2026 NCAA Division II Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2026 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships

• March 10-14, 2026
• Deaconess Aquatic Center — Evansville, Indiana
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Defending Champions
  • Women: Nova Southeastern (3x)
  • Men: vacant
• Psych Sheets
  • Men
  • Women
• Live Video
• Live Results
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

The third day of action at the 2026 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships kicks off on Thursday morning with preliminary heats in the 100 fly, 400 IM and 200 free.

Coming off their record-breaking performance last night in the 200 medley relay, the three-time defending champion Nova Southeastern women have built a 33.5-point lead over Tampa entering Thursday. The men’s race is much closer, with Drury leading Tampa by just three points, and Colorado Mesa only 10 points back of the Spartans.

Women’s Standings – Thru Day 2

1. Nova S’Eastern — 163
2. Tampa — 129.5
3. Drury — 94
4. Indy — 87
5. West Florida — 81
6. Findlay — 72.5
7. Catawba — 59
8. Wingate — 55
9. Grand Valley/Colorado Mesa/Delta State — 53
10. —

Men’s Standings – Thru Day 2

1. Drury — 152
2. Tampa — 149
3. Colorado Mesa — 139
4. Indy — 120
5. McKendree — 86.5
6. Findlay — 66
7. Grand Valley — 64
8. Lynn — 61
9. Wingate — 58
10. Clarion — 54

Of the six individual events this morning, three will have the defending champion in the field, including in the men’s 400 IM and 200 free, with Indy sophomore Jeremias Pock leading the 400 IM entry list and Tampa junior Jacob Hamlin lurking as the 5th seed in the 200 free.

On the women’s side, Nova Southeastern’s Kristina Orban won the 200 free title last year as a freshman, and she’ll race both the 100 fly and the 200 free this year, coming in as the top seed and the only woman under 53 seconds so far this season in the former.

The women’s 400 IM is led by Tampa sophomore Burlingtyn Bokos, who was 5th last year, while the top seed in the 200 free is Colorado Mesa senior Ada Qunell, who was only 18th in the event last season but has seen big improvements this season, highlighted by a 1:46.95 swim in November.

Findlay fifth-year Camilo Marrugo Montano, who was the runner-up in the men’s 100 fly at the 2024 DII NCAAs, is the top seed in that event, coming in as the only man under 46 seconds this season.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 51.78, Luna Mertins (Lynn) – 2025
• Meet Record: 51.78, Luna Mertins (Lynn) – 2025

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Kristina Orban (NSU), 52.77
2. Mathilda Sandberg (WIN), 53.75
3. Tehani Kong (CSEB), 53.90
4. Emily Mears-Bentley (UFIN), 54.06
5. Madalee Roberts (TAMP), 54.32
6. Lydia Douthit (LYNN), 54.33
7. Olivia Scheibelhoffer (UFIN), 54.34
8. Caprice Schlueter (INDY), 54.51

Nova Southeastern sophomore Kristina Orban threw down a dominant performance in the fifth and final heat of the women’s 100 fly, putting up a lifetime best to qualify 1st in tonight’s session by nearly a full second.

Orban, who won the 200 free title last season, split 24.23/28.54 en route to a time of 52.77, improving on her previous best of 52.94 set at last month’s Sunshine State Conference Championships.

Racing alongside Orban in Heat 5, Wingate freshman and Swedish native Mathilda Sandberg knocked nine-tenths off her best time to clock 53.75 and advance 2nd into the final, improving on the 54.65 she produced last month to win the South Atlantic Conference title.

Cal State East Bay junior Tehani Kong, who was 3rd last year, used some impressive underwater work to touch first in the opening circle-seeded heat in a time of 53.90, just over three-tenths shy of her best time set in the 2025 final (53.58).

Lynn sophomore Lydia Douthit won the other circle-seeded heat in 54.33 to advance 6th into the final. Douthit, who was 10th last year as a freshman, came into the meet ranked 2nd in the nation with her time of 53.75 from the Sunshine State Conference Championships.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 44.32, Marius Kusch (Queens) – 2019
• Meet Record: 44.32, Marius Kusch (Queens) – 2019

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Camilo Marrugo Montano (UFIN), 45.93
2. Maurice Grabowski (LYNN), 46.10
3. William Beckstead-Holman (TAMP), 46.55
4. Gabriel Morales (CN), 46.64
5. Vitaly Kostin (LYNN), 46.72
6. Oskar Sawicki (MESA), 46.73
7. Antonie Pieterse (RWU), 46.76
8. Tibor Tistan (TAMPA), 46.82

Findlay fifth-year Camilo Marrugo Montano defended his top seed in the men’s 100 fly, putting up a time of 45.93 from Heat 5 to claim Lane 4 in tonight’s final.

Marrugo Montano, who was the runner-up in the 100 fly at this meet two years ago, is the fastest swimmer in the nation this season with his time of 45.70 from a tri-meet in November. He won the Great Midwest-Mountain East Conference title last month in a time of 46.24.

Lynn senior Maurice Grabowski fired off a new personal best of 46.10 from the first circle-seeded heat to claim the #2 seed for tonight’s final, improving his previous mark of 46.12 set in December. The German native placed 10th at NCAAs last season in 46.88, which was a PB at the time.

Carson-Newman junior Gabriel Morales set a new lifetime best of his own in winning Heat 4, putting up a time of 46.64 to improve on his previous mark of 46.79 and qualify 4th into the final.

Tampa senior William Beckstead-Holman, who broke 47 seconds for the first time at last month’s Sunshine State Conference meet in 46.83, reset his best time in 46.55 to advance 3rd overall, touching 2nd to Marrugo Montano in the last heat.

Only two swimmers in last year’s ‘A’ final will be back this year, with Colorado Mesa senior Oskar Sawicki (46.73) and Roberts Wesleyan sophomore Antonie Pieterse (46.76) advancing in 6th and 7th, respectively, after placing 4th and 6th in 2025.

St. Cloud State senior Lance Godard, 7th last year, placed 14th this morning in 47.22.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 4:08.56, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2016
• Meet Record: 4:08.56, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2016

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Katie O’Connell (GVSU), 4:18.04
2. Burlingtyn Bokos (TAMP), 4:18.07
3. Maria Fe Munoz (DRUR), 4:18.57
4. Gwen Bergum (DRUR), 4:19.30
5. Vittoria Proietti (GVSU), 4:21.30
6. Jessica Dreghici (SFU), 4:21.69
7. Celina Schmidt (INDY), 4:21.85
8. Megan Corcoran (CN), 4:22.05

Grand Valley State senior Katie O’Connell out-touched Tampa sophomore Burlingtyn Bokos by three one-hundredths of a second to win the fifth and final heat of the women’s 400 IM and qualify first into tonight’s final.

O’Connell, the top returning swimmer from last year’s final, where she was 3rd, clocked 4:18.04 to edge Bokos (4:18.07) at the wall thanks to a 29.15 closing 50 that made up more than eight-tenths on Bokos, who led the heat the entire way and had built a lead as big as nearly four seconds at the halfway mark.

O’Connell owns a best time of 4:16.36, set in last year’s final, while Bokos is the top swimmer in Division II this season with the 4:16.17 swim she produced last month.

Drury senior Maria Fe Munoz, who won the 2025 NCAA ‘B’ final, claimed the #3 seed for the final after winning Heat 3 in a season-best time of 4:18.57, with teammate Gwen Bergum close behind in 4:19.30 to advance in 4th.

Grand Valley State junior Vittoria Proietti, who was the runner-up to her teammate O’Connell at the GLIAC Championships last month in a best time of 4:18.49, won Heat 4 in a time of 4:21.30 to qualify 5th for the final. Last season, Proietti was 17th in the prelims and missed out on earning a second swim by less than three-tenths.

Notably missing the ‘A’ final this morning was Colorado School of Mines freshman Anna Bream, who won the RMAC title last month in an altitude-adjusted time of 4:17.02 (4:22.02 unadjusted), but ended up 9th overall this morning in 4:23.20.

MEN’S 400 IM – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 3:40.22, Ben Sampson (Colorado Mesa) – 2024
• Meet Record: 3:40.22, Ben Sampson (Colorado Mesa) – 2024

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Jeremias Pock (INDY), 3:46.21
2. Ben Vester (MESA), 3:46.70
3. Tyler Bardak (MKU), 3:47.45
4. Joao Nogueira (DRUR), 3:47.47
5. Belhassen Ben Miled (DRUR), 3:47.91
6. Connor Bichsel (MS&T), 3:48.07
7. Nico Basten (INDY), 3:48.29
8. Jules Remy (CATC), 3:49.27

Defending champion Jeremias Pock established himself as the man to beat in the heats of the 400 IM, cruising to the top time of the morning in 3:46.21 to book Lane 4 for tonight’s final.

Pock, who won the 2025 title as a freshman in a lifetime best of 3:44.03, has been a bit faster so far this season, clocking 3:43.80 at the GLVC Championships last month.

The Indy sophomore outpaced the field by a wide margin through the 300-yard mark in 2:51.16, and after easing through the first 50 of freestyle in 28.36, he picked things up a bit coming home in 26.69 to establish the fastest time of the prelims.

Colorado Mesa sophomore Ben Vester, who was 12th last season as a freshman, won Heat 2 in a big best time of 3:46.70 to qualify 2nd overall, shattering his previous PB of 3:49.81 (altitude-adjusted). McKendree freshman Tyler Bardak took 2nd in the heat in a PB of 3:47.45, advancing 3rd overall.

Drury senior Joao Nogueira led the way in Heat 3, posting a season-best time of 3:47.47 to qualify 4th into the final after placing 5th last season. The Brazilian native owns a personal best of 3:46.79, set back in November 2023 at the SMU Invitational.

The 2025 NCAA runner-up, Missouri S&T’s Connor Bichsel, chipped 13 one-hundredths off his season-best in 3:48.07 to advance 7th into the ‘A’ final. That time is notably quicker than he went to place 2nd in last year’s final (3:48.60).

It took 3:49.27 to qualify for tonight’s championship heat, more than three seconds faster than what was required last year (3:52.44).

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 1:44.44, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2016
• Meet Record: 1:45.27, Patricia Castro Ortega (Queens) – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Lucy Hedley (GVSU), 1:47.75
2. Kristina Orban (NSU), 1:47.83
3. Ada Qunell (MESA), 1:48.16
4. Emilia Ronningdal (NSU), 1:48.46
5. Hanna Sasivarevic (MESA), 1:48.64
6. Lindsey Louder (TAMP), 1:48.73
7. Luz Tapia Sahagun (LYNN), 1:48.74
8. Maria Morales (DRUR), 1:48.82

A competitive six heats in the women’s 200 free saw Grand Valley State senior Lucy Hedley emerge with the top seed for tonight’s final, while Nova Southeastern sophomore Kristina Orban was close behind as they were the only two swimmers to break 1:48.

Hedley, who was 4th in last year’s final, put up a time of 1:47.75 to win the penultimate heat. The British native is coming off setting a new personal best of 1:46.57 leading off Grand Valley’s 800 free relay on Tuesday night.

Orban, the defending champion who claimed the top seed in the 100 fly earlier in the session, held off Colorado Mesa’s Ada Qunell to win the sixth and final heat in a time of 1:47.83, with Qunell close behind in 1:48.16, as they advanced 2-3 into the final.

Orban owns a personal best of 1:45.92, set en route to winning last year’s title, and is coming off anchoring the Nova relay to victory in 1:45.74 on Tuesday.

Qunell came into the meet as the top seed after swimming an altitude-adjusted time of 1:46.95 in November. She led off CMU’s 800 free relay in 1:48.61, so this performance was an improvement.

Advancing 4th into the final was Nova Southeastern’s Emilia Ronningdal, who set a new best time of 1:46.19 leading off the Sharks’ 800 free relay two nights ago. The Swedish senior put up a time of 1:48.46 to win Heat 4, one one-hundredth faster than she was in the 2025 prelims (before placing 6th in the final).

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA DII Record: 1:32.40, Vova Gavrysh (McKendree) – 2026
• Meet Record: 1:32.40, Vova Gavrysh (McKendree) – 2026

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Vova Gavrysh (MKU), 1:34.12
2. Jacob Hamlin (TAMP), 1:34.25
3. Maksymilian Minichowski (CATC), 1:34.53
4. Matteo Vissotto (DRUR), 1:34.99
5. Guillaume Guth (1:35.03)
6. Lucas Mineur (DRUR), 1:35.36
7. Daniel Meszaros (FSC), 1:35.54
8. Joshua Noll (TAMP), 1:35.57

Coming off breaking the decade-old NCAA Division II Record on Tuesday night in the 800 free relay, McKendree sophomore Vova Gavrysh staked his claim as the man to beat in the 200 freestyle by leading this morning’s prelims in a time of 1:34.12.

Gavrysh, a Ukrainian native, set a new D2 mark in the relay by leading off in 1:32.40, breaking Dion Dreesen‘s mark of 1:32.46 set in 2016. In Thursday’s prelims, Gavrysh was much more conservative over the first 150, flipping in 1:10.32 this morning compared to 1:08.60 on Tuesday, but did what he had to do coming home (23.80) to claim Lane 4 for tonight’s final.

Gavrysh was the runner-up in last year’s final behind Tampa’s Jacob Hamlin, who earned the #2 seed this morning in 1:34.25.

Hamlin set his personal best time of 1:33.38 en route to winning the 2025 final, and his swim this morning improved on his previous season-best of 1:34.99 from the Sunshine State Conference Championships. The junior split 1:33.32 on the third leg as the Tampa men won the 800 free relay in record fashion on Tuesday.

Catawba junior Maksymillian Minichowski put up a time of 1:34.53 to qualify 3rd for the final, knocking six one-hundredths off his previous best of 1:34.59 set in the 2025 final when he finished 4th.

In addition to Hamlin, Gavrysh and Minichowski, two more members of last year’s championship final, Drury’s Matteo Vissotto and Florida Southern’s Daniel Meszaros, also made it back this year. Vissotto, who was 5th last season in 1:3526, lowered his best time to 1:34.99 to advance in 4th, while Meszaros, 7th last year while with Ouachita Baptist, clocked 1:35.54 to advance in the same position.

Colorado Mesa’s Guillaume Guth and Drury’s Lucas Mineur, who came in ranked 2nd and 3rd in the conference this season in this event, also made the final, with Guth qualifying 5th in 1:35.03 and Mineur 6th in 1:35.36.