2026 University Interscholastic League 6A State Swimming and Diving Championships
- Feb. 21, 2026
- Austin, TX
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Rowan Cox certainly looked beyond comfortable in his future college pool at the University Interscholastic League 6A State Swimming and Diving Championships.
Competing at the University of Texas, the Longhorn commit set a new state record in the 100 back, touching the wall in a time of 46.27 to top the record of 46.29 set in 2024 by Maximus Williamson. The time was just short of his personal best time of 46.17 set in December.
Cox also repeated as champion in the 100 fly, swimming a personal best time of 45.47, topping his previous best of 45.74 set in 2024.
In the team competition, the Lewisville Marcus boys turned in the definition of a rags-to-riches turnaround.
Last year, Lewisville Marcus collected just two points and finished in a tie for 57th.
This year, the team climbed to the top of the podium for the first time in school history, winning the state title by 13 points over runner-up Strake Jesuit College Prep.
On the girls’ side, The Woodlands continued its tradition of excellence, winning its 13th state title since 1989 by finishing 35 points ahead of runner-up Keller.
Girls’ Recap
The Woodlands girls didn’t win any events, but used depth to prevail once again. The team placed 2nd in the 200 medley and 200 free relays, and 4th in the 400 free relay.
Leading the way was senior and Vanderbilt commit Brooke Miller, who was on the two relays that finished 2nd to go along with a pair of top-five individual finishes. Miller was 3rd in the 100 free (50.74) and 5th in the 50 free (23.52).
Keller won two of the relays, starting when the team of Lila Dowell (26.33), Ella McWhorter (27.79), Sophia Corbin (24.96) and Natalie Schneider (22.64) won the 200 medley relay in 1:41.72.
In the 200 free relay, the squad of Corbin (23.73), McWhorter (23.39), Amber Gallimore (24.12), and Schneider (22.85) won in 1:34.09.
The 400 free relay was won by Ronald Reagan’s team of Tessa Christiansen (51.14), Daniela Delarue (52.85), Amelia Miller (51.20) and Sophia Williamson (51.77) in 3:26.96.
Four Texas A&M commits won individual events, those being Schneider, McWhorter, Rockwall senior Livi Roberts and Midland senior Hannah Krueger.
Roberts swam a personal best time of 2:00.21 to win the 200 IM after finishing 3rd in the 500 free and 7th in the 100 breast last year.
Schneider took the 50 free in 22.99, improving on a 2nd-place finish in 2025.
Krueger also went from 2nd last year to 1st this year, doing so in the 100 free with a personal best time of 49.70.
McWhorter repeated as champion in the 100 breast, doing so in a time of 1:01.39.
Other individual winners were:
- Mansfield freshman Avery McGuinness won the 200 free in a personal best 1:48.13.
- Belle Sanouvong of Carroll Senior won the diving event with 465.60 points.
- Bellaire junior Cadence Johnson was the champion in the 100 fly, swimming a personal best time of 53.87.
- Madalyn Petty, a sophomore from Tyler Legacy, won the 500 free in 4:46.05.
- Macey deGroot, a senior from Clear Springs who has committed to Arizona, won the 100 back in a personal best 53.42 after finishing 2nd last year.
Girls’ Team Standings — Top 5
- The Woodlands, 212.5
- Keller, 177.5
- Ronald Reagan, 130
- Carroll Senior, 125
- Rockwall, 115.5
Boys’ Recap
Lewisville Marcus won on the strength of two wins in the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
The 200 medley relay team of Hudson Roybal (22.78), William Currey (24.62), Jan Warcholinski (23.33) and Landon Heuer (20.53) started off the meet by winning that event in 1:31.26.
In the 200 free relay, the team of Heuer (22.33), Filip Podsiadlo (19.81), Currey (20.54), Roybal (20.35) won in a time of 1:23.03.
At last year’s state meet, Roybal was the only team member who swam individually, while Heuer and Warcholinski only swam relays.
Podsiablo was three seconds faster on his relay split from a 2025 region meet and Currey decided to swim high school for the first time this year to help strengthen the Marcus team.
The 400 free relay was won by Ronald Reagan’s team of Samuel Killpack (46.52), Johnny Ganser (45.37), Charles Escobar (46.49) and Grant Lilly (44.35) in 3:02.73.
Besides Cox, the other individual standout was Conroe Oak Ridge junior Micah Tennison, who has committed to Texas A&M.
Tennison first won the 200 free in 1:35.18, improving on a 7th-place finish last year. He then won the 100 free in 43.63.
Other individual winners were:
- Bridgeland junior Jackson Hartzler, an Ohio State commit, won the 200 IM in a personal best 1:44.30 to repeat as champion.
- Cade Nilsson, a senior from William Travis, swam a personal best 20.47 to win the 50 free.
- Michael Evans of JJ Pearce won the diving event with 525.15 points.
- Lilly, a senior from Ronald Reagan, won the 500 free in 4:22.92.
- Jacob Bougaleff, a junior from Strake Jesuit College Prep and a Stanford commit, won the 100 breast in a personal best 53.65. He was 2nd in the event last year.
Boys’ Team Standings — Top 5
- Lewisville Marcus, 148
- Strake Jesuit College Prep, 135
- Carroll Senior, 121
- The Woodlands, 120
- Ronald Reagan, 118
Lots of parity in the boys meet this year. One of the cooler years because no one knew who would get 1st overall before the meet. Three teams tied for 5th and those teams and places 1-4 could have easily switched places based on some relay / race outcomes.
I don’t think Marcus or Strake J. have ever finished top 5 before let alone top 2. It was fun seeing some new teams do well and it is good for the sport.
One of the more impressive swims of the meet was Dhriti U. 14 year old freshman who got 4th in the 100 back. Put up one of the fastest 13-14 times in the country.