2026 Women’s NCAA Division I Championship: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 18 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending Champions: Virginia (5x)
• Championship Central
• Preview Index
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Finals Preview

Welcome to the final session of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Division I Championships.

After three days of racing, the teams will swim one final session to determine overall team placements, though the Virginia women are set to earn their sixth consecutive NCAA team title after putting at least one swimmer in the ‘A’ final in all four events.

The 200 IM will be the first event of the evening, and Cal’s Mia West swam the top time in prelims of 1:52.40, coming in more than half-a-second ahead of Campbell Chase, from Texas, who swam 1:53.06.

Virginia’s Anna Moesch was the only swimmer under 46 seconds in this morning’s 100 freestyle prelims, earning the top seed in 45.81, just under two tenths ahead of freshman teammate Sara Curtis, who swam 46.00. Torri Huske will be swimming in lane six as she tries to earn her 3rd individual title of the meet.

In the 200 fly, Alex Shackell beat out Hannah Bellard for the top seed as the only swimmer under 1:52 in prelims. She touched in 1:51.68 to lead Bellard’s 1:52.12. Virginia’s Tess Howley was 3rd in 1:52.16.

The meet will wrap up individually with the 200 backstroke where NCAA record holder Claire Curzan swam 1:48.18 to earn the top seed by seven tenths over Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek, who swam 1:48.85. Also in the final are Michigan’s Bella Sims, who swam 1:49.15 in prelims, and Cal’s Teagan O’Dell, who was 1:49.51. O’Dell will be coming off the 200 IM final at the beginning of the meet, racing the newly formed dirty double.

The women’s platform diving event will see the first three rounds after the 100 freestyle and the last three rounds before the relay.

The final event of the meet will be the 400 freestyle relay. NC State is the current leader with the 3:09.59 they swam in prelims.

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• American Record: 1:48.37 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.37 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:48.37 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Torri Huske, Stanford – 1:49.67
• 2025 8th/16th Prelims Times: 1:53.72/1:55.50

Top 8 Finishers

1. Lucy Bell (STAN) — 1:52.09
2. Teagan O’Dell (CAL) — 1:52.76
3. Mia West (CAL) — 1:52.96
4. Anastasia Gorbenko (LOU) — 1:52.98
5. Campbell Chase (TEX) — 1:53.48
6. Aimee Canny (UVA) — 1:53.49
7. Leah Hayes (UVA) — 1:53.56
8. Rosie Murphy (UCLA) — 1:54.18

Stanford’s Lucy Bell had a huge swim in the final individual event of her NCAA career, winning the 200 IM final in 1:52.09, nearly seven tenths ahead of 2nd place finisher Teagan O’Dell from Cal.

Bell was behind the pack at the 100 mark .She split 24.82 on the fly to turn in 7th. On the backstroke, she was 29.24, and turned in 8th overall, two seconds behind Teagan O’Dell, who was the leader in 52.05, and two tenths behind Aimee Canny, who split 53.85 in 7th overall.

Bell turned on the gas in a major way on the breaststroke, splitting 31.28 to have the fastest breaststroke split in the field by nearly a second-and-a-half, taking over the overall lead. Aimee Canny had the 2nd fastest split in the heat at 32.69.

On the freestyle leg, Bell split 26.75, which was also the fastest split in the field. Canny again had the 2nd fastest split at 26.95. Bell touched in 1:52.09. Bell dropped almost four tenths from her previous best of 1:52.47 that she swam at last year’s NCAA Championships.

Cal’s Teagan O’Dell finished 2nd in 1:52.76. She was out in 24.30/27.75 to turn in 1st after the 100 with her 52.05 split. She was 33.53 on the breast, dropping back to 5th overall before she split 27.18 on the free to move back into silver medal position. Her time of 1:52.76 was just a tenth off her lifetime best 1:52.61 that she swam in December of 2024.

Cal also picked up the bronze with sophomore Mia West‘s 1:52.96. She added a bit from the 1:52.40 she swam in prelims splitting 23.99/28.24/33.24/27.49.

Louisville’s Anastasia Gorbenko finished 4th after being the favorite coming into the race. She swam 1:52.98 to come in just two hundredths behind West. Her lifetime best stands at 1:51.30 from the ACC Championships.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – Finals

• NCAA Record: 44.71 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• American Record: 44.71 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 44.71 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• Championship Record: 44.71 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 44.71
• 2025 8th/16th Prelims Times: 47.37/47.88

Top 8 Finishers

1. Torri Huske (STAN) — 45.17
2. Anna Moesch (UVA) — 45.54
3. Sara Curtis (UVA) — 45.77
4. Liberty Clark (IU) — 46.11
5. Camille Spink (TENN) — 46.28
6. Mary-Ambre Moluh (CAL) — 46.30
7. Cadence Vincent (BAMA) — 46.87
8. Julia Dennis (LOU) — 47.02

Stanford senior Torri Huske makes it three individual titles in her final NCAA Championships, and two straight for Stanford on night four, winning the 100 free in 45.17.

Huske jumped out to the lead early, splitting 21.41 on her opening 50 to turn more than half-a-second ahead of Virginia sophomore Anna Moesch, who split 21.93 on the opening 50. Huske came home in 23.76 to lock up the title in a massive personal best time. Her swim of 45.17 took six tenths off her previous best of 45.79 from February. This season, she has dropped nearly a second in the event, coming into the year at 46.01, which she swam at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Moesch split 23.61 on her 2nd 50 to touch 2nd in 45.54, which was a personal best time of her own, dropping from the 45.71 mark she set at the 2026 ACC Championships.

Virginia’s Sara Curtis was 22.16/23.61 to finish 3rd in 45.77, a drop from the 46.03 she swam last month at ACCs.

Indiana freshman Liberty Clark finished out her freshman campaign with a 46.11. She set a new personal best by a tenth from the 46.22 she swam at Big Tens, and just missed Simone Manuel’s 17-18 NAG record of 46.09 from 2016.

Women’s Platform Diving Final — Rds 1-2

Top 8 After Two Rounds

1. Ellie Cole (STAN) — 154.80
2. Viviana Del Angel (MINN) — 134.70
3. Daryn Wright (PUR) — 133.40
4. Kayleigh Clark (FSU) — 132.80
5. Bayleigh Cranford (TEX) — 126.70
6. Mia Prusiecki (OSU) — 118.50
7. Sofia Knight (UNC) — 113.20
8. Camyla Monroy (FLA) — 96.90

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:49.11 – Emma Sticklen, Texas (2025)
• American Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:49.11 – Emma Sticklen, Texas (2025)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Emma Sticklen, Texas – 1:49.11
• 2025 8th/16th Prelims Times: 1:52.91/1:54.16

Top 8 Finishers

1. Campbell Stoll (TEX) — 1:50.26
2. Alex Shackell (IU) — 1:50.40
3. Hannah Bellard (MICH) — 1:51.17
4. Tess Howley (UVA) — 1:51.69
5. Caroline Bricker (STAN) — 1:52.10
6. Emily Brown (TENN) — 1:52.13
7. Ella Jansen (TENN) — 1:52.35
8. Lilou Ressencourt (CAL) — 1:54.01

The team race between Texas and Stanford is tightening up, and Campbell Stoll showed up in a big way for the Longhorns, winning the women’s 200 butterfly in 1:50.26, dropping three tenths from her previous best of 1:50.60 that she swam in February.

Stoll makes this the 3rd consecutive year the Longhorns have won the National Title in the 200 fly after NCAA record holder Emma Sticklen took the top spot in 2024 and 2025.

She traded the lead with Indiana freshman Alex Shackell a few times during the race. Shackell held the lead after the 40, turing in 24.29 to Stoll’s 24.30.

At the 100 mark, Stoll had overtaken the lead, splitting 27.57 to turn in 51.87, just ahead of Shackell’s 51.89 (27.60).

Shackell had a very strong 3rd 50, splitting 28.20 to move into 1st overall with her 1:20.09. Stoll split 28.46 to turn in 2nd, about two tenths back in 1:20.33.

On the final 50, Stoll split 29.93, making up almost four tenths on Shackell’s 30.31 to touch in 1:50.26 to the Indiana swimmer’s 1:50.40. Shackell was just over two tenths off her lifetime best 1:50.15 that she swam back in December of 2023.

Big Ten Champion Hannah Bellard from Michigan finished 3rd in 1:51.17, about eight tenths off the 1:50.34 she swam at the Big Ten Championships in February. Bellard had the fastest final 50 in the field of 29.79.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:46.09 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2026)
• American Record: 1:46.09 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2026)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:46.09 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2026)
• Championship Record: 1:46.82 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2025)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Claire Curzan, Virginia – 1:46.82
• 2025 8th/16th Prelims Times: 1:50.55/1:51.75

Top 8 Finishers

1. Claire Curzan (UVA) — 1:46.10 **New Meet Record
2. Maggie Wanezek (WISC) — 1:47.73
3. Erika Pelaez (NCST) — 1:49.08
4. Claire Jansen (PITT) — 1:49.10
5. Bella Sims (MICH) — 1:49.38
6. Teagan O’Dell (CAL) — 1:49.70
7. Leah Shackley (NCST) — 1:49.74
8. Miranda Grana (IU) — 1:50.71

UVA junior Claire Curzan went for it in the 200 backstroke tonight, ultimately winning the event in 1:46.10, a new meet record time, and just one hundredth off her NCAA record time from last month.

Curzan got out fast. She was 24.56 on the 1st 50 and 26.22 on the 2nd 50 to turn in 50.78 which would have been 8th in the 100 backstroke final earlier in the meet. She fell off that pace a little bit on the back half, splitting 27.36/27.96 to just miss her record, but she set the 2nd fastest time in history.

Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek had a massive swim to finish 2nd, touching in 1:47.73. This was a half-second drop from the 1:48.31 she swam at the Big Ten Championships last month, and it marks nearly a three second drop this season. She came into the year at 1:50.62 from January of 2025. Wanezek was out in 52.72 and split 27.24/27.77 on her final two 50s (55.01) to take 2nd by more than a second.

NC State’s Erika Pelaez earned her highest NCAA finish ever, touching 3rd in 1:49.08. She was just off the 1:48.92 she swam at the ACC Championships, but was still faster than her pre-season best of 1:49.81.

Pitt’s Claire Jansen finished 4th in 1:49.10, a nine tenth drop from the 1:49.99 she swam at the ACC Championships in February. She came in about four tenths ahead of Michigan’s Bella Sims, who was 2nd in this event last year, but finished 4th in 1:49.38 this season.

Teagan O’Dell picked up 6th in her 2nd event of the session, stopping the clock in 1:49.70, six tenths off her lifetime best of 1:49.16.

Women’s Platform Diving Final — Rds 3-5

Top 8 Finishers

1. Ellie Cole (STAN) — 399.80
2. Daryn Wright (PUR) — 343.45
3. Kayleigh Clark (FSU) — 333.30
4. Viviana Del Angel (MINN) — 325.40
5. Bayleigh Cranford (TEX) — 312.75
6. Sofia Knight (UNC) — 290.00
7. Mia Prusiecki (OSU) — 286.95
8. Camyla Monroy (FLOR) — 223.90

Freshman diver Ellie Cole did exactly what Stanford needed to move into 2nd overall. She won the women’s platform event in 399.80, a new NCAA platform record. She beat Haley Ishimatsu‘s 2013 record of 396.75 by just over three points and wins the event by more than 50 points.

Following that event, Stanford holds a two point lead over Texas. Both teams will be racing the 400 free relay in the final heat.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – Final Heat

• NCAA Record: 3:05.30 – Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, Canny, Curtis) (2026)
• American Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, M. Parker, G. Walsh) (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:05.30 – Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, Canny, Curtis) (2026)
• Championship Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, M. Parker, G. Walsh) (2023)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Virginia – 3:06.01
• Current Leader: NC State — 3:09.59

Top 8 Finishers

1. Virginia (Curzan, Mintenko, Moesch, Curtis) — 3:05.26 **New NCAA Record
2. Stanford (Olasewere, Huske, Johnson, Bell) — 3:06.72
3. Texas (Okaro, Nesty, Padar, Gemmell) — 3:07.02
4. Cal — 3:07.47
5. Indiana — 3:07.51
6. Michigan — 3:08.03
7. Louisville — 3:08.28
8. Tennessee — 3:08.55

The Virginia women had already won the NCAA title before this final relay, but they went out with a bang, officially sweeping all five relay events and picking up their sixth straight NCAA women’s team title in NCAA record fashion.

Claire Curzan, fresh off her win in the 200 backstroke, led the relay off in 46.62, which had the UVA women in 4th. Madi Mintenko split 46.73 on the 2nd leg, which moved the team up ti sit tied for 3rd. Anna Moesch split 45.61 on the 3rd lg, the fastest split in the field to move the Cavaliers into the overall lead. Sara Curtis anchored the team in 46.30, bringing them in at 3:05.26, four hundredths under their NCAA record time of 3:05.30 from the ACC Championships.

Stanford and Texas were having a battle of their own, but the Cardinal came out on top of both the relay and the event. Stanford led off with Annam Olasewere in 47.15. Torri Huske swam 2nd, splitting 45.83 to move the team into the lead. Gigi Johnson was 46.26 on the 3rd leg, and Lucy Bell anchored in 47.48.

Texas finished 3rd in 3:07.02 with Eva Okaro (46.55), Lillie Nesty (47.27), Nikolett Padar (46.54), and Erin Gemmell (46.66).

Cal had a huge swim to finish 4th, which moved them past Tennessee in the overall standings. Mia West led off in 47.11. Mary-Ambre Moluh swam 46.24 on the 2nd leg. Teagan O’Dell split 47.27 in 3rd, and Claire Weinstein anchored in 46.85.

Overall Team Standings

1. Virginia — 589
2. Stanford — 380.5
3. Texas — 376.5
4. California — 303
5. Tennessee — 301.5
6. Michigan — 296
7. Indiana — 258
8. Louisville — 201.5
9. NC State — 196.5
10. Florida — 125.5