Subscribe to SwimSwam Magazine

2026 Auto Qualifiers Update: Six Swimmers Added From Big 12, Only Three Under Last Year’s Invite

Comments: 4
by Madeline Folsom 4

February 25th, 2026 Big 12, College, News

We are in the home stretch of 2026 NCAA Division I Conference Championship meets and the final week kicked off on Wednesday with the Big 12 Championships.

On night one, there were six individual events, three men’s and three women’s, and all six event winners went under the NCAA qualifying standard, but only three of them were under the 2025 NCAA invite time in their events.

In the 500 freestyle, Deniz Ertan swam the top time of 4:41.34, coming in under the AQ time of 4:43.70. She missed the invite time of 4:39.47, but she has a lifetime best in the event of 4:38.04 from the 2023 ACC Championships when she swam for Georgia Tech. Ertan is much stronger in events later in the meet, and will likely be far under the invite times in the 400 IM and 1650 freestyle.

Nick Chirafisi won the men’s 500 free in 4:13.48, which was a three-second drop and under the cut of 4:18.07, and it was under the 2025 invite time of 4:14.13.

The women’s 200 IM went to ASU’s Sonia Vaishnani in 1:57.16, which was a new lifetime best to bring her seven-tenths under the qualifying time of 1:57.88. She missed the 2025 invite time of 1:56.69. She is another swimmer with stronger events and will likely be under the invite time in the 400 IM later in the meet.

Evan VanBrocklin picked up his 1st ever NCAA Invite in the men’s 200 IM, swimming 1:43.80 to undercut the qualifying time of 1:44.13 by three tenths. This was a new personal best time, and came in about a second over the 2025 invite time of 1:42.65.

The meet wrapped up with the 50 freestyle events, which both went to ASU, and while three of the first four event winners missed the 2025 invite time, two swimmers in the women’s final and six in the men’s final came in under the times of 22.01 and 19.02 respectively. Albane Cachot swam 21.80 to earn the women’s qualification while Ilya Kharun swam 18.46 to earn the men’s

A lot of the narrative surrounding AQs has been the benefit to mid-major athletes, but two of the six qualifiers at Big 12s this evening earned their first ever NCAA berth through the auto-qualifier rule.

**As a reminder. Athletes are added under the first event they earn an NCAA qualification in. Once in the meet, they only count as one athlete regardless of how many AQs they pick up. Some swimmers might have faster times in other events that come in under the invite time, but every swimmer will be listed under their first event. 

This list is compiled by hand, so there might be mistakes. Let us know in the comments if you think we missed anyone

New Women’s Qualifiers

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
Deniz Ertan ASU Big 12 500 Free 4:41.34 4:39.47
Sonia Vaishnani ASU Big 12 200 IM 1:57.16 1:56.69
Albane Cachot ASU Big 12 50 Free 21.80 22.01

New Men’s Qualifiers

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
Nick Chirafisi Utah Big 12 500 Free 4:13.48 4:14.13
Evan VanBrocklin Utah Big 12 200 IM 1:43.80 1:42.65
Ilya Kharun ASU Big 12 50 Free 18.46 19.02

All Women’s Qualifiers As of 2/25

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
1 Sara Curtis Virginia ACC 50 Free 21.09 22.01
2 Brady Kendall Michigan Big Ten 50 Free 21.09 22.01
3 Albane Cachot ASU Big 12 50 Free 21.80 22.01
4 Darcy Revitt Washington State Mountain West 50 Free 21.84 22.01
5 Sabrina Johnston Princeton Ivy 50 Free 22.07 22.01
6 Ashley Gutshall UMBC America East 50 Free 22.25 22.01
7 Aly Bozzuto Liberty American 50 Free 22.26 22.01
8 Holly Nelson Hawaii Big West 50 Free 22.28 22.01
9 Anna Moesch Virginia ACC 200 Free 1:39.72 1:44.74
10 Liberty Clark Indiana Big Ten 200 Free 1:40.84 1:44.74
11 Camille Spink Tennessee SEC 200 Free 1:41.71 1:44.74
12 Morgan Lukinac Brown Ivy 200 Free 1:44.20 1:44.74
13 Tara Joyce Wyoming Mountain West 200 Free 1:44.43 1:44.74
14 Asia Kozan UC San Diego Big West 200 Free 1:45.52 1:44.74
15 Katie Grimes Virginia ACC 500 Free 4:33.78 4:39.47
16 Hannah Bellard Michigan Big Ten 500 Free 4:34.60 4:39.47
17 Alexandra Bastone Harvard Ivy 500 Free 4:40.94 4:39.47
18 Deniz Ertan ASU Big 12 500 Free 4:41.34 4:39.47
19 Molly Webber Army Patriot League 500 Free 4:42.07 4:39.47
20 Ava Portello Rice American 500 Free 4:42.67 4:39.47
21 Ava Olson UNLV Mountain West 500 Free 4:43.08 4:39.47
22 Jillian Cox Texas SEC 1650 Free 15:32.75 16:09.37
23 Gena Jorgenson Nebraska Big Ten 1650 Free 15:45.36 16:09.37
24 Sydney Bergstrom Penn Ivy 1650 Free 16:02.63 16:09.37
25 Macey Hansen Wyoming Mountain West 1650 Free 16:16.41 16:09.37
26 Ava Topolewski George Washington A-10 1650 Free 16:23.28 16:09.37
27 Claire Curzan UVA ACC 100 Back 48.38 51.68
28 Maggie Wanezek Wisconsin Big Ten 100 Back 49.72 51.68
29 Jillian Crooks Tennessee SEC 100 Back 50.50 51.68
30 Catie Choate Florida SEC 200 Back 1:49.94 1:53.31
31 Tess Whineray Colorado State Mountain West 200 Back 1:52.82 1:53.31
32 Eneli Jefimova NC State ACC 100 Breast 56.77 59.51
33 Anita Bottazzo Florida SEC 100 Breast 57.11 59.51
34 Letitia Sim Michigan Big Ten 100 Breast 57.90 59.51
35 Mackenzie Lung Fresno State Mountain West 100 Breast 58.17 59.51
36 Chloe Braun UC San Diego Big West 100 Breast 58.95 59.51
37 Lauren Walsh Navy Patriot League 100 Breast 59.78 59.51
38 Catriona Gilmore Army Patriot League 200 Breast 2:10.28 2:09.58
39 Alex Shackell Indiana Big Ten 100 Fly 49.95 51.87
40 Anya Mostek Harvard Ivy 100 Back 51.31 51.68
41 Scarlet Ferris Nevada Mountain West 100 Fly 51.34 51.87
42 Angie McKane Army Patriot League 100 Fly 51.34 51.87
43 Kamry Cannings Liberty American 100 Fly 51.77 51.87
44 Victoria Novinskiy Delaware ASUN 100 Fly 51.92 51.87
45 Sydney Lu Harvard Ivy 100 Fly 51.97 51.87
46 Campbell Stoll Texas SEC 200 Fly 1:50.60 1:55.82
47 Mia West Cal ACC 200 Fly 1:51.52 1:55.82
48 Samantha Banos UCSB Big West 200 Fly 1:56.44 1:55.82
49 Rach Winnington UNLV Mountain West 200 Fly 1:57.08 1:55.82
50 Torri Huske Stanford ACC 200 IM 1:51.27 1:56.69
51 Angie Coe Texas SEC 200 IM 1:53.90 1:56.69
52 Eleanor Sun Princeton Ivy 200 IM 1:55.62 1:56.69
53 Sonia Vaishnani ASU Big 12 200 IM 1:57.16 1:56.69
54 Eva Boehlke UC San Diego Big West 200 IM 1:57.43 1:56.69
55 Lucy Bell Stanford ACC 400 IM 3:59.11 4:09.53
56 Bella Sims Michigan Big Ten 400 IM 4:00.57 4:09.53
57 Ella Jansen Tennessee SEC 400 IM 4:01.97 4:09.53
58 Moji Pholjamjumrus Nevada Mountain West 400 IM 4:11.07 4:09.53
59 Reese Cole Rice American 400 IM 4:12.61 4:09.53

All Men’s Qualifiers As of 2/25

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
1 Ilya Kharun ASU Big 12 50 Free 18.46 19.02
2 Quintin McCarty NC State ACC 50 free 18.63 19.02
3 Yassin Abdelghany IU Indy Horizon League 50 Free 18.91 19.02
4 Karol Ostrowski Hawaii Big West 50 Free 19.13 19.02
5 Nicholas Rounds USD Summit League 50 Free 19.15 19.02
6 Felix Jedbratt La Salle A-10 50 Free 19.18 19.02
7 Owen Watkins Georgetown Big East 50 Free 19.21 19.02
8 Ben Denman-Grimm Navy Patriot League 50 Free 19.28 19.02
9 Daniel Laureyssens FAU ASUN 50 free 19.43 19.02
10 Jere Hribar LSU SEC 100 Free 40.42 41.95
11 Brendan Whitfield Virginia Tech ACC 100 Free 40.93 41.95
12 Carter Perkins La Salle A-10 100 Free 42.37 41.95
13 Henry McFadden Stanford ACC 200 Free 1:31.05 1:32.27
14 Camden Taylor Texas SEC 200 Free 1:31.53 1:32.27
15 Dylan Felt Davidson A-10 200 Free 1:33.46 1:32.27
16 Rex Maurer Texas SEC 500 Free 4:08.46 4:14.13
17 Max Carlsen NC State ACC 500 Free 4:09.44 4:14.13
18 Nick Chirafisi Utah Big 12 500 Free 4:13.48 4:14.13
19 Dean Jones Navy Patriot League 500 Free 4:16.73 4:14.13
20 Ahmed Jaouadi Florida SEC 1650 Free 14:25.14 14:48.80
21 Chase Maier Navy Patriot League 1650 Free 14:54.68 14:48.80
22 Alexander Parkinson USD Summit League 1650 Free 15:04.40 14:48.80
23 Hubert Kos Texas SEC 100 Back 43.86 45.26
24 Evan Petty Cal ACC 100 Back 44.21 45.26
25 Johnny Crush Army Patriot League 100 Back 44.80 45.26
26 Sam Lorenz Wisconsin- Milwaukee Horizon League 100 Back 45.81 45.26
27 Kade Snyder Delaware ASUN 100 Back 46.00 45.26
28 Holden Thomas George Washington A-10 100 Back 46.24 45.26
29 Jonny Marshall Florida SEC 200 Back 1:36.38 1:40.13
30 David King Virginia ACC 200 Back 1:38.14 1:40.13
31 Nate Germonprez Texas SEC 100 Breast 49.92 51.58
32 Yamato Okadome Cal ACC 100 Breast 50.32 51.58
33 Matevi Namakonov Delaware ASUN 100 Breast 51.51 51.58
34 Kohen Rankin Army Patriot League 100 Breast 51.69 51.58
35 Chris Palvadre Oakland Horizon League 100 Breast 52.20 51.58
36 Logan Kelly IU Iny Horizon League 200 Breast 1:52.21 1:52.89
37 Michael Phillips Navy Patriot League 200 Breast 1:52.82 1:52.89
38 Carter Dooling Grand Canyon Big West 200 Breast 1:54.56 1:52.89
39 Josh Liendo Florida SEC 100 fly 43.06 45.12
40 Aiden Hayes NC State ACC 100 Fly 44.07 45.12
41 Vili Sivec CSUB Big West 100 Fly 45.91 45.12
42 Ben Irwin Navy Patriot League 100 Fly 46.11 45.12
43 Luca Urlando Georgia SEC 200 Fly 1:38.46 1:41.45
44 Logan Robinson Florida State ACC 200 Fly 1:38.78 1:41.45
45 Arsenio Bustos NC State ACC 200 IM 1:40.39 1:42.65
46 Evan VanBrocklin Utah Big 12 200 IM 1:43.80 1:42.65
47 Tom Thalau Hawaii Big West 200 IM 1:43.93 1:42.65
48 Baylor Nelson Texas SEC 400 IM 3:35.75 3:41.61
49 Josh Zuchowski Stanford ACC 400 IM 3:38.58 3:41.61

In This Story

4
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

4 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Fluffball
3 months ago

I’d bet the house on not a single mid major auto qualifier scoring in any event

0
-1
Reply
Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  Fluffball
3 months ago

I wouldn’t bet the house on it. If you are going to bet the house on it, be sure to clarify your wording. A mid-major swimmer who goes 40.00 in the 100 free and wins their conference meet is still an auto qualifier. I assume what you meant “who wouldn’t have been invited otherwise.”

Logan Kelly has a chance depending on where the cut-line in the 200 breast falls (he’s under last year’s invite time, but IDK if he’ll be under this year’s invite time).

1
0
Reply
Y Swim
3 months ago

Thank you Swim Swam for the great conference championship coverage! It is very much appreciated. Name correction – its Alexandra Bastone for 5 free. Mostek is in for 1 and 2 back.

7
0
Reply
Frank A Wilson
Reply to  Y Swim
3 months ago

I agree with! Conference coverage has been excellent so far.

6
0
Reply

Don't want to miss anything?

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates!

Want to take your swimfandom to the next level?

Subscribe to SwimSwam Magazine!