2026 Big 12 Championship
- Dates: Tuesday, February 24–Saturday, February 28
- Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
- Defending champions: Arizona State women (1x); Arizona State men (1x)
- Teams: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Christian, Utah, West Virginia
- Men’s Championship Preview
- Women’s Championship Preview
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Video: ESPN +
- Live Recaps
After dropping the fourth-fastest 50 fly leg last night in the 200 medley relay, Arizona State junior Ilya Kharun carried that momentum into the opening preliminary session of the Big 12 Championships on Wednesday morning in record-setting fashion.
Kharun blasted his way to a time of 18.47 in the heats of the men’s 50 freestyle, breaking teammate Jonny Kulow‘s Big 12 Championship Record of 18.64 set en route to winning last year’s final. Kharun was the runner-up in that race in a time of 18.82.
The performance marks Kharun’s third-fastest of the season, having clocked 18.40 at the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge in November and 18.41 at the Tennessee Invitational two days earlier.
He currently sits in a tie for the top time in the country, with Florida’s Josh Liendo having also been 18.40 this season at the UGA Invite in November.
Notably, no swimmers at either the SEC or ACC Championships went faster last week, with Liendo winning the SEC crown in 18.42 and NC State’s Quintin McCarty topping the ACC field in 18.63.
Kharun’s personal best time stands at 18.31, set at the 2025 NCAA Championships, where he placed 4th behind Jordan Crooks (17.91), Liendo (18.23) and Gui Caribe (18.26).
In tonight’s Big 12 final, Kharun will be joined by seven of his teammates, as the Sun Devils claimed all but one of the spots in the ‘A’ final.
MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- NCAA: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- Big 12: 18.31 – Ilya Kharun, ASU (2025)
Big 12 Championship Record: 18.64 – Johnny Kulow, ASU (2025)- 2026 NCCA Qualifying Time: 19.43
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 19.02
Top 8
- Ilya Kharun (ASU) – 18.47
- Adam Chaney (ASU) – 18.84
- Jonny Kulow (ASU)/Remi Fabiani – 18.87
- Tolu Young (ASU) – 18.96
- Tommy Palmer (ASU) – 19.01
- Duncan Henderson (ARIZ) – 19.12
- Quin Seider (ASU) – 19.22
ASU graduate senior Adam Chaney qualified 2nd behind Kharun in a time of 18.84, while Kulow and Remi Fabiani tied for 3rd in 18.87 and Tolu Young made it five Sun Devils under 19 seconds in 18.96.
A fun party trick for Kharun would be to qualify for NCAAs in the 50 free but swimming fly. I think he could do it.
yeah, if the party trick was making critical NCAA Champ points dissapear
5 years ago (before Crooks, Seeliger, and Hoffer) an 18.47 would’ve tied you for 2nd fastest all time with Cielo.
Now it’s a prelim swim that’s someone’s 3rd fastest swim of the season