff man Jerry Fox opened in 18.87 before handing it over to 50 free top seed Quintin McCarty who powered to an 18.19 split to get the Wolfpack into the lead with 100 to go.

Drew Salls had the penultimate leg responsibility, where he would deliver an 18.33 split ahead of Kaii Winkler closing the door in 18.63 to pound home the win here.

Virginia Tech’s Brendan Whitfield was the quickest opening leg in the pool, firing off in 18.69 to give the Hokies an early leg up on the field, his team would end up finishing behind NC State, Cal (1:14.81), and Louisville (1:14.91) for 4th.

In the first heat, it would be Notre Dame in 1:15.97. Boston College did end up breaking their program record in their 13th place effort of 1:19.25.

WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE 

• NCAA: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• ACC: 4:28.90 — Leah Smith, Virginia (2017)
• ACC Championship Record: 4:30.74 — Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
• Pool: 4:30.81 — Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 4:39.47

Top 8:

1. Katie Grimes (UVA)- 4:33.78
2. Aimee Canny (UVA)- 4:34.46
3. Cavan Gormsen (UVA)- 4:34.99
4. Madi Mintenko (UVA)- 4:36.91
5. Claire Weinstein (CAL)- 4:37.17
6. Bailey Hartman (UVA)- 4:37.51
7. Thilda Haell (UL)- 4:39.31
8. Daria Golovaty (UL)- 4:39.91

As many expected, the field here would be tight through the early stages of this race. At the 250 mark, the battle for the gold was between Virginia teammate’s Aimee Canny and Katie Grimes. Canny consistently stayed ahead of Grimes, through the first 350.

Grimes would then sneak ahead to the lead by the 400 (3:38.06), and grew her lead to a half body length with a 50 to swim, as she pulled away late to secure the win in 4:33.78. Canny would tuch closely behind in 4:34.46, just off her best time of 4:34.26.

Cavan Gormsen then got herself into podium position at the 350 mark, and would end up finishing 3rd in 4:34.99, giving the Cavaliers a 1-2-3 sweep of the event.

Ella Cosgrove dominated the consolation final, touching nearly five seconds better than her prelims swim of 4;42.24, leading wire to wire in 4;37.07, a time that would have been 5th in the championship final.

Cal’s Camille Henveaux was significantly faster than she was this morning in the bonus final; swimming in lane 8, she took over six seconds off of her prelims swim of 4:46.29 to win the first heat in 4:39.85.

MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE 

• NCAA: 4:02.31 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2024)
• ACC: 4:06.74 — Lucas Henveaux, California (2025)
• ACC Championship Record: 4:08.83 — Lucas Henveaux, California (2025)
• Pool: 4:06.61 — Matthew Sates, Georgia (2022)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 4:14.13

Top 8:

1. Max Carlsen (NCST)- 4:09.44
2. Ethan Ekk (STAN)- 4:11.07
3. Ryan Erisman (CAL)- 4:11.50
4. Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes (CAL)- 4:11.96
5. Nathan Wiffen (CAL)- 4:12.57
6. Patrick Branon (ND)- 4:15.92
7. Oscar Isberg (UL)- 4:21.64
8. Norvin Clontz (CAL)- 4:23.12

NC State’s Max Carlsen opened up quick, turning first at the 200 in 1:38.65, but the field began to get back into the race, with the Cal trio of Ryan Erisman, Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes and Nathan Wiffen.

Carlsen then found another gear, turning on the legs and pulling even further ahead than he was to begin the race, shredding his lifetime best of 4:11.89 from earlier in 2026 to take the event win in dominating fashion in 4:09.44.

Stanford’s Ethan Ekk used a major back half to move ahead of all three Cal swimmers and finish 2nd in 4:11.07, taking three hundredths off his career best of 4;11.10.

Erisman (4;11.50), Oliveira de Moraes (4:11.96), and Wiffen (4:12.57) did finish 3-4-5 for Cal to secure good points.

Stanford’s Henry McFadden, who was 3rd in this event last season put himself into the leaders position early at the 200 (1:39.75), but was was overtaken at the 300 mark from Lance Norris of NC State. Norris then grew his lead to a full body length and charged home for the win in

Frederick Klein (4:15.99) earned a bonus final win for Cal, though tested on the final 50 from Virginia Tech’s Lee Naber in his 2nd place effort in the heat (4:16.31).

WOMEN’S 200 IM 

• NCAA: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
• ACC: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
• ACC Championship Record: 1:50.15 — Kate Douglass (Virgina (2023)
• Pool: 1:50.08 — Alex Walsh, Virgina (2022)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:56.69

Top 8:

1. Torri Huske (STAN)- 1:51.27
2. Anastasia Gorbenko (UL)- 1:51.30
3. Mia West (CAL)- 1:52.30
4. Teagan O’Dell (CAL)- 1:54.04
5. Sophia Umstead (UVA)- 1:54.93
6. Sydney Gring (PITT)- 1:55.26
7. Leah Hayes (UVA)- 1:55.57
8. Mary Macaulay (UNC)- 1:56.28

To nobody’s surprise, Huske was out fast on the fly, opening in 23.19, half a second better than the morning, and continued to build her lead touchinging in 50.98 at the 100 mark.

Gorbenko began to creep up on Huske on the breaststroke leg, outsplitting Huske 32,48 to 33.11, with Huske only leading by .09 turning for the final 50.

The finish was an all out battle, after tying this morning, the two IM powerhouses nearly did it again, despite Gorbenko’s 27.12 closing split, and notching a massive lifetime best of 1:51.30, a two second improvement from her recent best of 1:53.46, it would be Huske just narrowly edging out Gorbenko in 1:51.27.

Cal’s Mia West also destroyed her best time of 1:54.77 to swim up to 3rd in 1:52.30. Her teammate Teagan O’Dell was 4th in 1:54.04.

Cal’s Ava Chavez did not lead at any point in the consolation final, but a massive final 50 of 27.49 earned her the heat win in 1:55.81, overtaking Virginia’s Zoe Skirboll (1:56.10) and NC State’s Kennedy Noble (1;56.15).

MEN’S 200 IM

• NCAA: 1:36.34 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2022)
• ACC: 1:37.98 — Destin Lasco, California (2025)
• ACC Championship Record: 1:40.31 — Arsenio Bustos, NC State (2023)
• Pool: 1:37.69 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2022)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:42.65

Top 8:

1. Arsenio Bustos (NCST)- 1:40.39
2. Maximus Williamson (UVA)- 1:40.78
3. Louis Dramm (UNC)- 1:41.40
4. Daniel Diehl (NCST)- 1:42.24
5. Jackson Millard (UL)- 1:42.33
6. Gibson Holmes (STAN)- 1:42.48
7. Omer Wiener (STAN)- 1:43.54
8. Jeremy Kelly (ND)- 1:43.73

NC State’s Arsenio Bustos took this race out hard, opening in 21.03, and sat firmly in the lead at the 100 in 45.73. And looking to be back in strong form, Bustos never appeared to be out of control of this race. splitting 29.22 in the breast and holding strong through to the final wall to earn the win in a positive sign for the Wolfpack fifth-year to win in 1:40.39, just off of the ACC meet record.

Maximus Williamson and UNC’s Louis Dramm battled hard for the the silver. Williamson held a firm silver position for most of this race, but a 29.45 breaststroke split from Dramm made the final 50 a stroke for stroke contest, as it would be Williamson’s 23.78 coming home speed that would give him the win in 1:40.78, a new lifetime best for the Cavalier freshman.

Virginia’s Thomas Heilman was a headline name for the men’s side of these championships, and found himself swimming in the consolation finals of the 20 IM, where he battled a very tightly contested field to take the close win in 1:43.39, just two hundredths ahead of Stanford’s Jason Zhao in 1:43.41.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE 

• NCAA: 20.37 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
• ACC: 20.37 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
• ACC Championship Record: 20.57 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
• Pool: 20.84 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 22.01

Top 8:

1. Sara Curtis (UVA)- 21.09
2. Julia Dennis (UL)- 21.21
3. Anna Moesch (UVA)- 21.22
4. Anam Olasewere (STAN)- 21.46
5. Tatum Wall (DUKE)- 21.47
6. Caroline Larsen (UL)- 21.62
7. Lily Christianson (NCST)- 21.71
8. Bryn Greenwaldt (UVA)- 21.99

Virginia’s Sara Curtis mirrored her success from this morning, clocking the exact same time (21.09) to earn the individual conference title, matching her lifetime best time from earlier today. her and Louisville’s Julia Dennis were neck and neck at the turn, but ultimately it would be the last 15 meters that would secure the event win for Curtis.

Dennis also swam the exact same time in 21.21, just off her lifetime best of 21.08. Virginia’s Anna Moesch jumped from 5th after prelims to finish 3rd in 21.22, a .22 improvement on her career best of 21.44 to give the Cavalier women a 1-3 finish in the 50 free.

Both the 4th and 5th place finishers in Annam Olasewere of Stanford (21.46) and Duke’s Tatum Wall (21.47) each lowered their lifetime bests of 21.51 and 21.57, respectively.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE 

• NCAA: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• ACC: 18.34 — Jack Alexy, California (2025)
• ACC Championship Record: 18.55 — Quintin McCarty, NC State (2026)
• Pool: 18.20 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2016) 
• 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 19.02

Top 8:

1. Quintin McCarty (NCST)- 18.63
2. Nikita Sheremet (UL)/Brendan Whitfield (VT)- 18.71
3. –
4. Martin Wrede (CAL)- 18.81
5. Jerry Fox (NCST)- 18.86
6. Drew Salls (NCST)- 18.89
7. Shane Eckler (ND)- 19.05
8. Lucca Battaglini (CAL)- 19.10

McCarty capped off an NC State sweep of the men’s events with another strong showing to defend his 50 free title in 18.63. He was first to the turn and maintained that strong stroke to the finish, touching just off of his ACC Championships record from this morning in 18.63.

The silver came down to the touch and was split between Louisville’s Nikita Sheremet and Virginia Tech’s Brendan Whitfield in 18.71. That time fro Sheremet marks his fastest ever time after setting that in the prelims this morning in 18.84.

Cal’s Martin Wrede moved up one spot from his 5th place prelims swim of 18.87 to 4th at finals, lowering that newly minted best time in 18.81.

Team Standings After Day 4:

Women:

1. Virginia- 497
2. California- 454
3. Stanford- 433
4. Louisville- 410
5. Pittsburgh- 306
6. NC State- 293.5
7. North Carolina- 239.5
8. Miami- 230
9. Florida State- 207
10. Georgia Tech- 204
11. Notre Dame- 203
12. Duke- 186
13. Virginia tech- 170
14. SMU- 151
15. Boston College- 49

Men:

1. California- 459
2. Stanford- 442
3. NC State/Louisville- 377
4. –
5. Virginia Tech- 289.5
6. Florida State- 266
7. Notre Dame- 263
8. SMU- 242
9. North Carolina- 239
10. Georgia Tech- 215
11. Virginia- 185
12. Pittsburgh- 185
13. Miami- 162
14. Boston College- 86
15. Duke- 68