2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, March 25–Saturday, March 28
- Location: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
- Defending Champions: Texas (1x)
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DAY 3 PRELIMS HEAT SHEETS
DAY 3 EVENT LINEUP:
- 100 back
- 200 breast
- 500 free
- 50 free
- 400 medley relay
We have now reached the halfway point of the Men’s 2026 NCAA Swimming And Diving Championships, and after a rapid prelims session on day 2 we look forward to more of the same today.
We start things off with the 100 back, where Texas teammates Will Modglin and Hubert Kos are the top two seeds and likely the two title favorites, especially so after strong performances in off events last night. Modglin has the fastest time so far this season with the 43.26 he swam in November, the #3 swim in history, but Kos won the NCAA title in 43.20 last year and has looked in phenomenal form so far this week. He also took the win at SECs in 43.86, ahead of Modglin and #3 seed Ruard van Renen.
The Georgia swimmer was 44.56 at SECs but was also under 44 seconds at midseason in 43.92. He was slightly faster in 2025 to take 3rd at NCAAs in 43.85, behind Kos and Florida’s Jonny Marshall, who is the just the #7 seed this year in 44.16 but was 43.22 in 2025. Adam Chaney has also been under 44 seconds this year after winning Big 12s in 43.93.
Yamato Okadome and Nate Germonprez will continue their battle in the 200 breast heats this morning, coming in ranked #1 and #2. Okadome set a new ACC record of 1:48.87 last month, over a second faster than he was for 7th at 2025 NCAAs, while Germonprez was 1:48.94 at SECs. He was 9th last year in 1:49.71 after missing the ‘A’ final.
Luka Mladenovic was the Big Ten champions and is close behind in 1:49.34, with Texas’ Will Scholtz (1:49.59) and UNC’s Ben Delmar (1:49.76) also under 1:50.00. A trio of freshman in Josh Bey, Gabe Nunziata, and Noah Cakir will also have designs on the final.
The 500 free may be the most mouthwatering race today. Last year’s winner Rex Maurer is the top seed in 4:08.46, but will have the newly-crowned NCAA record holders in the 1650 free and the 1000 free to contend with. Ahmed Jaouadi is the #3 seed in 4:09.28 with Zalan Sarkany the #2 seed in 4:09.14, but they took the mile out in 4:13.13 and 4:12.86 respectively last night. Sarkany was 4:09.22 last year for 7th, while this is Jaouadi’s first season in the NCAA.
Both Jaouadi and Maurer have won one event apiece so far, with Maurer winning the 400 IM last night in a new American Record of 3:32.96. That was a second quicker than he was in the event last year and four seconds faster than he was at SECs – with Jaouadi 15 seconds faster here in the mile than at SECs, the only question is who can drop more time today. It will certainly be fast.
Jaouadi’s fellow Tunisian world champion Ahmed Hafnaoui will also be one to watch as the #6 seed in 4:10.18, and there are two seconds covering ten swimmers from 5th down to 14th. A sub-4:10 swim may not guarantee a finals place.
The 50 free will be a barnstormer of a race as well. With 27 swimmers entered faster than the 18.92 it took to score last year it should be quick, and there will likely be a big name or two left out of the ‘A’ final. Josh Liendo does not look like being that name after a blistering 17.58 on the 200 medley on day 1, while Jere Hribar and Jonny Kulow have broken 18.00 flying this week. Kulow is down as the #20 seed, but his fellow ASU swimmer Ilya Kharun is tied for the #1 seed with Linedo in 18.40.
Gui Caribe (18.46) and Quintin McCarty (18.55) are both entered under 18.60, while World Junior Record holder Nikita Sheremet last season’s ‘B’ final winner Alex Painter are seeded outside the ‘A’ final.
The 400 medley will round the morning off, Tennessee are the fastest team swimming this morning in 3:01.20, flanked by NC State (3:01.66) and Virginia (3:01.75). The Cavaliers are swimming well and have dropped time in both relays so far, and have Thomas Heilman coming off a blistering 43.58 in the 100 fly final last night.
bring back the Bs
I feel sorry for Jack & Harvey. All they did for the DOGS to see the program where it is at now.
boring ahh sport when ncaa is producing it … how do we go from one of the most watched summer Olympic sports to being bottom tier at the ncaa level
wwyd? solutions!
Michael McBroom takes 500 free and Austin Surhoff in 2 back. Calling it now!
I’m calling Tom Dolan as the repeat champ in the 500 and am thinking Brian Retterer gets the 200 back win, but not quite under 1:40.
Sending this comment through dial-up connection to a worldwide web thing, so it may take a few decades to post.
100 back record is about to be smashed.
For all the fuss about B finals, I really don’t like this new order of events either.
50 free right bafore the relay… Who approved that
Wild that it’s not the first event of the session.
I’m most excited for the 500. A sentence i didn’t think I’d ever say.
Your typo added a 0 to the 50
Every event is just stacked. And these distance events having such tight performers at the top is is *chefs kiss
I think we see a 42 out of Kos today.
18.6 to make A, 18.80 is top 16.
After his 100, Okadome should dominate the 200.
I think Hafnaoui wins if Maurer is less than .5 ahead with a 50 to go (coming home in 22.7 is physiologically easier in a mile than an all out 500 but Hafnaoui seems to have developed a big kick and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 23 high/24 low final 50 from him).
I think NCSU wins the early heat 4 medley. Texas wins tonight with a dominant front three.
You mixed up your Ahmeds (I think) Jauoadi is the one you’re looking for.
Jaouadi