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Who Auto-Qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships Through the New Selection System?

Comments: 44

Last year, the CSCAA drafted, and the NCAA approved, a new championship qualifying system whereby swimmers who hit a certain time standard en route to an NCAA Division I conference title will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Now that the D1 conference meets are officially in the books, let’s take a look at who booked their ticket to the NCAAs through this avenue.

The new qualifying procedure, in its simplest terms:

  • Step 1: Divers go in (35 men, 41 women)
  • Step 2: All individual swimmers who won a conference championship AND hit the Qualifying Standard in that event get the auto-bid.
  • Step 3: (Steps 3 & 4 are similar to years past) Swimmers are added one at a time in each event, keeping the number of qualifiers in each event the same* until the entry cap is reached (235 swimmers for men, 281 swimmers for women).
  • Step 4: When the entry cap is reached, you wind up with a ‘final row’ in each event. For women that’s usually around #40, for men that’s usually around #30 in each event. Swimmers already qualified in step two are now guaranteed their spot, while the rest are ranked by their time as a percentage of the qualifying standard, with the fastest times added one at a time until the cap is met.

It is important to note, an athlete must have swam the NCAA qualifying time in the conference final if they are to receive an automatic Championship bid. If an athlete has swum a qualifying time previously, like in prelims or at a meet prior to NCAAs, but does not go under the cut to win the conference final, they will not be automatically invited and will go through the same selection process as everyone else.

The qualifying standards were set at the 72nd-best time from last year’s NCAA Championship meet, which is much slower than in years past (click here for a comparison).

Individual Events – Women’s – 2026 NCAA Qualifying Standards

Event Standard
50 Freestyle 22.28
100 Freestyle 48.60
200 Freestyle 1:45.53
500 Freestyle 4:43.70
1,650 Freestyle 16:25.29
100 Butterfly 52.52
200 Butterfly 1:57.11
100 Backstroke 52.65
200 Backstroke 1:54.80
100 Breaststroke 1:00.30
200 Breaststroke 2:11.27
200 Individual Medley 1:57.88
400 Individual Medley 4:13.20

Individual Events – Men’s – 2026 NCAA Qualifying Standards

Event Standard
50 Freestyle 19.43
100 Freestyle 42.55
200 Freestyle 1:33.93
500 Freestyle 4:18.07
1,650 Freestyle 15:06.60
100 Butterfly 46.11
200 Butterfly 1:43.79
100 Backstroke 46.29
200 Backstroke 1:42.14
100 Breaststroke 52.58
200 Breaststroke 1:54.95
200 Individual Medley 1:44.13
400 Individual Medley 3:46.19

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 (meaning they can swim their other events too, as long as they went under the QTs). Some swimmers might have faster times in other events that come in under the invite time, but every swimmer is listed under their first event.

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

All Women’s Qualifiers (75):

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
Sara Curtis Virginia ACC 50 Free 21.09 22.01
Brady Kendall Michigan Big Ten 50 Free 21.09 22.01
Albane Cachot ASU Big 12 50 Free 21.80 22.01
Darcy Revitt Washington State Mountain West 50 Free 21.84 22.01
Payton Kelly Ball State MAC 50 Free 21.88 22.01
Sabrina Johnston Princeton Ivy 50 Free 22.07 22.01
Ashley Gutshall UMBC America East 50 Free 22.25 22.01
Aly Bozzuto Liberty American 50 Free 22.26 22.01
Holly Nelson Hawaii Big West 50 Free 22.28 22.01
Anna Moesch Virginia ACC 200 Free 1:39.72 1:44.74
Liberty Clark Indiana Big Ten 200 Free 1:40.84 1:44.74
Camille Spink Tennessee SEC 200 Free 1:41.71 1:44.74
Morgan Lukinac Brown Ivy 200 Free 1:44.20 1:44.74
Tara Joyce Wyoming Mountain West 200 Free 1:44.43 1:44.74
Zita Szoke Ohio University MAC 200 Free 1:44.82 1:44.74
Asia Kozan UC San Diego Big West 200 Free 1:45.52 1:44.74
Katie Grimes Virginia ACC 500 Free 4:33.78 4:39.47
Hannah Bellard Michigan Big Ten 500 Free 4:34.60 4:39.47
Alexandra Bastone Harvard Ivy 500 Free 4:40.94 4:39.47
Deniz Ertan ASU Big 12 500 Free 4:41.34 4:39.47
Molly Webber Army Patriot League 500 Free 4:42.07 4:39.47
Ava Portello Rice American 500 Free 4:42.67 4:39.47
Ava Olson UNLV Mountain West 500 Free 4:43.08 4:39.47
Jillian Cox Texas SEC 1650 Free 15:32.75 16:09.37
Gena Jorgenson Nebraska Big Ten 1650 Free 15:45.36 16:09.37
Sydney Bergstrom Penn Ivy 1650 Free 16:02.63 16:09.37
Macey Hansen Wyoming Mountain West 1650 Free 16:16.41 16:09.37
Ava Topolewski George Washington A-10 1650 Free 16:23.28 16:09.37
Claire Curzan UVA ACC 100 Back 48.38 51.68
Maggie Wanezek Wisconsin Big Ten 100 Back 49.72 51.68
Jillian Crooks Tennessee SEC 100 Back 50.50 51.68
Anya Mostek Harvard Ivy 100 Back 51.31 51.68
Alexia Duncan Houston Big 12 100 Back 52.31 51.68
Catie Choate Florida SEC 200 Back 1:49.94 1:53.31
Tess Whineray Colorado State Mountain West 200 Back 1:52.82 1:53.31
Eneli Jefimova NC State ACC 100 Breast 56.77 59.51
Anita Bottazzo Florida SEC 100 Breast 57.11 59.51
Letitia Sim Michigan Big Ten 100 Breast 57.90 59.51
Mackenzie Lung Fresno State Mountain West 100 Breast 58.17 59.51
Joleigh Crye Cincinnati Big 12 100 Breast 58.62 59.51
Chloe Braun UC San Diego Big West 100 Breast 58.95 59.51
Claire Cox Akron MAC 100 Breast 59.59 59.51
Lauren Walsh Navy Patriot League 100 Breast 59.78 59.51
Maria Erokhina Northern Colorado MPSF 100 Breast 59.96 59.51
Catriona Gilmore Army Patriot League 200 Breast 2:10.28 2:09.58
Alex Shackell Indiana Big Ten 100 Fly 49.95 51.87
Scarlet Ferris Nevada Mountain West 100 Fly 51.34 51.87
Angie McKane Army Patriot League 100 Fly 51.34 51.87
Kamry Cannings Liberty American 100 Fly 51.77 51.87
Victoria Novinskiy Delaware ASUN 100 Fly 51.92 51.87
Sydney Lu Harvard Ivy 100 Fly 51.97 51.87
Julia Ullmann ASU Big 12 100 Fly 51.97 51.87
Cameron Snowden UNCW CAA 100 Fly 52.06 51.87
Campbell Stoll Texas SEC 200 Fly 1:50.60 1:55.82
Mia West Cal ACC 200 Fly 1:51.52 1:55.82
Samantha Banos UCSB Big West 200 Fly 1:56.44 1:55.82
Rach Winnington UNLV Mountain West 200 Fly 1:57.08 1:55.82
Torri Huske Stanford ACC 200 IM 1:51.27 1:56.69
Angie Coe Texas SEC 200 IM 1:53.90 1:56.69
Eleanor Sun Princeton Ivy 200 IM 1:55.62 1:56.69
Sonia Vaishnani ASU Big 12 200 IM 1:57.16 1:56.69
Eva Boehlke UC San Diego Big West 200 IM 1:57.43 1:56.69
Felicia Klintemar Akron MAC 200 IM 1:57.52 1:56.69
Lucy Bell Stanford ACC 400 IM 3:59.11 4:09.53
Bella Sims Michigan Big Ten 400 IM 4:00.57 4:09.53
Ella Jansen Tennessee SEC 400 IM 4:01.97 4:09.53
Alexa Reyna ASU Big 12 400 IM 4:09.22 4:09.53
Moji Pholjamjumrus Nevada Mountain West 400 IM 4:11.07 4:09.53
Reese Cole Rice American 400 IM 4:12.61 4:09.53
Kayman Neal Arizona Big 12 200 Back 1:52.44 1:53.31
Flo Peter Houston Big 12 200 Breast 2:08.11 2:09.58
Chrisna Bezuldenhout Miami MAC 200 Back 1:54.28 1:53.31
Casadie DiBetta Ohio University MAC 200 Breast 2:09.13 2:09.58
Grace Cummings Indiana State MVC 1650 Free 16:17.25 16:09.37
Olivia Herron Southern Illinois MVC 200 Breast 2:11.01 2:09.58

All Men’s Qualifiers (86):

Swimmer Name School Conference Event Time 2025 Invite Time
Ilya Kharun ASU Big 12 50 Free 18.46 19.02
Quintin McCarty NC State ACC 50 free 18.63 19.02
Nicholas Finch Yale Ivy 50 Free 18.82 19.02
Yassin Abdelghany IU Indy Horizon League 50 Free 18.91 19.02
Mikkel Lee Indiana Big Ten 50 Free 18.98 19.02
Karol Ostrowski Hawaii Big West 50 Free 19.13 19.02
Nicholas Rounds USD Summit League 50 Free 19.15 19.02
Felix Jedbratt La Salle A-10 50 Free 19.18 19.02
Bryson Huey UNLV MPSF 50 Free 19.20 19.02
Owen Watkins Georgetown Big East 50 Free 19.21 19.02
Ben Denman-Grimm Navy Patriot League 50 Free 19.28 19.02
Daniel Laureyssens FAU ASUN 50 free 19.43 19.02
Jere Hribar LSU SEC 100 Free 40.42 41.95
Brendan Whitfield Virginia Tech ACC 100 Free 40.93 41.95
Carter Perkins La Salle A-10 100 Free 42.37 41.95
Henry McFadden Stanford ACC 200 Free 1:31.05 1:32.27
Remi Fabiani ASU Big 12 200 Free 1:31.24 1:32.27
Tomas Navikonis Ohio State Big Ten 200 Free 1:31.32 1:32.27
Mitchell Schott Princeton Ivy 200 Free 1:31.52 1:32.27
Camden Taylor Texas SEC 200 Free 1:31.53 1:32.27
Dylan Felt Davidson A-10 200 Free 1:33.46 1:32.27
Simon Casey Wyoming MPSF 200 Free 1:33.80 1:32.27
Rex Maurer Texas SEC 500 Free 4:08.46 4:14.13
Zalan Sarkany Indiana Big Ten 500 Free 4:09.14 4:14.13
Max Carlsen NC State ACC 500 Free 4:09.44 4:14.13
Noah Millard Yale Ivy 500 Free 4:10.19 4:14.13
Nick Chirafisi Utah Big 12 500 Free 4:13.48 4:14.13
Alexander Metzler Wyoming MPSF 500 Free 4:16.20 4:14.13
Dean Jones Navy Patriot League 500 Free 4:16.73 4:14.13
Ahmed Jaouadi Florida SEC 1650 Free 14:25.14 14:48.80
Chase Maier Navy Patriot League 1650 Free 14:54.68 14:48.80
Alexander Parkinson USD Summit League 1650 Free 15:04.40 14:48.80
Hubert Kos Texas SEC 100 Back 43.86 45.26
Adam Chaney ASU Big 12 100 Back 44.13 45.26
Evan Petty Cal ACC 100 Back 44.21 45.26
Owen McDonald Indiana Big Ten 100 Back 44.52 45.26
Johnny Crush Army Patriot League 100 Back 44.80 45.26
Blake Conway Cornell Ivy 100 Back 45.77 45.26
Sam Lorenz Wisconsin- Milwaukee Horizon League 100 Back 45.81 45.26
Kade Snyder Delaware ASUN 100 Back 46.00 45.26
Holden Thomas George Washington A-10 100 Back 46.24 45.26
Jonny Marshall Florida SEC 200 Back 1:36.38 1:40.13
David King Virginia ACC 200 Back 1:38.14 1:40.13
Nate Germonprez Texas SEC 100 Breast 49.92 51.58
Yamato Okadome Cal ACC 100 Breast 50.32 51.58
Luka Mladenovic Michigan Big Ten 100 Breast 50.69 51.58
Watson Nguyen Penn Ivy 100 Breast 51.18 51.58
Andy Dobrzanski ASU Big 12 100 Breast 51.32 51.58
Matevi Namakonov Delaware ASUN m 51.51 51.58
Kohen Rankin Army Patriot League 100 Breast 51.69 51.58
Jed Garner Towson CAA 100 Breast 52.12 51.58
Tanner Wilson Air Force MPSF 100 Breast 52.19 51.58
Chris Palvadre Oakland Horizon League 100 Breast 52.20 51.58
Kiefer Roemer Missouri State MVC 100 Breast 52.56 51.58
Logan Kelly IU Iny Horizon League 200 Breast 1:52.21 1:52.89
Michael Phillips Navy Patriot League 200 Breast 1:52.82 1:52.89
Carter Dooling Grand Canyon Big West 200 Breast 1:54.56 1:52.89
Josh Liendo Florida SEC 100 fly 43.06 45.12
Tyler Ray Michigan Big Ten 100 Fly 43.83 45.12
Aiden Hayes NC State ACC 100 Fly 44.07 45.12
Sebastian Smith Drexel CAA 100 Fly 45.63 45.12
Vili Sivec CSUB Big West 100 Fly 45.91 45.12
James Winterfield Air Force MPSF 100 Fly 46.06 45.12
Ben Irwin Navy Patriot League 100 Fly 46.11 45.12
Luca Urlando Georgia SEC 200 Fly 1:38.46 1:41.45
Logan Robinson Florida State ACC 200 Fly 1:38.78 1:41.45
Arsenio Bustos NC State ACC 200 IM 1:40.39 1:42.65
William Carrico UNC Wilmington CAA 200 IM 1:42.09 1:42.65
Jackson Kogler Wyoming MPSF 200 IM 1:43.70 1:42.65
Evan VanBrocklin Utah Big 12 200 IM 1:43.80 1:42.65
Tom Thalau Hawaii Big West 200 IM 1:43.93 1:42.65
Josh Bey Indiana Big Ten 400 IM 3:34.90 3:41.61
Baylor Nelson Texas SEC 400 IM 3:35.75 3:41.61
Josh Zuchowski Stanford ACC 400 IM 3:38.58 3:41.61
Tanner Nelson BYU Big 12 400 IM 3:44.46 3:41.51
Marton Nagy Brown Ivy 400 IM 3:41.89 3:41.40
Dylan Smiley Indiana Big Ten 100 Free 41.81 41.95
Kai Van Westering Indiana Big Ten 200 Back 1:39.19 1:40.13
Theo Andreopoulos Drexel CAA 200 Back 1:42.00 1:40.13
Joseph Busic UNC Wilmington CAA 200 Fly 1:43.52 1:41.45
William Mulgrew Harvard Ivy 1650 Free 14:26.79 14:48.80
Adriano Arioti Harvard Ivy 200 Back 1:39.60 1:40.13
Patrick Dinu Princeton Ivy 100 Free 41.36 41.95
Eli Rolfsen Miami MVC 1650 Free 15:04.27 14:48.80
Ian Belflower UNLV Mountain West 200 Fly 1:43.45 1:41.45
Mark Kovacsics CBU Mountain West 1650 Free 14:48.77 14:48.80

 

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ILikeTurtles
3 months ago

50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, and 100 breast mens times need to be faster next year. Too many random mid-major conference winners

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MDS
3 months ago

How are ties involving the invitation row resolved?

For example:

There is a 4 way tie at 24th (:18.89; 24th – 27th) and a 2 way tie at 22nd (:18.87; 22nd – 23rd).

There are 12 athletes listed as automatic qualifiers.

Three of those 12 have times faster than :18.89; likewise, the same three are the only ones faster than :18.87.

That leaves 9 automatic qualifiers with winning times in their Championship meet slower than :18.89 and also slower than :18.87.

I did not see any of those 9 with times from earlier meets faster than :18.89 or :18.87.

Thus they move the qualifying “row” down 9 spots. If the final meet qualifying “row” is 30, that would mean… Read more »

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Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  MDS
3 months ago

Same as before but relative to the qualifying time versus the “A” time.

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mid major stats
3 months ago

If im not mistaken and my math is correct. This would indicate that there are 30 people qualifying that wouldn’t have qualified last year for the women’s meet.

Below stats are for the Womens 2025 NCAA meet-
Number of points scored by the last 75 qualifiers last year: 11 points total
Number of points scored by the bottom 30 qualifiers last year (there was two athletes) 5 points total

  • neither of these athletes were on a team in the hunt.

Number of Mid Major swimmers that were within the bottom 30 qualifiers invited: 2 total athletes
Number of Mid Major swimmers that were invited this year that wouldnt have been: 26 total athletes… Read more »

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River
3 months ago

I’m confused and hopefully someone can explain this to me. For D2, I see an event where 3 swimmers were invited with times that they earned last fall. There are swimmers with faster times achieved at conference champs that were not invited for that event. I don’t get it?

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Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  River
3 months ago

Aside from D1 Auto Qualifiers, invites are based on ‘season bests’ not conference times.

Let us know if we can answer any other questions for you!

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River
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 months ago

Understood that it’s season best times. But even these 3 season best times are slower than some conference times earned and swimmers were skipped in favor of these 3.

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Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  River
3 months ago

In D2? Do you have an example? I think what you’re probably seeing is the 2nd and 3rd entries. Once you’re invited in one event, you can swim up to 3 other events (in D2) in which you have at least the minimum qualifying time standard. So if the conference time was their best event and wasn’t invited, then someone else ‘below the cutline’ would get to swim that race instead of them.

Here’s a random example:

https://swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/W-Selections-Psych-Sheet-022526.pdf

Esztor Pajor from Catawba is 50th in the 100 free. Her best time is 51.92. She was not invited in the 100 free. She was invited in the 200 back as #16 in the country, then added the 50… Read more »

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River
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 months ago

Bingo, that is it! I checked these names and they all had one qualifying time and then added bonus events. Makes sense now, thanks for your patience 🙂

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Swim Parent
3 months ago

Not sure where to ask this, so sorry if this thread is not the place. Does anyone know if swimmers will be allowed to swim a bonus event where they have hit the cut, IF they have qualified in another event? I cannot recall whether this was lost with the new changes, or if this is still possible.

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Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  Swim Parent
3 months ago

Yes, if you’re under the NCAA standard, the same one used to determine AQs, you can swim those extra events.

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Swim Parent
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 months ago

When will all invites be done, and the field will be set?

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Braden Keith
Admin
Reply to  Swim Parent
3 months ago

Women’s will be posted this coming Wednesday, men’s the week after.

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MigBike
3 months ago

AQ is one of the wonderful, feel good endeavors in the history of swimming. Those athletes who would not otherwise be able to experience the magnificence of the NCAA MEET will be able to live a dream! Their schools and teams will benefit by being closer to a real Iive NCAA qualifier. SO HAPPY.
Now if only the NCAA will change from 1 final heat in 2026 to 4 final heats maybe some of these AQ swimmers and lesser talented athletes will get two swims in the same event!

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Swimmermom1971
3 months ago

Andy Roose from Virginia Tech in 2 back? 1:39.37.

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Old Gulf Coach
3 months ago

Where can you find the link to see the current rankings for times?

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