By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam
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 ResultsWomen’s 400 Free Relay – By the Numbers
NCAA Record: 3:05.30 – Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, Canny, Curtis), 2026 American Record: 3:05.84– Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, Parker, G. Walsh), 2023 U.S. Open Record: 3:05.30– Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, Canny, Curtis), 2023 Championship Record: 3:05.84- Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, Parker, G. Walsh), 2026 2025 Champion: Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, A. Walsh, G. Walsh) – 3:06.01Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. And the one before that, and the one before that, and – you get the idea.
Virginia have won the women’s 400 free relay for four years in a row now, and their narrowest margin of victory was 2.06 seconds in 2022. After shaving half a second of their own NCAA record at ACCs – a year after graduating both Walsh sisters – that streak does not look in danger. They lead the psych sheets by 2.29 seconds and their quest for a fifth consecutive title should be one fulfilled.
There is intrigue behind the Cavaliers though. Only four other teams broke 3:10 last year – eight others are entered under 3:10 this year, so we will see NC State swimming in the morning heats despite an entry time of 3:09.71. Seven of the teams in the final heat have been faster this season than Tennessee were for 2nd in 2025, including Stanford, Indiana, and Michigan entered sub-3:08. With a big place swing a likelihood for even a half second difference, places in the overall top five could be on the line.
“La Manita”
Virginia are the absolute favorites for this relay, and have continued their remarkable work of replacing seemingly irreplaceable swimmers year on year. After graduating Kate Douglass in 2023, Jasmine Nocentini stepped onto the relay and the Cavaliers were just 0.05 seconds slower in 2024, and Gretchen Walsh has been replaced this year by Italian record holder Sara Curtis.
Another big reason for the speed shown this year is the progression of Claire Curzan and Anna Moesch. Curzan was the slowest split on this relay at NCAAs last year, swimming 47.01 on the third leg, but led off in a 46.00 at ACCs which puts her in the top ten all-time individually. Anna Moesch‘s rise has been well documented, and after being 46.48 on the anchor in 2025, she was 45.81 at 2026 ACCs.
Moesch should be even faster than that – her flat-start best sits at 45.71, raising the possibility of a sub-3:05 swim to round off the championship later this week. That is a scary proposition for the rest of the field – for as good as Virginia has been, there is clear room to be even better.
The other two swimmers at ACCs were Aimee Canny (47.01) and Sara Curtis (46.48). For Canny, that was her second-fastest split ever behind a 46.85 from 2023, but she also set a flat-start best in the 100 free at the beginning of February. Curtis is another who could be faster again, having swum 46.03 for 3rd at ACCs.
The riches do not stop there either. There are a pair of 47-mid swimmers in Madi Mintenko (47.59) and Nina Jazy (47.47) who may not even be on the relay, but either one could step on without Virginia giving too much away. A fifth title in a row beckons.
The 3:07 Club
Stanford are one of the only teams entered whose entry time comes not from their conference championships, but from midseason. They posted 3:07.59 at the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational, and the same team finished 4th at ACCs in 3:08.72. Torri Huske and Annam Olasewere swapped positions, with Huske leading off at ACCs, but every swimmer was slower last month than in November.
On the face of it that didn’t seem to tally with the individual performances at ACCs – Huske (45.79) Olasewere (47.17) and Gigi Johnson (47.48) had all set best times that same day. The lack of a true freestyler as their fourth swimmer could be an issue too – Lucy Thomas was just 47.99 at ACCs, the slowest leg of anyone in the top five – but Huske, Olasewere, and Johnson have more than enough firepower to keep this relay near the front. Whether it will be enough for Thomas to hold onto a podium spot on the anchor will remain to be seen.
Indiana owed their victory at Big Tens to a blazing 45.78 split from breakout freshman Liberty Clark, and their position among this group is the most precarious. They did not have anyone else split under 47 seconds last month, with Kristina Paegle‘s 47.03 their next fastest split, and Alex Shackell was 47.74 on the leadoff. Grace Hoeper dropped a nice split of 47.17 on the anchor, which is eight tenths under her flat-start best, and the Hoosiers will struggle to drop time at NCAAs. Swimming in the wash of Virginia will not help with that, and Clark will be required to throw down another huge split to keep them in contention- a big ask for a freshman at NCAAs.
Michigan were 4th last year, and like a lot of the teams here have two new swimmers on this relay. Stephanie Balduccini (47.31 leadoff) and Brady Kendall (47.57) are the two returners, and are joined by breakout swimmer Lexi Greenhawt and transfer Bella Sims. Sims (46.41) was one of three 46-point splits at Big Tens as they were just pipped by Indiana, joined by Kendall (46.71) and Balduccini (46.81). For Kendall that was over a second faster than her season best time of 47.95, but Balduccini was 46.98 at a CSCAA Challenge meet in November and Greenhawt led off in 47.97, over half a second slower than her 47.40 PB. Balduccini did not look especially rested for Big Tens, and Sims was 46.53 on a flat-start last season – despite their speed already this season there is room to drop. The Wolverines added slightly at NCAAs last year, but they should be a real threat for podium contention this time around.
Difference Of Two Tapers
Tied as the #5 seed this year are two teams who have had almost opposite success with their taper for NCAAs recently – Texas and Louisville. Entered in 3:09.26 and 3:09.71 respectively last year, they swam 3:10.47 and 3:08.71 – adding over a second and dropping exactly a second. Both have also been faster already this season than at any point last year, swimming 3:08.14 at their respective conference championships.
Texas now have the sprint star in British freshman Eva Okaro that they have lacked recently, and she delivered a 46.41 leadoff on this relay at SECs. The other three members of that team all swam under their flat-start bests as Lillian Nesty (47.52), Nikoletta Padar (47.37) and Erin Gemmell (46.84) brought the Longhorns home. Gemmell (48.13 leadoff) and Nesty (47.73) were on this relay last year, but the two additions have added another dimension and have looked more than solid in their first NCAA seasons. The Texas women’s taper does hold back expectations a little, but this should still comfortably be a top eight team.
Louisville also lost half their relay last summer, graduating Gabi Albiero (47.51 leadoff) and Lucy Mehraban (47.25) transferring to Texas, but Julie Mishler and Anastasia Gorbenko are able replacements. Gorbenko has proved a swiss-army knife for the Cardinals, swimming breaststroke on the medley relays and throwing down a 46.75 split on this relay at ACCs. Mishler was 47.52 but has a flat start best of 47.58, and Julia Dennis was just 47.05 after splitting 46.52 at 2025 NCAAs and was 46.15 on the medley relay anchor at 2026 ACCs.
Caroline Larsen‘s breakout, having dropped over a second this year and leading off in 46.82, will be huge for their chances at another podium finish. Given how well Louisville normally perform at NCAAs, breaking their month-old school record and moving up from seed looks more probable than possible.
Outside Smoke
Last year’s runners up Tennessee are only entered 8th this year, despite having Camille Spink drop a best time of 46.01 in the individual 100 free at SECs. They graduated half of their 2025 NCAA relay in Josephine Fuller (46.48) and Brooklyn Douthwright (47.85), and added a pair of 47.6s this year in Emily Armen (47.69) and Emily Brown (47.68). Armen has been 47.63 from a flat start this season, and the Volunteers have Julianna Bocksa (48.07), SEC 100 back champion Jillian Crooks (48.37) and 100 fly World Junior Record holder Mizuki Hirai (48.39) to bring onto this relay depending on who has the hot hand. Tennessee doesn’t typically taper too well for NCAAs, but did drop time in the relay last year – with the options they have they should be in line for another top eight finish, but they don’t quite have the firepower behind Spink to get back onto the podium.
Cal ran Stanford close for the overall runner-up spot at ACCs, and their progress this season can be clearly seen on this relay. They were 10th at NCAAs last year in 3:11.22, but head into the meet this season as the #6 seed after blasting 3:08.58 at ACCs. A phenomenal sophomore season from Canadian Mia West is a big part of that, leading them off at ACCs in 47.10 after splitting 47.35 last year, and both Claire Weinstein (47.27) and Teagan O’Dell (47.46) were faster than the two graduates they have replaced. Weinstein could be in line for a big split – she will not have an individual swim on day 4 and set a flat-start best of 47.57 at ACCs. Her 200 free was 1.3 seconds off her PB last month, so if she responds well to Cal’s taper there could be fireworks.
Mary-Ambre Moluh was 46.75 on this relay but 46.87 individually at ACCs, and it would not be a shock to see every member of this quartet swim faster at NCAAs than they did at ACCs. Five years since their last top-eight finish in this relay, they look like a lock.
Throwing Down The Gauntlet
With only the final heat being swum in the evening session, there is the opportunity for teams to make the top eight out of the morning heats, and with the speed present that is not an impossibility. NC State are in lane 4 in the final heat in the morning after posting 3:09.71 at ACCs, a second and a half faster than the 3:11.25 they swam at 2025 NCAAs.
Tyler Driscoll and Olivia Nel were the new swimmers at ACCs, as all four of the Pack’s splits were between 47.20 and 47.69 last month. They did add over a second last year at NCAAs though, entering with 3:10.00 which is only 0.29 seconds slower than they enter this year. If they can hit their taper right and keep their consistency they could sneak into the top eight, but it may take a big swim from someone like Erika Pelaez or Leah Shackley to do so.
Alabama will swim next to the Wolfpack in heat two after taking 3rd at SECs in 3:10.48. They have some time to drop – Gaby Van Brunt was 47.76 on the anchor but has been 47.93 individually, and Dutch star Tessa Giele was not part of the quartet. Replacing Charlotte Rosendahl with Giele on the second leg could see them drop around a second, and Cadence Vincent (47.27 leadoff) and Emily Jones (47.40) are both quicker than they were last season. Improvement on their 13th place finish in 2025 looks likely, but a place in the top eight is not out of the question either.
The Verdict
Virginia just have far too much firepower for anyone to seriously challenge them right now, and they should run away with this event to cap off a sixth championship title in a row. The podium places will be hard fought behind the Cavaliers, but Michigan and an always-dependable Louisville might just have the highest ceilings and the form to get the touch ahead of Stanford.
Cal are having a great season and should return to the top eight, and NC State may be the team who just miss out on ‘A’ final points. Being in the final heat this year really looks like an advantage, and seeing all eight of the teams in that heat swim faster than their counterparts in the morning would not be surprising.
SwimSwam Picks:
Place Team Entry Time Last Season Finish 1 Virginia 3:05.30 1st – 3:06.01 2 Michigan 3:07.90 4th –3:09.07 3 Louisville 3:08.14 3rd – 3:08.71 4 Stanford 3:07.59 5th –3:09.38 5 Cal 3:08.58 10th – 3:11.22 6 Indiana 3:07.72 T-7th – 3:10.47 7 Texas 3:08.14 T-7th – 3:10.47 8 Tennessee 3:09.03 2nd – 3:08.63Dark Horse: USC (12th – 3:12.12) – USC were just 3:18.18 at Big Tens, placing 11th, but were 3:12.12 at midseason and will be buoyed by the return of Lilla Minna Abraham, who split 46.46 on that relay and 46.07 last year. Nicole Maier has been 47.83 this season too, and Justina Kozan, Claire Tuggle, and Bella Brito are all capable of throwing down a sub-48 split. If the final heat ends up slower than expected, the 3:10-flat they have the potential to throw down could sneak into the top eight.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 W. NCAA Previews: Virginia In The Driving Seat Of The Women’s 400 Free Relay
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