2026 NCAA Division III Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2026 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 18-21, 2026
• Location: IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• Defending Champs: MIT women (1x) & Denison men (1x)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “NCAA DIII Championships”
• Live Video
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2
• Day 3 Prelim Heat Sheets

The NYU women and Denison men enter Day 3 of the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships holding commanding leads in the team standings, with the Violets up by 71.5 points on Emory in the women’s race and the Big Red men up by 47 points on Chicago.

The NYU women won two titles last night, including breaking the D3 record in the 200 free relay, while the Denison men saw Jack Hill set a new benchmark en route to winning the national title in the 200 free.

Women’s Team Standings Through Day 2:

1. NYU- 260
2. Emory- 188.5
3. Kenyon- 176.5
4. Denison- 114.5
5. MIT- 1-2
6. Williams- 98
7. Pomona-Pitzer- 91
8. Swarthmore- 82
9. Hope College- 75
10. Claremont/Chicago- 73

Men’s Team Standings Through Day 2:

1. Denison- 226
2. Chicago- 179
3. NYU- 169
4. Kenyon- 150
5. Emory- 134
6. Bates- 90
7. Carnegie Mellon- 69
8. TCNJ- 60
9. Williams- 58
10. Wash U. MO- 52

The session will kick off with the 200 medley relays, where the Bates men come in as massive favorites after breaking the Division III record earlier this season—and matching that feat en route to winning the NCAA title two days ago in the 400 medley relay.

NYU is the defending champion in the women’s race, though 10 teams have been faster than them so far this season, led by Kenyon.

The first individual race will be the 200 fly, where Chicago’s Cooper Costello comes in as the frontrunner after placing 2nd last year, and he’s riding some momentum after winning the 100 fly on Thursday. Costello has the D3 record of 1:42.64 in his sights after clocking 1:42.91 earlier this season.

In the women’s race, NYU’s Nicole Ranile is the top seed and defending champion. She’s the only woman to break 2:00 this season with her 1:59.38 from the Phoenix Fall Classic in November.

In the men’s 100 back, NYU teammates Teddy McQuaid and Teddy Cross lead the field as the only two men under 47 seconds this season, while defending champion Brayden Morford will also be in the field.

Kenyon senior Gwen Eisenbeis holds the top seed in the women’s 100 back and was the only swimmer to break 55 seconds on the lead-off leg of the 400 medley relay earlier in the meet.

In the 100 breast, Bates senior Marrich Somridhivej will be the man to beat after splitting 50.41 on the team’s record-setting 400 medley relay earlier in the meet, while in the women’s race, Kenyon’s Kelsey Van Eldik is the defending champion and coming off a 59.25 split on their team’s record-setting 400 medley relay.

The morning will close out with the 800 free relays, though the race will be a timed final and the fastest-seeded heats will swim at night. The Williams men and WashU women are the top seeds among teams racing this morning.

MEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 1:25.57, Bates – 2026
• 2025 Winner: Tufts/Emory, 1:26.72

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Emory, 1:26.52
2. Kenyon, 1:26.67
3. Carnegie Mellon, 1:26.93
4. Bates, 1:26.99
5. NYU, 1:27.58
6. TCNJ, 1:27.66
7. Johns Hopkins, 1:27.71
8. Salisbury, 1:28.10

It was a blazing-fast opening event of the session in the men’s 200 medley relay, though three disqualifications threw a wrench in the top eight results.

After Denison initially claimed the top seed in 1:26.34 with their squad of Ben Bevill (22.22), Liam Nelson (24.37), Sam Hibbert (20.97) and Nick Hensel (18.78), they were disqualified. Results show Hensel jumped early with a -0.04 reaction time, one one-hundredth over the allowable margin (-0.03).

With Denison out, Emory takes over as the top seed heading into the final after the Eagles won the last heat in a time of 1:26.52, with a well-rounded lineup featuring Colin Zexter (22.17), Henri Bonnault (23.73), Patrick Horton (20.99) and Connor McHugh (19.63).

Kenyon won Heat 2 in 1:26.67, good for 2nd overall with a notable 18.98 anchor coming from Djordje Dragojlovic.

Bates, the newly minted D3 record holders, advanced 4th into the final in 1:26.99, with Marrich Somridhivej producing a 23.33 breaststroke leg.

Carnegie Mellon had a strong showing to qualify 3rd overall, highlighted by a 21.87 lead-off leg from Arnav Deshpande and a 20.72 fly split from Brayden Morford.

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 1:39.51, MIT – 2025
• 2025 Winner: MIT, 1:39.51

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Kenyon, 1:40.57
2. Emory, 1:40.58
3. Denison, 1:40.66
4. NYU, 1:41.59
5. Chicago, 1:41.96
6. Colby, 1:42.02
7. WashU, 1:42.13
8. Williams, 1:42.34

Kenyon, Emory and Denison set up what should be an electric final tonight in the women’s 200 medley relay as each team won their respective heat in times separated by just nine one-hundredths.

Kenyon won the fourth and final heat in a time of 1:40.57, with the squad featuring Gwen Eisenbeis (25.42), Kelsey Van Eldik (27.45), Maggie Grespin (24.99) and Kate Bogan (22.71). They’ve been slightly faster, 1:40.29, earlier this season.

Emory won the first circle-seeded heat in 1:40.58, with their team consisting of Penny Celtnieks (25.77), Katie Cohen (28.04), Allison Greeneway (24.55) and Ava Kennedy (22.22).

Denison topped the other seeded heat, as Jasmine Park (25.57), Riley Tofflemire (27.98), Phoebe Ferguson (24.24) and Hailey Kaminski (22.87) combined for a time of 1:40.66.

Defending champion NYU qualified 4th in 1:41.59, with Maeve O’Donnell keeping them in the fight with a blistering 23.80 fly leg, and then Kaley McIntyre doing her thing and dropping a 21.95 anchor split.

MEN’S 200 FLY – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 1:42.64, Justin Finkel (Connecticut College) – 2025
• 2025 Winner: Justin Finkel (Connecticut College), 1:42.64

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Cooper Costello (CHIC), 1:45.33
2. Marco Minai (WSTL), 1:46.43
3. Honza Zika (WHIT), 1:46.50
4. Noah Reice (CGA), 1:46.51
5. McKee Thorsen (EMOR), 1:46.55
6. Avery Clapp (JHU), 1:46.66
7. Parker Chan (WSTL), 1:47.11
8. John Drumm (CWRU), 1:47.21

Cooper Costello led a group of five men who advanced to the ‘A’ final of the 200 fly from the fourth and final heat of the morning.

The Chicago junior put up a time of 1:45.33 to lead the field, going out in 50.05 at the 100 before coming home with a pair of 27.64 splits. Costello, who was 2nd in the 2025 NCAA final, leads the nation this season with his time of 1:42.91 from last month’s UAA Championships.

Joining Costello in the ‘A’ final from Heat was Whittier College junior Honza Zika (1:46.50), Johns Hopkins senior Avery Clapp (1:46.66), Wash U freshman Parker Chan (1:47.11) and Case Western senior John Drumm (1:47.21), with Zika and Chan setting new personal best times.

Clapp was 3rd in last year’s final, while Drumm was 8th.

Claiming the #2 seed for the final was Wash U junior Marco Minai, who clocked 1:46.43 to out-touch Emory junior McKee Thorsen (1:46.55) in Heat 3. The two men had respective finishes of 4th and 5th in the 2025 final.

Coast Guard junior Noah Reice topped the first circle-seeded heat in 1:46.51 to earn the 4th seed for the final, improving on his previous best of 1:46.73 set in last year’s prelims (where he finished 7th in the final).

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 1:55.66, Logan Todhunter (Williams) – 2012
• 2025 Winner: Nicole Ranile (NYU), 1:57.72

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Nicole Ranile (NYU), 1:59.87
2. Elodie Mitchell (EMOR), 2:01.36
3. Amelia Stevenson (KEN), 2:01.51
4. Emily Harris (DEN), 2:01.54
5. Lily Codd (WILL), 2:01.80
6. Sun Young Byun (CMS), 2:02.14
7. Maeve Kelley (AMHE), 2:02.38
8. Mary Feliz (MIT) / Sofia Giordano (KEN), 2:02.66*

*Swim-off required

NYU’s Nicole Ranile held her top seed in the heats of the women’s 200 fly, earning Lane 4 for the final as she vies for a successful title defense.

Ranile, who came into the meet as the only woman in the nation under 2:00 this season, did it again this morning, clocking 1:59.87 to fall just shy of her season-best 1:59.38 set in November. The senior won the NCAA title last season in a personal best of 1:57.72.

Emory sophomore Elodie Mitchell won the penultimate heat in 2:01.36 to advance 2nd into the final, narrowly out-touching Kenyon junior Amelia Stevenson (2:01.51). Stevenson was 5th last year.

Denison senior Emily Harris, who was 3rd in last year’s final, won the first circle-seeded heat in 2:01.54 to qualify 4th for the final.

Also returning from last year’s final will be Amherst junior Maeve Kelley, who advanced in 7th (2:02.38) after taking 4th last season.

There was a tie for 8th between MIT sophomore Mary Feliz and Kenyon junior Sofia Giordano in 2:02.66, setting up a swim-off for the last lane in the ‘A’ final. Feliz owns a best time of 2:02.37, while Giordano’s PB stands at 2:02.50, both set earlier this season.

None of the top 10 swimmers this morning improved on their season-best times. Case Western senior Claire Kozma was the top one to do so, clocking 2:02.75 to advance to the consolation final in 11th.

MEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 45.75, Tanner Filion (Whitman) – 2023
• 2025 Winner: Brayden Morford (Carnegie Mellon), 46.61

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Charles Platt (CALV), 46.95
2. Teddy Cross (NYU), 47.25
3. Brayden Morford (CMU), 47.27
4. Jackson Merkel (CALV), 47.63
5. Arnav Deshpande (CMU), 47.72
6. Teddy McQuaid (NYU), 47.73
7. Kai Henrikson-Brandt (JHU), 47.77
8. Jimmie Hester (TRIN), 48.26

Calvin senior Charles Platt claimed the top seed for tonight’s final in the men’s 100 back after he was the only swimmer to break 47 seconds in the prelims.

Platt, who won the consolation final in this event last year, clocked 46.95 to undercut his previous best of 46.99, set in December 2024.

The NYU duo of Teddy Cross and Teddy McQuaid, the top two seeds coming in, advanced to the final in 2nd and 6th overall, respectively. The only two ‘A’ finalists to split sub-11 on the first 25, Cross clocked 47.25 to qualify in 2nd, while McQuaid, who leads the NCAA with his 46.67 swim from last month, advanced 6th in 47.73.

Carnegie Mellon junior Brayden Morford, the defending champion, tied his season-best on the number to qualify 3rd for the final in 47.27.

Calvin freshman Jackson Merkel, who set a best time of 47.32 leading off the team’s 400 medley relay on Wednesday, clocked 47.63 to make the first individual ‘A’ final of his NCAA Championship career.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 53.41, Kate Augustyn (MIT) – 2025
• 2025 Winner: Kate Augustyn (MIT), 53.41

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Maeve O’Donnell (NYU), 54.11
2. Penny Celtnieks (EMOR), 54.37
3. Gwen Eisenbeis (KEN), 54.62
4. Braelyn Wilson (KEAN), 54.67
5. Jasmine Park (DEN), 54.79
6. Alden White (WILL), 54.80
7. Ella Pennington (ROWA), 54.95
8. Sammi Thiele (EMOR) / Olivia Chow (KEAN), 55.03*

*Swim-off required

NYU freshman Maeve O’Donnell leads a tightly bunched field into the ‘A’ final of the women’s 100 back, with the top six qualifiers separated by less than seven-tenths of a second.

O’Donnell, who came into the meet seeded 7th in the event with her lifetime best of 54.75 set in November, dropped a new PB of 54.11 to claim the top seed and book Lane 4 for tonight’s session.

The three fastest swims came out of Heat 6, as Emory senior Penny Celtnieks (54.37) and Kenyon senior Gwen Eisenbeis (54.62) joined O’Donnell and advanced 2-3 into tonight. Eisenbeis was 5th in the event last year and came into the meet as the fastest swimmer this season in 54.36. Celtnieks improved on her best time by over two-tenths this morning, having won the UAA title over O’Donnell last month in 54.58.

Kean sophomore Braelyn Wilson topped the first circle-seeded heat in 54.67 to advance 4th overall, just shy of her 54.46 personal best set last month.

Denison junior Jasmine Park led the penultimate heat in 54.79, narrowly missing her best time of 54.76 set in November 2024 to advance 5th into the final.

Rowan senior Ella Pennington, the second-fastest swimmer in the nation coming into the meet at 54.45, advanced 7th overall in 54.95.

Just like the women’s 200 fly, we’ll need a swim-off to settle who will occupy Lane 8 tonight, as Emory fifth-year Sammi Thiele and Kean sophomore Olivia Chow tied for 8th in 55.03.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 50.94, Andrew Wilson (Emory) – 2017
• 2025 Winner: Henri Bonnault (Emory), 52.61

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Marrich Somridhivej (BATE), 52.62
2. Henri Bonnault (EMOR), 53.01
3. Carrick Shea (CONN), 53.55
4. Caleb Einolf (GRO), 53.70
5. Zachary Erb (BC), 53.72
6. Ethan Taylor (CHIC), 54.04
7. Tiernan Moore (CEN), 54.11
8. Liam Nelson (DEN), 54.22

Bates senior Marrich Somridhivej cruised to the top seed in the men’s 100 breast, firing off a time of 52.62 to lead the field into tonight’s final.

Somridhivej, who was 5th in last year’s final, came into the meet as the top seed with his lifetime best of 51.85 from last month’s NESCAC Championships, and he showed he’s on incredible form earlier in the meet, throwing down a 50.41 split on Bates’ record-setting 400 medley relay.

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andrew Wilson‘s NCAA Division III record of 50.94, set back in 2017, could be in danger tonight.

Defending champion Henri Bonnault won the first circle-seeded heat in a time of 53.01 to advance 2nd overall, narrowly missing his season-best of 52.96 set in November. The Emory senior and French native won the 2025 title in a lifetime best of 52.61.

Grove City senior Caleb Einolf topped the penultimate heat in a time of 53.70 to comfortably advance 4th into the final. The 6th-place finisher last year, Einolf is coming off setting a best time of 52.79 en route to winning the Presidents Athletic Conference title last month.

Connecticut College sophomore Carrick Shea, who placed 20th in this event as a freshman, clocked 53.55 to qualify 3rd for the final, having set a best time of 53.04 at last month’s NESCAC Championships, where he was the runner-up to Somridhivej.

Bridgewater junior Zachary Erb, 3rd last year, also had a strong showing to move through to the final in 5th, chipping four one-hundredths off his season-best in 53.72. Erb set a best time of 53.01 at the 2025 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS

• Division III Record: 59.62, Jennah Fadely (Kenyon) – 2025
• 2025 Winner: Jennah Fadely (Kenyon), 1:00.13

‘A’ Final Qualifiers: 

1. Kelsey Van Eldik (KEN), 1:00.41
2. Katie Cohen (EMOR), 1:01.91
3. Drue Thielking (DEN), 1:01.94
4. Riley Tofflemire (DEN), 1:02.06
5. Hannah Lee (WSTL), 1:02.11
6. Isabella Klemm (YORK), 1:02.57
7. Alicia Sossai (CHIC), 1:02.59
8. Kellen Mottl (CLBY), 1:02.60

Kenyon sophomore Kelsey Van Eldik was the big favorite coming into the women’s 100 breast, and she backed that status up with a very strong morning swim, setting a new personal best of 1:00.41.

Van Eldik’s swim improved on her previous best of 1:00.76, set during a tri-meet in January, to separate herself by a second and a half over the rest of the field heading into tonight. Last season’s 4th-place finisher in this event, she also split 59.25 on Kenyon’s 400 medley relay on Wednesday.

Emory junior Katie Cohen broke 1:02 for the first time to qualify 2nd into the final, touching in 1:01.91 to lower her previous best of 1:02.03 set en route to winning the UAA title last month.

Denison teammates Drue Thielking and Riley Tofflemire advanced 3-4 into the final, with Tofflemire’s time of 1:02.06 marking a new PB by four one-hundredths. Thielking clocked a new season-best of 1:01.94, with her PB standing at 1:01.31 from last year’s final when she placed 3rd.

Hope fifth-year Greta Gidley, the second-fastest swimmer in the nation this season coming into the meet at 1:01.89, clocked 1:03.00 to place 10th overall and miss the ‘A’ final.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – SWIM-OFF

• Division III Record: 1:55.66, Logan Todhunter (Williams) – 2012
• 2025 Winner: Nicole Ranile (NYU), 1:57.72

1. Sofia Giordano (KEN), 2:01.56
2. Mary Feliz (MIT), 2:01.69

Sofia Giordano and Mary Feliz engaged in a close battle in their second 200 fly of the morning, swimming off for a berth in tonight’s ‘A’ final after tying for 8th in the prelims in 2:02.66.

Giordano led by less than a tenth at the 100 (58.66), Feliz pulled ahead by two-tenths at the 150 (1:30.06), and then Giordano pulled back ahead on the last 50, splitting 31.30 to Feliz’s 31.63, to claim victory in 2:01.56. Feliz was close behind in 2:01.69.

Both swimmers set new best times, with Giordano knocking nearly a second off her previous best of 2:02.50, and Feliz taking down her old PB of 2:01.69 by more than six-tenths.

MEN’S 800 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• Division III Record: 6:26.98, Emory/Chicago – 2023/2025
• 2025 Winner: Chicago, 6:26.98

Early Heat Rankings:

1. Williams, 6:35.79
2. Wash U, 6:36.27
3. Hope College, 6:36.39
4. Johns Hopkins, 6:36.78
5. W&L, 6:37.77
6. NYU, 6:37.95
7. Connecticut College, 6:39.59
8. TCNJ, 6:39.60

The Williams men posted the top time of the early heats in the 800 free relay, clocking 6:35.79 to edge out Wash U, Hope College and Johns Hopkins, who were all less than a second back.

Williams’ squad consisted of Nye Hanan (1:39.06), Ryan Nunez (1:39.02), Harrison Williams (1:40.34) and Sam Brozek (1:37.37). The team was more than two seconds faster, 6:33.33, at last month’s NESCAC Championships.

Wash U had consistent legs across the board, with their fastest (1:38.83 from Marco Minai) just over half a second quicker than their slowest (1:39.37 lead-off from Parker Chan).

Hope College’s 3rd-place team featured two sub-1:38 legs, Graham Eisenmann (1:37.98) on the lead-off and Everett Cox (1:37.93) on the anchor leg.

Larry Yu anchored Johns Hopkins in 1:37.51.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• Division III Record: 7:13.02, NYU – 2025
• 2025 Winner: NYU, 7:13.02

Early Heat Rankings:

1. Chicago, 7:22.27
2. Wash U, 7:25.85
3. Claremont MS, 7:29.89
4. Tufts, 7:31.20
5. Trinity University, 7:32.53
6. Johns Hopkins, 7:32.61
7. Middlebury, 7:35.03
8. Colby, 7:35.23

The Chicago women put up the top time of the morning by nearly three and a half seconds in the 800 free relay, putting them in position to snag a top-eight spot pending results of tonight’s heat.

The quartet of Sophia Xu (1:50.09), Adelia Biello (1:50.01), Naomi Ong (1:51.69) and Alexandra Milisavljevic (1:50.48) combined for a time of 7:22.27, which would’ve finished 6th in last year’s final. The team had previously gone 7:28.27 this season, done at the UAA Championships with a squad that didn’t feature Milisavljevic.

Wash U put up the second-fastest time from the early heats in 7:25.85, highlighted by a 1:50.42 second leg from Sarah Cohen.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – SWIM-OFF

• Division III Record: 53.41, Kate Augustyn (MIT) – 2025
• 2025 Winner: Kate Augustyn (MIT), 53.41

1. Sammi Thiele (EMOR), 54.73
2. Olivia Chow (KEAN), 55.33

After tying for 8th in this morning’s prelims of the women’s 100 back in 55.03, Emory fifth-year Sammi Thiele got the better of Kean sophomore Olivia Chow in the swim-off.

Thiele tied her two-year-old personal best time on the number in 54.73 to earn a spot in the ‘A’ final, taking three-tenths off her time from the prelim.

Chow ended up six-tenths back in 55.33.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – SWIM-OFF

• Division III Record: 59.62, Jennah Fadely (Kenyon) – 2025
• 2025 Winner: Jennah Fadely (Kenyon), 1:00.13

1. Anna Doherty (WILL), 1:03.75
2. Norah Johnson (KEN), 1:03.86

In the third women’s swim-off of the session, Williams freshman Anna Doherty edged out Kenyon junior Norah Johnson in the 100 breaststroke, earning her the first alternate slot for tonight’s consolation final.

Doherty, Johnson and SUNY Geneseo junior Emily Thomas tied for 17th this morning in 1:03.76, but Johnson appears to have scratched the swim-off.