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2026 Big 12 Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2026 Big 12 Championships

Welcome to the last prelims session of the 2026 Big 12 Championships! After four full days of racing, there are just three individual events this morning, while the men’s and women’s 1650 freestyle events will swim in a separate distance session before finals.

We will kick off the meet with the 200 backstroke events where Arizona’s Kayman Neal is the top seed on the women’s side (1:53.05) and ASU’s JT Ewing is the top seed on the men’s side (1:39.00).

In the 100 free, Albane Cachot will be looking to sweep all the sprint events for ASU as the top seed in the women’s 100 freestyle (47.82) after winning the 50 and 200 earlier in the meet. The men’s event is led by 200 free champion and 50 free silver medalist Remi Fabiani (41.10).

The session will wrap up with the 200 breaststroke events where TCU’s Nina Vadovicova is the lone swimmer under 2:10 on the women’s side (2:08.60) and 100 breast champion Andy Dobrzanski is the top seed on the men’s side (1:50.95).

The Sun Devils have a dominant lead on both sides of the meet, but a strong prelims session today could mathematically secure the 2nd straight title for both teams.

Women’s 200 Backstroke

  • NCAA Record: 1:46.09, Claire Curzan – 2026
  • Big 12 Record: 1:49.91, Tasija Karosas – 2017
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 1:50.09, Olivia Bray – 2023
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:54.80
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:53.31

Top 8 Qualifiers

  1. Kayman Neal (ARIZ) — 1:54.13
  2. Alexia Duncan (UH) — 1:54.60
  3. Gerda Szilagyi (ASU) — 1:55.50
  4. Paige Armstrong (ARIZ) — 1:56.11
  5. Elizabeth Jimenez (UH) — 1:56.25
  6. Julia Smurzynska (ARIZ) — 1:56.44
  7. Rylee Simoneaux (UH)/Paige Taber (TCU) — 1:56.84
  8. —

Arizona’s Kayman Neal swam to a smooth 1:54.13, earning the top qualifying spot in the women’s 200 backstroke. She touched in 1:54.13, which was about a second off her seed time and lifetime best of 1:53.05 that she swam in November.

Neal was out in 27.54, which would have been 7th among all opening splits in the top 8. She held on nicely though,a s the only swimmer to have no 29 second splits. She was 28.78/28.90/28.91 to lock up her lane four swim tonight.

Houston’s Alexia Duncan, the individual 100 backstroke champion, set a new personal best1:54.60, taking about a second off the 1:55.30 she swam in November. She will be joined by two other Houston swimmers in the final with Elizabeth Jimenez qualifying 5th (1:56.25) and Rylle Simoneaux tying for 7th (1:56.84).

ASU’s Gerda Szilagyi rounded out the top three in prelims after scratching the 100 freestyle to focus on the event, cruising to a 1:55.50, about two seconds off her lifetime best 1:53.56.

Arizona put two more swimmers in the final after Neal with Paige Armstrong (4th — 1:56.11), and Julia Smurzynksa (6th — 1:56.44).

TCU will also be represented with Paige Taber tying with Simoneaux for 7th overall in 1:56.84.

Men’s 200 Backstroke

  • NCAA Record: 1:34.21, Hubi Kos – 2025
  • Big 12 Record: 1:36.42, John Shebat – 2019
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 1:38.61, Ryan Harty – 2019
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:42.14
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:40.13

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Alex Desangles (ARIZ) — 1:40.00
  2. Adam Chaney (ASU) — 1:41.82
  3. Aiden Gerst (CINC) — 1:42.36
  4. Ryan Hardy (ARIZ) — 1:42.67
  5. JT Ewing (ASU) — 1:42.79
  6. Will Meyers (ARIZ) — 1:43.17
  7. Filip Suchanski (TCU) — 1:43.21
  8. Edgar Cicanci (TCU) — 1:43.51

Arizona dominated the 200 backstroke with Alex Desangles taking the men’s top seed in 1:40.00. Unlike Neal, he had the fastest opening 50 split in the top 8, turning in 23.51. He also had the fastest splits through the rest of the race, swimming 25.08/25.63/25.78 to touch in 1:40.00, which was almost a second add from the 1:39.11 he swam in November.

The Wildcats also picked up the 5th seed with Ryan Hardy (1:42.67), and the 6th seed with Will Meyers (1:43.17).

ASU put two swimmers in the final. Adam Chaney earned the 2nd seed in 1:41.82, two seconds off the 1:39.59 he swam in November. JT Ewing qualified 5th in 1:42.79 after coming in as the top seed in 1:39.00.

Aiden Gerst picked up the 3rd qualifying spot for Cincinnati in 1:42.36, seven tenths faster than his 1:42.95 seed.

Rounding out the final are two TCU swimmers Filip Suchanski in 7th (1:43.21) and Edgar Cicanci in 8th (1:43.51).

Women’s 100 Freestyle

  • NCAA Record: 44.71, Gretchen Walsh – 2025
  • Big 12 Record: 47.32, Claire Adams – 2018
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 47.46, Claire Adams – 2022
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 48.60
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 48.11

Top 8 Finishers

  1. Albane Cachot (ASU) — 47.51
  2. Julia Wozniak (ARIZ) — 48.46
  3. Riley Botton (ARIZ) — 48.86
  4. Patricija Kondraskaite (ARIZ) — 48.86
  5. Meric Demirtepe (ARIZ) — 49.32
  6. Grace Lindberg (ASU)/Shane Golland (ASU) — 49.38
  7. —
  8. Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah (ARIZ) — 49.47

Albane Cachot took the 1st step to sweeping the sprint freestyle events this week, earning the top qualifying spot in the 100 free by about a second over Arizona’s Julia Wozniak. She touched in 47.51, which was a three tenth drop from her 47.82.

The whole final will be made up of Arizona and ASU swimmers with Arizona putting five swimmers in the top 8 and ASU putting three.

The Wildcats picked up the 2nd-5th place and 8th place finishers. Wozniak qualified 2nd (48.36). Riley Botton qualified 3rd (48.86), Patricija Kondraskaite qualified 4th (49.00), Meric Demirtepe was 5th (49.32), and Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah qualified 8th (49.47).

ASU had Cachot in 1st, and then Grace Lindberg and Shane Golland tied for 6t at 49.38.

Men’s 100 Freestyle

  • NCAA Record: 39.83, Jordan Crooks – 2025
  • Big 12 Record: 40.83, Jonny Kulow – 2025
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 41.07, Jonny Kulow – 2025
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 42.55
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 41.95

Top 8 Qualifiers

  1. Jonny Kulow (ASU) — 41.56
  2. Remi Fabiani (ASU) — 41.94
  3. Quin Seider (ASU) — 41.96
  4. Filip Senc-Samardzic (ASU) — 42.33
  5. Tomas Lukminas (ARIZ) — 42.52
  6. Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri (ARIZ) — 42.59
  7. Tommy Palmer (ASU) — 42.64
  8. Tolu Young (ASU) — 42.78

The men’s 100 free is another Arizona affair with ASU picking up six of the eight spots, while the other two the University of Arizona.

ASU earned the top four qualifying spots, led by Jonny Kulow’s 41.56 top time coming in four tenths ahead of Remi Fabiani’s 41.94 for 2nd. Quin Seider came in just behind Fabiani at 41.96, and Filip Senc-Samardzic qualified 4th (42.33).

Arizona took 5th and 6th with Tomas Lukminas finishing 5th (42.52) and Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri finishing 6th (42.59).

ASU earned the final two spots with Tommy Palmer qualifying 7th (42.4), and Tolu Young squeaking in at 8th (42.78).

Women’s 200 Breaststroke

  • NCAA Record: 2:01.29, Kate Douglass – 2023
  • Big 12 Record: 2:03.26, Anna Elendt – 2023
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 2:03.92, Anna Elendt – 2022
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 2:11.27
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 2:09.58

Top 8 Qualifiers

  1. Flo Peter (UH) — 2:10.29
  2. Nina Vadovicova (TCU) — 2:10.50
  3. Sonia Vaishnani (ASU)/Eleni Gewalt (ARIZ) — 2:11.15
  4. —
  5. Lucie Vasquez (ASU) — 2:11.61
  6. Grace Swoboda (ISU) — 2:11.92
  7. Evelyn Entrekin (UH) — 2:12.19
  8. Ryan Johnston (KANS) — 2:12.33

Houston’s Flo Peter swam 2:10.29 to earn lane four in tonight’s 200 breaststroke final, touching two tenths ahead of TCU’s Nina Vadovicova. This was a new season best for Peter, taking seven tenths off her seed of 2:10.92, but she is still a little more than a second off the 2:08.72 mark she swam in November of last year. Her teammate Evelyn Entrekin also earned a finals swim, qualifying 7th in 2:12.19, a new best by a second-and-a-half from the 2:13.55 she swam at the end of January.

TCU’s Nina Vadovicova was the lone entrant under 2:10 this morning, coming in seeded at 2:08.60. She finished 2nd in 2:10.50, though she was the only swimmer in the field to split sub-34 on her final 50, touching in 33.91.

ASU picked up two finals qualifiers with Sonia Vaishnani tying for 3rd (2:11.14) and Lucie Vasquez qualified 5th (2:11.61).

Arizona’s Eleni Gewalt tied with Vaishnani for 3rd at 2:11.15, a four hundredth drop from her best time of 2:11.19.

Iowa State’s Grace Swoboda (6th — 2:11.92) and Kansas’s Ryan Johnston (8th — 2:12.33) round out tonight’s finals qualifiers.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

  • NCAA Record: 1:46.35, Leon Marchand – 2024
  • Big 12 Record: 1:47.91, Will Licon – 2017
  • Big 12 Championship Record: 1:49.89, Will Licon – 2017
  • 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:54.95
  • 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:52.89

Top 8 Qualifiers

  1. Andy Dobrzanski (ASU) — 1:53.09
  2. Brayden taivassalo (ASU) — 1:54.57
  3. Peter Etzold (BYU) — 1:55.36
  4. Lucien Vergnes (ASU) — 1:55.45
  5. Rafael Mimoso (WVU) — 1:55.67
  6. Kyle Bumgardner (CINC) — 1:56.32
  7. Felipe Goncalves (TCU) — 1:56.40
  8. Benson Wong (CINC) — 1:56.43

The Sun Devils continued to dominate the prelims session, picking up three more ‘A’ finalists in the men’s 200 breaststroke, including the top two seeds.

Senior Andy Dobrzanski swam 1:53.09 to pick up the top spot by more than a second-and-a-half over teammate Brayden Taivassalo’s 1:54.57. Dobrzanski had the fastest split on all four 50s, swimming 25.30/28.77/29.38/29.74. He was about two seconds off his lifetime best 1:50.95 from January.

Their 3rd qualifier was Lucien Vergnes, who picked up the 4th seed with his 1:55.45, which was about a second off his seed of 1:54.63.

BYU’s Peter Etzold qualified 3rd (1:55.36), which was a one hundredth drop from his seed of 1:55.37.

Cincinnati picked up two swimmers with Kyle Bumgardner (6th — 1:56.32) and Benson Wong (8th — 1:56.43).

West Virginia’s Rafael Mimoso qualified 5th (1:55.67), and TCU’s Felipe Goncalves qualified 7th (1:56.40) to finish out the ‘A’ finals swimmers.

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