By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
Bulldog NCAA Qualifying Meet
February 28- March 1, 2026 UGA Ramsey Center, Athens, GA SCY (25 yards) ResultsWith a final opportunity to reach NCAA Championship qualification, the Bulldogs of Georgia hosted a last chance qualifier, with a number of swimmers making a case to compete later this month at the women’s and men’s NCAA Championships.
Highlighting the day was South Carolina’s Merlin Ficher, who not only bettered his newly set best time in the 200 back but also became the program’s fastest performer in the event, 1:41.34. This time is just over four-tenths of a second faster than what he swam at SEC’s (1:41.76) and tops Kaden Smesko‘s 2024 program record of 1:41.55.
This time, he only ranks 68th in the NCAA this season and will likely keep him out of the event for the NCAA championships later this month.
Davidson’s Dylan Felt came into this meet with an A10 title in the 500 free (4:19.28) but had not yet clinched the NCAA qualifying time of 4:18.07. In Athens, Felt swam nearly two seconds faster in 4:17.36. This time still sits less than a second off of his career best from the 2024 A10 Championships in 4:16.58, but moved him up to #74 in the NCAA this season. Had he swum that time at the A10 championships, he would have qualified, but Felt will likely sit off the cutline.
Florida State had had a solid showing on the men’s side with Mathias Christensen in the 200 fly. Christensen previously held a career best of 1:42.45 from the UGA Fall Invitational in November, and took over half a second off of that here, touching in 1:41.74. That time puts him in a tough spot at 34th in the NCAA. His invite will likely be decided by the number of scratches ahead of him.
Georgia Tech’s Stephen Jones recently finished 28th in the 100 fly at the ACC Championships in Athens. He would be well under that time in 46.01, though still slower than his 2025 ACC Champs time of 45.90. This time marks his fastest of the season and finally reaches the NCAA-qualifying time of 46.11. Though a solid effort, this time only ranks tied for 87th in the NCAA and will likely not get him to the NCAA Championships.
On the women’s side, Georgia Tech’s Phoebe Wright clocked her fastest time of the season in the 200 back in 1:53.70, moving her up to 56th in the NCAA this season, but still outside of her best time ever, which came at the ACC Championships in 2025 in 1:53.52. That time will likely miss NCAA qualifications, but it does cap off her 200 back season with a high note.
Georgia’s Shea Furse secured her fastest 200 free this season in 1:44.31, moving her up to 53rd in the NCAA this season, but still a half-second slower than her career best of 1:43.81 from last season’s NCAA Championships.
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