By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
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) SwimSwam Preview Index Psych Sheets Live Results Live Video Scored Psych SheetsMen’s 200 Free Relay — By The Numbers
NCAA Record: 1:12.80 – Tennessee (Crooks, Caribe, Taylor, Blackman), 2025 Championship Record: 1:12.84 – Tennessee (Crooks, Caribe, Blackman, Taylor), 2025 American Record: 1:14.13 – NC State (Henderson, Miller, Fox, McCarty), 2024 U.S. Open Record: 1:12.80 – Tennessee (Crooks, Caribe, Taylor, Blackman), 2025 2025 Champion: Tennessee (Crooks, Caribe, Blackman, Taylor), 1:12.84It was only three years ago that the Florida Gators became the first team in history to break 1:14 in the men’s 200 free relay, and now we’ve seen two schools go sub-1:13.
At the 2023 NCAAs, Florida fired off a winning time of 1:13.35 to break Auburn’s super-suited record of 1:14.09 set in 2009. The Gators defended their title in 2024 (1:13.49), and then last season, Tennessee raised the bar again, dropping a stunning time of 1:12.80 at the SEC Championships.
The Volunteers backed that performance up by winning the NCAA title in 1:12.84, topping Arizona State, which became the #2 team in history in 1:13.05, while Florida placed 3rd in 1:13.37 (after setting a school record of 1:13.29 at SECs).
This season, the Sun Devils have joined the sub-1:13 club, throwing down a blistering time of 1:12.98 at the Big 12 Championships in February. No other team has been under 1:14.
2025-26 NCAA Rankings, Men’s 200 Free Relay
Arizona State, 1:12.98 – 2026 Big 12 Championships NC State, 1:14.02 – 2026 ACC Championships Florida, 1:14.44 – 2026 SEC Championships Cal, 1:14.81 – 2026 ACC Championships Louisville, 1:14.91 – 2026 ACC Championships Virginia Tech, 1:15.00 – 2026 ACC Championships LSU, 1:15.13 – 2026 SEC Championships Tennessee, 1:15.27 – 2026 SEC Championships Indiana, 1:15.36 – 2026 Indiana Last Chance Meet Stanford, 1:15.45 – 2026 ACC ChampionshipsASU’s sprinting depth is simply incredible. They’ve got six men ranked in the top 20 of the 50 free this season, led by junior Ilya Kharun, who sits in a tie atop the nation with his 18.40 clocking from the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge.
Ilya Kharun (photo: Jack Spitser)
Kharun and senior Jonny Kulow have been pillars of ASU’s relays for the last three years, but this season, the addition of a pair of transfers, former Cal Baptist Lancer Remi Fabiani and ex-Florida Gator Adam Chaney, has taken them to a new level.
Not only are the Sun Devils more than a second faster than the next-best team this season, but they’ve also been under 1:14 on three separate occasions, clocking 1:13.84 and 1:13.72 during the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge before dropping that 1:12.98 at Big 12s.
They’ve gone with a different order in each of those swims, with Tommy Palmer factoring into the two relays in November with solid 18-mid splits, but after going sub-1:13 at Big 12s, we’d have to expect them to use that lineup again at NCAAs.
Split Comparison
ASU, CSCAA Dual v. Tennessee ASU, CSCAA Dual Final ASU, Big 12s Ilya Kharun – 18.40 Remi Fabiani – 18.79 Remi Fabiani – 18.62 Adam Chaney – 18.51 Ilya Kharun – 18.09 Jonny Kulow – 18.16 Tommy Palmer – 18.43 Tommy Palmer – 18.56 Adam Chaney – 18.28 Jonny Kulow – 18.50 Jonny Kulow – 18.28 Ilya Kharun – 17.92 1:13.84 1:13.72 1:12.98Fabiani led off in 18.62, which ties him for sixth in the country, and then Kulow (18.16) and Chaney (18.28) delivered their fastest splits of the season before Kharun unleashed his first career sub-18 leg on the anchor in 17.92.
Kulow has split sub-18 multiple times in his career, including a 17.78 anchor on the 200 medley relay last season at NCAAs, and if both he and Kharun manage to do it at NCAAs, Tennessee’s all-time record of 1:12.80 is in danger. If not, the Sun Devils should still win this race easily, regardless.
FLORIDA LEADS RELATIVELY WEAK SEC
Three of the top six teams (and four of the top eight) in the 200 free relay last season at NCAAs came out of the SEC, led by national champion Tennessee, but the conference appears to be relatively thin in the event in 2025-26.
Last season, Tennessee went 1:12 at SECs and NCAAs, Florida went 1:13 at both meets, and Texas clocked 1:14 in consecutive swims.
Josh Liendo (photo: Jack Spitser)
At the 2026 SEC Championships, the Gators were the only team to crack 1:15, claiming the title in 1:14.44 behind the team of Josh Liendo (18.41), Alex Painter (18.65), Devin Dilger (18.80) and Scotty Buff (18.58).
The only change from last year’s team is Dilger, who slots in for Julian Smith, who split 18.25 at NCAAs. Liendo, Painter and Buff are all capable of being slightly faster, and Dilger split 18.75 earlier in the season, so it’s certainly in the cards for Florida to be back in the 1:13s.
The runner-up at SECs was LSU, which clocked 1:15.13 to edge out Tennessee (1:15.27) and Texas (1:15.64) thanks in large part to a sizzling 18.11 second leg from Jere Hribar. The Tigers also had Stepan Goncharov (18.85) and Simon Meubry (18.81) split sub-19 after Diggory Dillingham led off in a season-best of 19.36.
Hribar was significantly faster, anchoring in 17.59, on LSU’s 200 medley relay, while Liendo went 17.58 for Florida’s record-breaking team.
Split Comparison – 2026 SEC Championships
Florida LSU Tennessee Texas Josh Liendo – 18.41 Diggory Dillingham – 19.36 Gui Caribe – 18.55 Garret Gould – 19.01 Alex Painter – 18.65 Jere Hribar – 18.11 Pedro Sansone – 19.08 Rafael Fente Damers – 18.79 Devin Dilger – 18.80 Stepan Goncharov – 18.85 Nikoli Blackman – 18.81 Hubert Kos – 18.88 Scotty Buff – 18.58 Simon Meubry – 18.81 Koby Bujak-Upton – 18.83 Kyle Peck – 18.96 1:14.44 1:15.13 1:15.27 1:15.64The defending champions from Tennessee have lost the second-fastest 50 freestyler of all-time in Jordan Crooks, and they’re also without Lamar Taylor, who split 18.25 at the 2025 SECs and anchored them to victory at NCAAs in 18.54.
Guilherme Caribe (photo: Jack Spitser)
The Vols are led by Gui Caribe, who ranks 3rd this season in the 50 free at 18.46, while Pedro Sansone, Nikoli Blackman and Koby Bujak-Upton round out their squad. Blackman and Bujak-Upton were 18.8 at SECs, while Sansone, though he was 19.0, did go 18.78 earlier this year from a flying start.
If Tennessee wants to be in the fight for a top-four finish and go sub-1:14.5, their best option may be to lead off Blackman, who has been 18.80 from a flat start this season, and have Caribe go second, having proven he can split sub-18 with a takeover (17.81 in the 2025 NCAA relay).
As for Texas, as strong as they are as a whole, they had no pure 50 freestylers initially qualify for NCAAs. Garret Gould is their top option and the only one on the team who has broken 19 from a flat stat this season, and his 18.89 wasn’t even initially enough to earn an individual invite due to the new qualifying process—though he’s in now.
At SECs, they had Gould (19.01), Rafael Fente Damers (18.79), Hubert Kos (18.88) and Kyle Peck (18.96) combine for a time of 1:15.64. We can expect each of them to be a bit faster at NCAAs, with Kos most notably having been 18.56 last season, and two other men on the roster, Will Modglin and Camden Taylor, have split sub-19 in the past, but this foursome will be hard-pressed to crack 1:15.
NC STATE VYING FOR FIRST TOP-TWO FINISH SINCE 2019
Once synonymous with elite freestyle sprinting, NC State has arguably become better known for its distance prowess in recent years, though they did break the American Record in the 200 free relay two years ago.
Quintin McCarty (photo: Jack Spitser)
The Wolfpack haven’t cracked the top two at NCAAs in the relay since 2019, but after placing 5th last year, they’re the frontrunners for the runner-up spot this season with some key graduations for Tennessee, Florida and Cal.
NC State handily topped a strong field last month at the ACC Championships in a time of 1:14.02, a new conference record that ranks them 2nd this season behind ASU. That victory marked the Wolfpack’s fourth straight at ACCs in the event.
However, Cal beat NC State at NCAAs last season, establishing what is now the former conference record of 1:14.12, after falling at ACCs.
The Golden Bears were the runners-up to the Wolfpack again at the conference meet this year (1:14.91), but having lost all four members of their 2025 NCAA relay, they’re the clear #2 team in the ACC this season.
Louisville (1:14.91) and Virginia Tech (1:15.00) were close behind Cal at ACCs and give the conference four of the top six seeds (half of the fastest seeded heat) in the event at NCAAs.
Split Comparison – 2026 ACCs
NC State Cal Louisville Virginia Tech Jerry Fox – 18.87 Martin Wrede – 19.01 Nikita Sheremet – 18.91 Brendan Whitfield – 18.69 Quintin McCarty – 18.19 Lucca Battaglini – 18.72 Charlie Crush – 18.70 Diego Aranda – 18.82 Drew Salls – 18.33 Evan Petty – 18.38 Aiden Musso – 18.52 Tanish George Mathew – 18.72 Kaii Winkler – 18.63 Casper Puggaard – 18.70 Rian Graham – 18.78 Javier Nunez – 18.77 1:14.02 1:14.81 1:14.91 1:15.00NC State’s quartet features three swimmers who have broken 19 seconds from a flat start this season, Quintin McCarty (18.55), Jerry Fox (18.80) and Drew Salls (18.89), and then the fourth member is Kaii Winkler, who set a PB of 19.00 earlier this season but split 18.63 on the anchor leg at ACCs.
Looking at Cal’s squad, Martin Wrede has been two-tenths faster in the 50 free (18.81) than he was on the lead-off of the ACC relay (19.01), and Lucca Battaglini has been nearly as fast as he was with a takeover at ACCs (18.72) from a flat start earlier in the year (18.78), so the Bears have some room for improvement relative to their ACC time.
Louisville and Virginia Tech have well-balanced teams with all members splitting sub-19 at ACCs, and their lead-off legs could be the key at NCAAs.
Brendan Whitfield was on lifetime best form at ACCs, setting a personal best of 18.62 in the 50 free prelims before leading off VT’s relay in 18.69. Louisville freshman Nikita Sheremet, the co-World Junior Record holder in the long course 50 free, tied with Whtifield in the individual final at ACCs in a new best of 18.71 after leading off the relay in 18.91.
There’s not much between the Hokies and Cardinals—though Aiden Musso‘s 18.52 third leg was the difference-maker for VT at ACCs—and it may come down to who has the edge between Whitfield and Sheremet to determine who comes out on top.
THE MORNING HEATS
As we saw at the women’s meet, all relays seeded outside the top eight will have to swim during the prelim session in the morning, which makes the prospect of moving up and cracking First Team All-American status even more daunting. Texas was the only team to do so in the 200 free relay at Women’s NCAAs, placing 7th.
The second-fastest heat of the 200 free relay at Men’s NCAAs will feature Indiana, Stanford and Texas in the middle three lanes, with Missouri, Florida State, Michigan, Virginia and Georgia also in the mix.
Dylan Smiley (photo: Jack Spitser)
The Hoosiers won the Big Ten title (1:15.61) in a narrow race with Michigan (1:15.71) and Ohio State (1:15.93), but went quicker twice at the Indiana Last Chance Meet the following week, clocking 1:15.36 and 1:15.53. The idea behind racing the relay two more times after a successful Big Ten performance was likely in an attempt to earn a top-eight seed for NCAAs and be able to race the event in the evening session, but they missed out by a tenth.
Indiana used the same four swimmers in all three of their relay swims, and using everyone’s quickest legs, their fastest combined time comes out to 1:14.87 behind Mikkel Lee (18.90), Dylan Smiley (18.56), Travis Gulledge (18.58) and Miroslav Knedla (18.83).
That gives them a slight edge on Texas, which we predict will have a tough time breaking 1:15, while Stanford, which took 5th at ACCs in 1:15.45, could have room to drop depending on what Ethan Harrington manages on the lead-off leg. If we take Harrington’s new best time of 18.83 from the Cal Last Chance Meet and slot it in place of the 19.41 he led off with at ACCs, the Cardinal’s relay time comes out the exact same as Indiana’s optimal add-up of 1:14.87.
SWIMSWAM’S PICKS
Rank Team Entry Time 2025 NCAA Finish 1 Arizona State 1:12.98 2nd – 1:13.05 2 NC State 1:14.02 5th – 1:14.37 3 Florida 1:14.44 3rd – 1:13.37 4 Cal 1:14.81 4th – 1:14.12 5 Tennessee 1:15.27 1st – 1:12.84 6 Louisville 1:14.91 14th – 1:15.74 7 Indiana 1:15.36 7th – 1:14.67 8 LSU 1:15.13 16th – 1:15.83Dark Horse: Virginia – The Cavaliers did not use Thomas Heilman on this relay at NCAAs, but they could find themselves in the fight for a top-eight finish if they end up making the change. Maximus Williamson (18.92), Jack Aikins (18.78), Noah Powers (18.89) and Josh Howat (19.20) landed them 7th place at ACCs in 1:15.79, with first-years Powers and Howat delivering career-best splits on the back half. Heilman split 19.03 at the Cavalier Invite and set a 50 free PB of 19.23 at ACCs, and if the Cavaliers can get a fourth split under 19 seconds, a spot in the top eight isn’t out of reach. They’ve also got Spencer Nicholas, who hasn’t raced the 50 free much this season but split 18.96 on last year’s NCAA relay that was ultimately disqualified.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 M. NCAA Previews: Arizona State a Runaway Train In 200 Free Relay, Record In Sight
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