By Mark Wild 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 Stream Live ResultsDay 1 Early Heats Heat Sheet
With the dawn comes a new beginning as the 2026 NCAA Championship kicks off with its new format. Pre-COVID, the first day was a time for the final 800 free relay. When all the relays moved to timed finals during COVID, the first day became that of one of contrast with the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay taking to the pool. However, since the release of the new schedule, day 1 has carried even more weight, with the mile, an event relegated to the end of the meet, now kicking things off.
With the 1650 transitioning to Day 1, the two relays’ early heats have moved with those of the mile to a morning session, giving the meet a full four-day format. While none of the events this morning will score directly, unlike in the other individual events, this morning’s mile-ists and relay swimmers will be looking to put up times that are podium-worthy.
The session starts with four heats of the mile. Texas’s Kate Hurst and Virginia’s Cavan Gormsen are the two fastest swimmers this morning, each entering with a pair of 15:56s. Hurst finished 19th last year in 15:54.67, after entering with a seed of 15:47, and will be looking to reverse her adds from last year, especially as Texas increasingly finds its run of Top 3 finishes under threat. Gormsen, for her part, finished 12th last year in 15:55.13, but like Hurst added time to seed. The UVA Cavalier will be looking to produce a time that lasts amongst the top 8 and earns those valuable A-final points.
While there is not likely to be much overlap, the 200 medley relay will take to the water 10 minutes after the 1650 finishes. In the final morning heat (penultimate heat in the event), Texas finds itself in lane 4 again. The SEC bronze medalists are entered with a 1:34.52, but have LSU, Wisconsin, Auburn, and Indiana joining them under the 1:35 barrier, so the Longhorns will have to be on point if they wish to remain in 9th, let alone move up the rankings. They finished 6th last year, but with three of their legs having exhausted their eligibility, they seem to be in the midst of finding new medley relay legs, especially the back and fly ones.
Much more of an overlap is expected between the last two relays, as the break between 200 Med and 800 free is listed in the timeline as lasting 45 minutes. But that break does allow for the anticipation to build, especially for Tennessee, Louisville, and Ohio State. The three programs are entered into the meet with 6:54 entry times, and each will be vying to establish a time, like in the 200 medley, which will earn their teams those A-final points. Tennessee finished 6th last year but graduated two legs, and at SECs moved Camille Spink to the shorter relays, leaving the now Sophomore Ella Jansen the lone likely returner. Louisville and Ohio State finished 12th and 13th last year at NCAAs and are seeded nearly five seconds faster than they finished in 2025, but the question remains as to whether they still have room to improve and break into the top 8, a question that will be answered only when the final heat swim tonight.
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