Re-Rank: Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits In The Girls’ High School Class of 2026 ...Middle East

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

Our annual NCAA recruiting rankings return. This year, we’re opening things with our re-rank of the graduating high school seniors before we take a look at the top recruits in the current sophomore and junior classes.

As recruiting classes get closer to actual NCAA competition, we start to weigh certain factors more heavily: NCAA scoring times become more important, and we tend to value one or two standout events a bit more heavily (compared to a wide range of just decent events) than we would for a high school sophomore who has more time to develop across the board. Having already ranked this class about a year ago, we also get a clearer picture of momentum and trajectory: which recruits are continuing to drop time throughout their senior seasons, and which have stagnated.

You can look back on our original ranks for this class below, but do remember that those ranks are merely a snapshot in time – we didn’t have a working crystal ball then, nor do we now:

Ranks As Juniors (from August 2025) Ranks As Sophomores (from August 2024)

THIS CLASS

Very versatile class with the majority of top-ranked recruits being elite across multiple disciplines. Developing sprint freestyle class—arguably the events where female swimmers tend to improve the most in college. No one in the class projects to score on paper in the 50, 100 or 200, though there are two sub-48 in the 100 free. Very strong distance freestyle class, with four swimmers fast enough to score in the 1650 free already. High-end backstroke class, with two recruits fast enough to score in both distances. Relatively weak breaststroke class, though Molly Sweeney emerged as a bit of an outlier this year in the 200. Elite group of butterfly swimmers with five girls under 1:55 in the 200 and two sub-51 in the 100. Very deep medley class, though there aren’t many pure IM specialists and more all-arounders.

TOP TIMES IN THE CLASS OF 2026

Event Swimmer Time 50 Free Charlotte Crush 21.88 100 Free Charlotte Crush 47.72 200 Free Charlotte Crush 1:44.34 500 Free Kayla Han 4:36.88 1000 Free** Kayla Han 9:30.10 1650 Free Sydney Schoeck 15:51.76 100 Back Charlotte Crush 49.46 200 Back Charlotte Crush 1:48.69 100 Breast Molly Sweeney 59.24 200 Breast Molly Sweeney 2:06.72 100 Fly Charlotte Crush 50.00 200 Fly Kelsey Zhang 1:53.51 200 IM Molly Sweeney 1:54.58 400 IM Kayla Han 4:03.28

**The 1000 free isn’t an event at the Division I NCAA Championships, but is swum instead of the 1650 in many Division I dual meets and is part of the NCAA program in Division II.

THE METHODOLOGY

Our goal in these rankings is to reflect what college coaches look for in recruits, based on many years of conversations and coverage.

We focus only on American-based athletes, simply because there is so much uncertainty with international recruits – if they’ll come to the United States, when they’ll come to the States and with what graduating class they should be ranked. Projecting international recruits often becomes more of a discussion of when they’ll first join a college program and not which program they’ll join.

A few other factors that weigh heavily in our rankings:

Relay Value – Relay points count double in college swimming, and any program needs a strong stable of quality sprinters to fill out all 5 relays with stars. Obviously, a special distance swimmer can easily rank ahead of a very good 100 freestyler, but college swimming generally values a sprint freestyler over a distance swimmer, all other factors being equal. Improvements – Actual times carry the most weight by a long shot. But we also keep an eye on a swimmer’s trajectory, especially in deciding between two swimmers with relatively even times. Short Course over Long Course – while every club and every swimmer will have a different balance of focus between short course and long course swimming, the NCAA competes in short course yards, and that’s going to be the main factor considered in these rankings. Long course times are another data point for consideration, but we mainly view them through the lens of what a big long course swim could mean for an athlete’s future in short course. NCAA scoring ability – NCAAs are the big show for college teams, so we’ve weighted NCAA scoring potential very highly. Swimmers who already have NCAA scoring times wind up mostly filling out the top of our rankings. Since college athletic directors – and by extension coaches – also place high value on conference championships, scoring ability at conference meets is also a factor in our rankings. Relative depth in the NCAA and recruiting class – a wealth of elite depth nationwide in one stroke discipline makes a big difference in what times are considered more valuable in that event. Events rise at different rates in the NCAA, but when one event gets extremely deep and fast at the college level, it makes high school prospects in those events a little less valuable, relatively, with lots of other veteran options. In the same way, a recruiting class stacked with swimmers in butterfly, for example, would make each butterflyer a little less sought-after in the market, with lots of other recruiting options able to provide similar production.

Of course, there’s no way to predict the future, and the most concrete data we have to go on are cold, hard times. These rankings in no way mean that all of these 20 swimmers will be NCAA standouts, and they certainly don’t mean that no swimmer left off this list will make big contributions at the NCAA level.

Disclaimer: There are a lot of high school seniors in the country, and no really good, complete, 100% accurate listing of them all. If you don’t see your favorite swimmer on the list, feel free to politely point them out in the comments. There’s a chance that we disagree with your assessment of their spot in the top 20, and so long as it’s done civilly, there’s no problem with differences of opinion. There’s also a chance that we’ve simply missed a no-brainer (we’ve taken every precaution to avoid that), and if that happens, we want to make sure we correct it.

BEST OF THE REST

In the Best of the Rest section, we outline a few standouts who didn’t quite crack the top 20 or an Honorable Mention spot.

Verbal commitments are listed where they’ve been reported. Each of these athletes is still an extremely high-level recruit:

Sprint free: Ava De Anda (22.4/48.2/1:45.9, 55.3 FLY, 2:01 IM) **Cal** Alyssa Albertyn (22.7/49.1/1:46.4, 53.9/1:55.1 BK) **Arizona State** Caden Martin (22.2/48.9/1:48.7) **Virginia** McKinley Scobie (22.7/49.1/1:46.5, 53.2 FLY, 54.3 BK) **Army** Ally Vernon (22.8/49.3/1:46.5, 53.7 FLY, 54.7 BK, 2:00 IM) **Virginia Tech** Gioia Balzano (23.3/49.5/1:46.1/4:50.3 FR, 53.8/1:58.3 FLY, 1:58.7 BK) **Michigan** Pilar King (22.5/49.3, 54.0 BK, 53.3 FLY) **Arizona** Distance free: Clare Custer (4:44.0/9:41/16:09) **Harvard** Ella Antoniewski (23.1/49.7/1:46.5/4:44.6/9:54/16:33, 53.6/1:57.8 BK, 54.7 FLY, 2:01.7 IM) **Georgia** Riley Christensen (4:47.3/16:34, 4:16.5 IM) **Arizona State** Anne Dickinson (23.0/50.4/1:47.6/4:42.8/9:46/16:30, 55.8/1:59.2 BK) **Indiana** Morgan Farlow (4:47.6/9:51/16:27, 2:14.9 BR, 2:01.7/4:17.6 IM) **UNC** Zoie Fjare (4:49.4/16:27) **UCLA** Ellie Kayser (4:47.1/16:28) **Wisconsin** Backstroke: Virginia Hinds (52.6/1:53.9, 23.0/49.3/1:47.6/4:48.4 FR, 54.0 FLY, 4:18.6 IM) **Georgia** Mia Buff (52.6/1:53.9, 53.0 FLY, 23.4/51.2 FR) **Tennessee** Quinn White (53.3/1:55.3, 23.2/49.9/1:46.8/4:45.9 FR, 1:03.8 BR, 2:00.0/4:18.0 IM) **Duke** Vera Conic (52.5/1:54.4, 2:01.9/4:17.2 IM, 55.2 FLY) **NC State** Breaststroke: Maddie Moreth (59.9/2:11.1) **Florida** Ella McWhorter (1:00.3/2:12.6, 2:00.3 IM) **Texas A&M** Lilla Wilbur (1:01.2/2:11.3, 2:00.7/4:18.1 IM) **Wisconsin** Sara Czirjak (1:01.6/2:10.8, 55.4 BK) **Virginia** Rachel McAlpin (1:00.9/2:16.1) **Arkansas** Butterfly: Caroline Mallard (52.4/1:56.2, 23.1/50.4/1:47.0 FR) **Purdue** Vivian Moulson (54.1/1:56.1, 1:59.9/4:11.9 IM, 4:48.6 FR, 1:01.7/2:13.3 BR) **Wisconsin** Tori Yamamura (52.8/1:58.2, 50.9/4:47.5 FR, 2:01.2 IM) **Missouri** Averie Hager (52.5/1:58.4, 22.5/49.6/1:48.4 FR, 2:02.7 IM) **Notre Dame** Emma Belk (52.9/1:58.0, 23.3/50.5/1:50.0 FR) **Indiana** Emma Bronson (52.6/1:59.4, 54.0/2:00.3 BK , 2:03.6 IM) **Alabama** Addison Buckman (52.7, 23.1/50.6 FR, 55.0 BK) **JMU** IM: KC Braeger (1:59.0/4:13.0, 52.9/1:55.0 BK, 1:02.8 BR, 53.6/2:00.5 FLY, 23.2/50.0 FR) **Stanford** Maya Hetland (1:58.7/4:13.2, 53.6/1:57.0 FLY, 1:48.3 FR, 1:57.5 BK) **Arizona State** Brooke Bennett (2:00.6/4:14.1, 1:49.0/4:47.7/16:44 FR) **Georgia** Isabel Wolk (2:00.2/4:13.8, 23.2/49.8/1:46.1 FR) **Cal** Taylor Johannsen (2:00.6/4:13.9, 1:49.1/4:49.4 FR) **Miami FL** Lylah Theriac (1:59.6, 23.2/50.5/1:48.9 FR, 55.0 BK, 1:02.3 BR, 53.1 FLY) **Indiana** Elizabeth Bryan (1:59.9/4:14.5, 23.7/50.8/1:49.0 FR, 55.7/1:57.9 BK, 1:01.4/2:13.8 BR) **Navy**

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Paring the list down to 20 always feels like pulling teeth. This isn’t an exhaustive list of others we considered, but the top few left off the list who made the decisions on 18-20 very difficult.

Note that in references to the NCAA cutline, we’re using what the cutline would have been under the old qualifying format (not the 2026 process that included auto conference qualifiers).

Brynn Lavigueur (Previous Rank: 12) – Sarasota Sharks – Riverview High School – Sarasota, FL **Verbally committed to Texas**

Best Times:

100 back: 52.16 200 free: 1:45.82 100 free: 48.61 50 free: 22.45 200 IM: 1:57.69 200 back: 1:57.82 100 breast: 1:01.56

Lavigueur is a well-rounded 100/200 swimmer who is coming off a strong year that included drops in the majority of her best events. The Texas commit dropped four-tenths to get down to 52.16 in the 100 back, putting her within three-tenths of the 2026 NCAA cutline, and she also knocked three-tenths off her PBs in the sprint free events to get down to 22.4/48.6. In arguably her best event, the 200 free, Lavigueur got back under 1:46 this past season, clocking 1:45.94 at Winter Juniors – East to narrowly miss her best time of 1:45.82 set at the same meet one year earlier. We also can’t overlook her 200 IM abilities, which leveled up last season as a 1:57.6 best time puts her within three-tenths of the NCAA cutline. The Sarasota Sharks member projects to be a reliable 100/200 free/backstroker in college with elite relay capabilities, and now the 200 IM has emerged as another event option. Based on the 2026 schedule, she would likely swim the 200 free, 100 back, and then either the 100 free or 200 IM at the NCAA Championships. She’ll slot in perfectly on a Texas team that’s riding plenty of momentum, particularly in the 200 free, as the Longhorns placed 2nd in the 800 free relay at the NCAA Championships with a team that had no seniors. Lavigueur may not crack the relay as a freshman, but she’ll likely be a big part of it later in her career.

Maddie Thornton (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Bend Swim Club – Bend Senior High School – Bend, OR **Committed to Georgia**

Best Times:

200 IM: 1:56.97 400 IM: 4:13.72 200 back: 1:54.92 100 back: 53.10 200 free: 1:46.96 100 free: 49.49 50 free: 22.81 100 breast: 1:01.48

A Best of the Rest backstroker last season, Thornton had an explosive senior year that saw her improve across the board, headlined by her breakout in the individual medley events. The Bend native and Georgia commit dropped three seconds in the 200 IM to get down to 1:56.97, making her the fourth-fastest swimmer in the class and putting her well under the 2026 NCAA cutline (1:57.41). It also puts her within striking distance of what it took to score at the 2026 NCAAs (1:56.43). That 200 IM swim came at Winter Juniors – West (in the prelims, which she followed with a 1:57.22 clocking in the final), where Thornton also set best times in the 50 free (22.81), 100 free (49.49), 200 free (1:46.96) and 100 back (53.19), making her a viable free relay option in the future while also progressing in what was previously viewed as her speciality, backstroke. One month prior to that, in November, she got down to 1:54.92 in the 200 back and 1:01.48 in the 100 breast, and then this past March, she leveled up with a 4:13.72 400 IM. In the 200 back, she dropped nearly two seconds from her best coming into the 2025-26 season, and in the and 400 IM, she hadn’t raced the event since 2024 (best time of 4:29.75) prior to making it one of her best events this season. Thornton’s NCAA postseason schedule likely revolves around the 200 IM, with both backstrokes and the 400 IM being other viable options.

Anna Shnowske (Previous Rank: HM) – Quest Swimming – Toano, VA **Committed to Ohio State**

Best Times: 

200 fly: 1:55.04 100 fly: 52.56 200 free: 1:46.12 100 free: 49.41 50 free: 22.97 500 free: 4:49.37 200 IM: 2:00.59 200 back: 1:58.44 100 back: 55.87

Shnowske is coming off a big short course season that was headlined by her swims in the 200 fly, nearing NCAA scoring territory after putting up a time of 1:55.04 in late March. Coming into the season with a best time of 1:56.31, Shnowske matched it at Winter Juniors – East in December, broke 1:56 for the first time at the Virginia Senior Championships in early March in 1:55.97, and then got down to 1:55.04 at the ISCA International Senior Cup three weeks later. That time puts her just five one-hundredths shy of what it took to score at the 2026 NCAA Championships. The Ohio State commit also knocked nearly a second off her 200 free (1:46.12) and 100 fly (52.56) best times last season, chipped a bit of time off in the 100 free (49.41), and produced multiple 22-point 50 free relay splits for Quest Swimming. An NCAA schedule for Shnowske likely focuses in on the fly events and the 800 free relay, with the potential to also serve on the Buckeyes’ sprint free relays. The NCAA Championship event schedule is up in the air right now, but last season, 200 free and 100 fly coincided, so a possible third event could be either the 50 or 500 free.

Roos Rottink (Previous Rank: #HM) – Nashville Aquatic Club – Houston High School – Germantown, TN **Committed to Virginia**

Best Times:

200 back: 1:54.17 100 back: 52.88 100 fly: 52.91 200 fly: 2:00.12 50 free: 22.48 100 free: 48.85 200 free: 1:47.09 200 IM: 2:03.63

Rottink improved in all of her primary events in her senior year of high school, with the majority of those swims coming at the Winter Junior Championships – East in December. In the 200 back, Rottink set a best time of 1:55.26 at the 2023 Winter Juniors, and then 12 months later at the same meet, she went nearly the same time, 1:55.29. After setting her first best time in the event in two years in the 2025 prelims (1:55.02), Rottink broke through with a 1:54.17 clocking in the final, finishing 4th overall and becoming the seventh-fastest swimmer in this class. She also set best times in the 50 free (22.48), 100 free (48.85) and 100 fly (52.91) at the meet, showing off her sprinting prowess, and then at the Speedo Southern Premier in March, she added new PBs in the 200 free (1:47.09) and 100 back (52.88). Headed to Virginia, Rottink projects to be a versatile sprinter across free, back and fly—a similar skillset to the likes of Gretchen Walsh and Sara Curtis, with the addition of also being strong in the 200 back. Based on the 2026 NCAA schedule, a 100 fly/100 back/200 back lineup makes sense for Rottink, though she could easily swap in the 100 free for the 200 back if she takes on more of a sprint focus in college. And clearly based on her abilities, she’ll be a key player on future Cavalier relays.

Eva Rottink (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Nashville Aquatic Club – Houston High School – Germantown, TN **Committed to Indiana**

Best Times:

100 back: 51.99 100 fly: 52.88 200 back: 1:55.89 200 free: 1:49.43 100 free: 50.56 50 free: 23.17

Rottink’s performance in the 100 back at the TISCA State Championships in February made it impossible to keep her out of the Honorable Mentions this year. A BOTR backstroker last year with a PB of 53.19, Rottink set a best time of 53.00 at Winter Juniors – East in December, and then, less than two months later at the Tennessee State Championships, she broke 53 for the first time in the prelims of the 100 back (52.88), and then unleashed a time of 51.99 in the final to win the title. The Indiana commit also set best times in the 50 back (24.48) and 100 fly (52.88) at the meet, showing that she’s evolving into a traditional backstroke/butterfly sprinter who could dial in on both 100s in college. She’s also improved in the 50, 100 and 200 free this past season, though she’ll need continued development there if she’s to be a future relay contributor. The 200 back could end up being her #3 event in college, having set a best time of 1:55.89 in December 2024, and then nearly matching it this past season in 1:55.98.

Eliza Wallace (Previous Rank: #16) – Mecklenburg Swim Association – Ardrey Kell High School – Charlotte, NC **Committed to Tennessee**

Best Times:

100 breast: 59.36 200 breast: 2:12.34 50 free: 23.14 100 free: 50.25 200 free: 1:50.41 200 IM: 2:02.96

Wallace was the top 100 breaststroker in the class during last year’s rankings, and though she’s been overtaken by Molly Sweeney, she remains an elite recruit coming in for Tennessee. Wallace may not have improved her 100 breast best time of 59.36 this past season, but she got close, going 59.38 in November, which was one of four sub-1:00 swims she produced in 2025-26. She also produced 26.94/59.27 sprint breaststroke relay splits at Winter Juniors – East, which indicate she’ll be a future medley relay member for the Lady Vols. Wallace did set best times last season in the 200 breast, going from 2:14.02 to 2:12.34, and she also hit PBs in the 200 IM (2:02.96) and 100 free (50.25). The Mecklenburg Swim Association product may be a pure breaststroker in college, but her sprint free and 200 IM times aren’t far off being viable #3 options as well.

Avery Klamfoth (Previous Rank: #10) – SwimMAC Carolina – Myers Park High School – Charlotte, NC **Committed to Texas**

Best Times: 

100 breast: 1:00.43 200 breast: 2:11.27 400 IM: 4:10.90 200 IM: 1:57.61 200 back: 1:57.55 100 back: 55.25 200 fly: 2:01.27 100 fly: 55.51 1650 free: 16:45.14 200 free: 1:50.92 100 free: 50.91 50 free: 23.73

Klamfoth slides into the Honorable Mentions after being ranked in the top 10 the past two seasons due to her personal bests in her best events being over two years old. But that’s not to say she’s still a highly touted recruit who projects to have a successful career at Texas, which has churned out elite female breaststrokers over the past few years. Klamfoth owns best times of 1:00.43 in the 100 breast and 2:11.27 in the 200 breast, both from the 2023-24 season, and in 2025-26, she’s been as fast as 1:01.54 and 2:13.33. In November, she also had strong swims in the IM events, clocking 1:59.90 in the 200 and 4:13.75 in the 400, with her best times standing at 1:57.61 and 4:10.90, both from February 2024. The SwimMAC Carolina swimmer set a best time in the 200 back last month, clocking 1:57.55, and will be looking to gain more momentum this summer heading into her freshman year in Austin.

TOP 20 SWIMMERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2026

20. Hayden Gibson (Previous Rank: 14) – Razorback Aquatic Club Aquahawgs – Haas Hall Academy – Springdale, AR **Committed to Arkansas**

Best Times:

200 back: 1:52.88 100 back: 53.08 400 IM: 4:11.72 200 IM: 1:57.95 100 fly: 54.36 200 fly: 1:59.89 100 breast: 1:03.80 200 free: 1:50.78 100 free: 51.57

One of the most versatile swimmers in the class, Gibson took big steps forward in the individual medley events last season, dropping close to two seconds in both races. Gibson threw down respective times of 1:57.95 and 4:11.72 in the 200 and 400 IM at the Speedo Sectionals in Columbia in mid-March, shattering her best times entering the season of 1:59.76/4:13.72 and moving within 1% of the 2026 NCAA cutline. She also went 1:53.68 in the 200 back at that Sectionals meet, and in the 100 back, her season-best stands at 53.35 from Winter Juniors – West in December. Her backstroke personal bests remain at 53.08/1:52.88 from 2025, but she hasn’t been far off this season. The Arkansas native, who will stay in-state for her collegiate career, is also a strong butterflier and is respectable in free and breast. Like many swimmers, the 200 back/200 IM scheduling conflict in the current NCAA schedule could be an issue for Gibson in the future, though it could easily change in short order. And although she progressed the most in IM the past season, the 200 back remains her best event on paper, as 1:52.88 is comfortably under the 2026 NCAA cutline (1:53.35).

19. Riley Anderson (Previous Rank: #17) – West Hartford Aquatic Team – Manchester High School – Colchester, CT **Committed to Duke**

Best Times:

50 free: 22.07 100 free: 48.82 100 fly: 52.88 200 fly: 2:00.54 200 free: 1:48.56 100 back: 54.90

Anderson was on fire in the 50 free last season, bringing her best time down nearly four-tenths to 22.07. During last year’s rankings article, her best time sat at 22.43, and over the past season, she’s gone faster on five separate occasions. After dropping down to 22.20 in November, Anderson blasted her new best time of 22.07 at the CRA Winter Invitational in December, which ranks her third in this class and also would rank her #3 all-time in Duke history. At that same meet, she broke 49 seconds for the first time in the 100 free, clocking 48.82 to become one of just seven in this class sub-49. Her #3 event is the 100 fly, and although her best time of 52.88 stands from the 2025 Speedo Sectionals in Ithaca, she produced several 53-point swims this past season, including going 53.03 at the Ithaca Sectionals this year. The West Hartford Aquatic Team product also has a 23.91 50 fly flat start swim on her resume, making her an option for either free or fly medley relay duties for the Blue Devils to go along with being the future centerpiece of the 200 and 400 free relays.

18. Maya Schweikert (Previous Rank: 20) – Mason Manta Rays – Kings Mills High School – Maineville, OH **Committed to Georgia**

Best Times:

200 back: 1:52.03 100 back: 52.00 100 fly: 52.93 200 IM: 1:59.55 400 IM: 4:18.89 50 free: 23.33 100 free: 50.49 200 free: 1:49.05 200 fly: 2:03.49

Schweikert showed marked improvement across the board last season, most notably knocking more than a second off her best time in the 200 back and a half-second in the 100 back to move her into the class’s upper echelon among backstrokers. The Mason Manta Rays product is the fourth-fastest in the 200 back after dropping a time of 1:52.03 at the Ohio Tim Myers SC Senior Championships in March, a swim that essentially matches what it took to score at the 2026 NCAAs (1:51.97). Two weeks earlier, Schweikert set new bests in the 100 back (52.00) and 100 fly (52.96) at the OHSAA Southwest District Championships, putting her within striking distance of the NCAA cutline in the 100 back (51.83) and within a second of it in the 100 fly (52.03). She followed up by winning state titles in both races a few days later, adding in a noteworthy 23.89 50 fly relay split for Kings Mills High School. Back in December at Winter Juniors – East, Schweikert reset her best times in the 50, 100 and 200 free, 50 back, 100 fly, and most notably dropped more than three seconds in the 200 IM, getting down to 1:59.55. Headed to Georgia, Schweikert looks like a 100/200 backstroker who also swims the 100 fly as her third event, but her development in the 200 IM could also prove to be an asset. She’s also continued to make improvements in free, though there’s still a bit of time to drop if she’s to serve on UGA’s ‘A’ relays.

17. Paige Downey (Previous Rank: #11) – Gold Medal Swim Club – Gilbert, AZ **Committed to Indiana**

Best Times:

1650 free: 16:03.94 1000 free: 9:36.52 500 free: 4:44.68 200 free: 1:48.90 400 IM: 4:16.02 200 fly: 1:57.56 100 fly: 55.18 200 back: 1:59.88

One of the best milers in the class, Downey lowered her best time in the 1650 free by half a second to 16:03.94 this past season, which would’ve placed 12th at the 2026 NCAA Championships. In fact, Downey has four swims on her resume under what it took to score at NCAAs last season. She went 16:06.16 at Winter Juniors – West in December 2024, dropped to 16:04.45 at the 2025 Speedo Sectionals in Austin, and then this past season, clocked 16:06.14 at Winter Juniors –West before getting down to 16:03.94 at the Arizona Senior State Championships at the beginning of March. Outside of the mile, Downey improved in the 500 free last season, dropping about half a second to 4:44.68, which is inside 1% of the NCAA cutline, and she also set a PB of 1:48.90 in the 200 free. Her 200 fly (1:57.56) and 400 IM (4:16.02) are also competitive, within 2% and 3% of the 2026 cutline, respectively. Last summer, Downey won the girls’ 1500 free U.S. Junior National LCM title, defeating the two fastest milers in this class, Sydney Schoeck and Kayla Han, in the process. The long course and short course mile are vastly different races, but still, that victory shows Downey can step up and deliver under pressure at a taper meet, which is crucial for college success.

16. Kayda Geyer (Previous Rank: HM) – Mecklenburg Swim Association – Union Academy High School – Waxhaw, NC **Committed to Colorado State**

Best Times:

200 breast: 2:08.91 100 breast: 59.61 400 IM: 4:12.39 200 IM: 2:00.74

Geyer is coming off a big season that saw her improve from being a 1:00.6/2:11.0 breaststroker at this time last year to one of the best in the class at 59.6/2:08.9. The Colorado State commit really built into the season. At Winter Juniors – East in December, she went 1:01.90 in the 100 breast and 2:12.08 in the 200 breast. Three months later, at the Speedo Sectionals in Cary, she won three individual titles, claiming the 100 breast (59.61), 200 breast (2:08.91) and 400 IM (4:12.39), all in personal best fashion, while adding a fourth PB in the 200 IM (2:00.74). Geyer is one of only four swimmers in the class sub-1:00 in the 100 breast and one of only two under 2:10 in the 200 breast. On top of that, both her breaststroke best times are under the NCAA cutline (the 100 breast is right on), and she’s just over a half-second outside of scoring position in the 200 (2:08.35 was 16th last season). In 2026, Colorado State only sent one swimmer to NCAAs, rising senior Tess Whineray, and with the addition of Geyer, they could very well double that in 2027. We also can’t forget that Geyer represented the U.S. at the World Junior Championships last August, placing 8th in the girls’ 200 breast and 14th in the 100 breast.

15. Taylor Klein (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Mecklenburg Swim Association – Charlotte Country Day School – Charlotte, NC **Committed to Stanford**

Best Times:

200 fly: 1:54.79 100 fly: 52.63 200 free: 1:47.20 100 free: 49.80 50 free: 22.67 200 IM: 2:00.90 100 back: 54.25 200 back: 1:56.83

A Best of the Rest recruit in last year’s rankings, Klein had a big senior year of high school that saw her reset every best time listed above, other than the 200 back, which she only swam once in 2025-26. Klein entered last season with best times of 53.9/1:57.8 in the butterfly events, and saw massive progress, dropping down to 52.63 in the 100 and 1:54.79 in the 200. The 200 fly swim in particular stands out, as Klein roared to victory in the event at the Speedo Sectionals in Cary, putting her two-tenths under what it took to score at the 2026 NCAA Championships. At Winter Juniors – East in December, she set new best times in the 50 free (22.67), 100 free (49.80), 200 free (1:47.94), 100 fly (52.70), 200 fly (1:56.37) and 200 IM (2:00.90), and then she went on to re-lower both butterfly marks and the 200 free at the Sectionals in March. Her 100 fly time of 52.63 is just six-tenths shy of the NCAA cutline, while in the 200 free, her 1:47.20 clocking marked a three-and-a-half-second best time relative to where she was entering the season (1:50.83). The future Stanford Cardinal will likely focus on the 100 and 200 fly in college, with the 200 free likely remaining in her wheelhouse for 800 free relay purposes. Based on the current schedule, she may turn to the 50 free as her third individual event due to the conflict between the 100 fly and 200 free.

14. Alyce Lehman (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Jersey Wahoos – Bishop Eustace Prep School – Haddonfield, NJ **Committed to Stanford**

Best Times:

200 fly: 1:53.84 100 fly: 52.76 500 free: 4:47.06 200 free: 1:46.43 400 IM: 4:14.13 200 IM: 2:00.56 1650 free: 16:59.49

Lehman is the second-fastest swimmer in the class in the 200 fly, and ranked #1 among high school seniors last season after dropping a time of 1:53.84 at the Speedo Southern Premier in early March. Coming into the 2025-26 season with a best time of 1:56.46, Lehman lowered her PB four times this season, including going 1:54.25 in early February prior to her 1:53 breakthrough in March. Her best time is more than a second under the scoring threshold at the 2026 NCAAs (1:54.99) and is only six-tenths shy of what it took to make the ‘A’ final (1:53.24). In the 100 fly, she knocked seven-tenths off her best time last season in 52.76, while her 200 free (1:46.43) and 400 IM (4:14.13) also saw notable progression, dropping three seconds in the former and five seconds in the latter over the past 12 months. From Regan Smith to Charlotte Hook, Lillie Nordmann and Caroline Bricker, Stanford has consistently had elite 200 butterfliers on its roster in recent seasons, and Lehman looks like she’ll continue that tradition. Given that the 100 fly, 200 free and 400 IM all fall on the same day in the current NCAA schedule, the 200 fly is the only lock in Lehman’s lineup. The 500 free could be another potential race she takes on, having dropped six seconds last season to clock 4:47.06, within 2% of the NCAA cutline.

13. Elizabeth Eichbrecht (Previous Rank: 15) – Supernova Swim Team – West Bloomfield High School – Farmington Hills, MI **Committed to Indiana**

Best Times:

1650 free: 16:06.54 1000 free: 9:39.02 500 free: 4:41.54 200 free: 1:45.05 100 free: 49.06 50 free: 22.88 200 fly: 1:58.79 100 fly: 53.58 400 IM: 4:16.74 200 IM: 2:01.74 100 back: 55.94

Eichbrecht may be the most versatile swimmer in this class, currently sitting as one of the fastest in the 1650 free, owning a sub-23 best time in the 50 free, and owning a total of seven PBs that are within 3% of the 2026 NCAA cutline or better. On paper, her best event is the 1650 free, having dropped more than 41 seconds last season to clock 16:06.54 at the Michigan Open in February, putting her two seconds under the scoring cut-off at the 2026 NCAAs. She dropped two seconds last season in the 500 free, getting down to 4:41.54 in early November to get under the 2026 cutline, and followed up by winning the MHSAA D1 title in 4:42.89 (going 4:42.00 in the prelims) and also went 4:41.63 at Winter Juniors – East, showing consistency in the event. She also won the Michigan high school state title in the 200 free, setting a new best time of 1:45.05 in the prelims, and led off the West Bloomfield relays with new bests in the 50 free (22.88) and 100 free (49.33). She re-lowered her 100 free best at the Michigan ULTRA Championships in late March, clocking 49.06, and also reset her bests in the 200 fly (1:58.79) and 400 IM (4:16.74) earlier in the season. With fellow distance standouts Kayla Han, Paige Downey and Anne Dickinson also headed to Indiana, the Hoosiers are building a strong distance crew, and Eichbrecht will be a key centerpiece of that. The 200 free likely figures into her NCAA event lineup alongside the 500 and 1650, and looking at how Indiana’s 800 free relay showed out at NCAAs and nabbed a fifth-place finish, led by Liberty Clark, Eichbrecht could challenge for a spot on that team as soon as next season.

12. Clare Watson (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Bellevue Club Swim Team – Mercer Island High School – Mercer Island, WA **Committed to Stanford**

Best Times: 

200 fly: 1:54.29 100 fly: 51.75 100 back: 53.42 200 back: 1:57.22 200 IM: 1:59.21 200 free: 1:47.61 100 free: 49.68 50 free: 22.93 500 free: 4:53.15

Another Stanford commit and butterfly specialist, Watson owns the lethal combination of being sub-52 in the 100 and sub-1:55 in the 200 fly, one of only two swimmers in the class to hold that distinction. Like Lehman, Watson was a BOTR fly swimmer in last year’s rankings, but made big strides in her senior year, lowering her 100 fly best time by over a second en route to the WIAA 3A state title in 51.75. That’s well under the NCAA cutline (52.03) and within striking distance of the scoring threshold (51.33). In the 200 fly, her best time of 1:57.56 had been on the books for more than two years, set in March 2023, when she finally lowered it to 1:56.55 at Winter Juniors – West in December. Then, at the BC Premier Invitational in March, she unleashed her new best time of 1:54.29, notably keeping all 50 splits under 30 seconds. In the Winter Juniors final, she closed in 29.80, but was 31-plus on the second 50, so that back-end speed was there, but she managed to develop her third 50 in the months leading up to the BC Premier Invitational. In addition to the fly events, the Bellevue Club product also lowered her best times in the 100 free (49.68), 200 free (1:47.61), 100 back (53.42) and 200 IM (1:59.21) last season, showing an impressive level of versatility. The 200 IM makes sense as the #3 event on her program under the current NCAA schedule, and she may well be a future player on the 800 free relay, along with the medley relays. She’s notably been 23.96 in the 50 fly from a flat start.

11. Emma Cigna (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Nation’s Capital Swim Club – Kettle Run High School – Warrenton, VA **Committed to NC State**

Best Times:

400 IM: 4:09.09 200 fly: 1:56.12 200 back: 1:52.81 100 back: 53.54 200 IM: 1:59.29 500 free: 4:45.33 200 free: 1:46.71 100 fly: 53.17 1650 free: 16:53.29 1000 free: 9:54.29

Another swimmer who was featured in the BOTR section last year but had a massive season to crack the top 20, Cigna seemed to unlock something last season. Across the 200 and 500 free, 100 and 200 back, 100 fly and 200 fly, and 200 and 400 IM, she averaged a drop of nearly three seconds per event over the course of last season, highlighted by her 4:09.09 showing in the 400 IM at the NCSA Spring Championships in March, which is under the NCAA cutline (4:09.45) and ranks her fourth in the class. In addition to the 400 IM, she’s also under the cutline in the 200 fly (1:56.12) and 200 back (1:52.81), having dropped two seconds last season in the former and more than three in the latter. The 200 fly and 200 back coincide in the current NCAA schedule, but Cigna could go a variety of routes given her wide-ranging skillset. She made big strides last year in the 200 free (1:46.71) and 500 free (4:45.33), made smaller improvements in the 100 back (53.54) and 100 fly (53.17), and after what she did in the 400 IM, it makes sense that her 200 IM is coming along as well (1:59.29). Based on the schedule, the future NC State Wolfpack could end up swimming the 500 free at NCAAs, having dropped a staggering 7.8 seconds when she clocked 4:45.33 at NCSAs in March.

10. Molly Workman (Previous Rank: #18) – Nittany Lion Aquatic Club – State College Area High School – Port Matilda, PA **Committed to Virginia**

Best Times:

100 free: 48.31 50 free: 22.17 200 free: 1:46.04 100 fly: 52.96 100 breast: 1:00.56 200 IM: 1:59.41 100 back: 54.65

Workman looks like a perfect fit for Virginia. An all-around sprinter who leans towards freestyle as her best stroke. Last season, the Nittany Lion Aquatic Club product reset her personal best times in all of her best events, save the 100 back, where she was one one-hundredth off, highlighted by her freestyle performances. Workman has now been 22-point in the 50 free 22 times, 12 of which came this past season, highlighted by her 22.17 clocking in early February at the Mid Penn Conference Championships. She lowered her 100 free PB to 48.35 at the District 6 Championships a few weeks later, and then at the PIAA 3A State Championships in March, she swept the 50 free (22.22) and 100 free (48.48), but made headlines for what she did on the relays. Workman threw down two sub-22 50 free splits, including a 21.65 anchoring the 200 free relay, and two sub-48 100 free splits, including a 47.51 anchoring the 400 free relay. Those splits would be elite in the NCAA already, indicating she’s going to be a key relay player for Virginia throughout her career. At the Speedo Sectionals in St. Mary’s City later in March, Workman continued her momentum with new best times in the 100 free (48.31), 200 free (1:46.04), 50 breast (28.46), 100 breast (1:00.56), 100 fly (52.96) and 200 IM (1:59.41) while going 54.66 in the 100 back to miss her PB by .01. The 50 free, 100 free, and likely four relays will be staples in Workman’s event program in college, and then what she chooses to focus on for a third event would likely be the 100 fly or 200 free if the schedule remains as it was last season.

9. Zoe Smith (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Arkansas Dolphins – Central High School – Little Rock, AR **Committed to NC State**

Best Times:

100 free: 47.80 50 free: 22.18 200 free: 1:46.34 100 back: 52.30 200 back: 1:54.87 100 fly: 54.29

Smith took a giant leap forward last year, dropping massive time in the sprint free events to become one of the fastest swimmers in the class. Her 100 free time jumps off the page, as, after her PB stood at 49.3 coming out of her junior season, Smith won the Arkansas 6A state title in February in 48.82, and then two weeks later at the Speedo Sectionals in Columbia, she blasted a time of 47.80 en route to winning the final. That swim ranks her second in this class, sitting just eight one-hundredths back of Charlotte Crush, and is under the 2026 NCAA cutline (47.95) and not far off what it took to score (47.46). In addition to her 100 free swim, Smith was red-hot at the Columbia Sectionals, setting new best times in everything she swam. She won the 50 free (22.18), 200 free (1:46.34), 50 back (24.18) and 100 back (52.30), and added a third-place finish in the 200 back (1:54.87 in prelims). Smith projects to be a true elite-level sprinter in both free and back, making her immensely valuable for NC State in the future, both individually and especially on relays. She’s top-five in the class in the 50 free, ranks sixth in the 100 back, and her 200 free improvements this past season make her a viable option in the 800 free relay (though she may end up racing the other four relays instead). For a 50/100 freestyler, the current NCAA schedule indicates the 200 free is likely her #3 event option, though a 50 free/100 back double on Friday is certainly doable.

8. Kelsey Zhang (Previous Rank: #5) – Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics – Saratoga High School – Saratoga, CA **Verbally committed to Cal**

Best Times:

200 fly: 1:53.51 (best in class) 100 fly: 51.78 200 IM: 1:57.09 400 IM: 4:13.27 100 back: 53.59 100 breast: 1:01.34 200 breast: 2:14.32 500 free: 4:48.16 200 free: 1:47.04 100 free: 49.97 50 free: 23.11

Zhang is the top 200 fly swimmer in the class, though her best time of 1:53.51 is now more than two years old, having been set in April 2024. She went 1:54.16 during the 2024-25 season, and as a high school senior, her fastest time has come in at 1:55.05. That puts her just shy of the NCAA scoring cut-off in 2026 (1:54.99), but her best time is knocking on the door of the ‘A’ final (1:53.24), and there’s no reason to believe she can’t get back there at Cal. In the 100 fly, she’s broken 52 seconds three times in her career, something only three other swimmers in this class have done at all, putting her in NCAA scoring range. Zhang’s PB of 51.78, set in April 2025, is under the 2026 NCAA cutline (52.03) and within a half-second of the scoring threshold (51.33). This past weekend, she won the CIF state title in a time of 51.83. Two events she did improve on this past season were the 200 IM (1:57.09) and 200 free (1:47.04), while she was close to her PBs in the 100 back and 100 breast. Cal is on an upward trajectory of late, and that includes in butterfly, with Annie Jia making the NCAA final of the 100 fly last season as a freshman, and Mia West winning the ACC title in the 200 fly as a sophomore, making for a great training environment for Zhang. The current NCAA schedule doesn’t line up perfectly for the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics product, as the 200 IM conflicts with the 200 fly and the 200 free coincides with the 100 fly. If she wants to avoid doubles, and the schedule doesn’t change, the 100 back is more likely an option over the 500 free, given that she’s only raced the 500 once since 2023.

7. Alyssa Sagle (Previous Rank: #8) – Nation’s Capital Swim Club – Battlefield High School – Gainesville, VA **Committed to Virginia**

Best Times:

200 back: 1:50.96 100 back: 50.56 100 fly: 53.67 200 free: 1:48.36 100 free: 49.92 50 free: 22.83 200 IM: 2:02.61

Sagle is coming off a standout season that saw her take another step forward in the backstroke events despite already ranking #2 in the class in both distances last year. Entering her senior season with best times of 51.7/1:51.7 in the 100 and 200 back, Sagle has been red-hot through the first few months of 2026. She reset her 100 back best time to 51.66 in the prelims of the VHSL Class 6 State Championships, and then in the final, exploded with a massive lifetime best of 50.56, breaking the National Public High School Record in the event. Despite the 100 back being ultra competitive last season, with eight women breaking 50 seconds, Sagle’s time still would’ve made the 2026 NCAA final, as 50.79 was the 8th-place cut-off in the prelims. One month later at the NCSA Spring Championships, Sagle swept the backstroke events, setting new best times in the 50 back (23.72) and 200 back (1:50.96) while clocking 51.16 in the 100. Her time in the 200 is just over half a second shy of what it took to make the NCAA final last season (1:50.31), and her 23.7 50 is faster than the lead-off leg of 10 of the 16 teams that scored in the 200 medley relay at the 2026 NCAAs. Additionally, Sagle added new PBs in the 50 free (22.83) and 100 fly (53.67) at NCSAs. Virginia has an elite backstroke training group, led by current Cavaliers Claire Curzan, Sara Curtis and Tess Howley, and we also can’t forget Isabelle Stadden recently joined the UVA pro group and has had a career breakthrough. Sagle will fit right in, and should thrive in this training environment. She’ll be a favorite to score at NCAAs right away in the backstroke events, and likely opts for the 50 free or 100 fly as her third event.

6. Emerson Callis (Previous Rank: #6) – Quest Swimming – Monacan High School – Richmond, VA **Committed to NC State**

Best Times:

200 fly: 1:54.82 100 fly: 52.52 400 IM: 4:06.52 200 IM: 1:58.46 500 free: 4:44.67 200 free: 1:47.25 100 free: 49.47 50 free: 22.88 100 back: 52.81 200 back: 1:55.03 200 breast: 2:13.08 100 breast: 1:02.92 1650 free: 16:36.06 1000 free: 9:47.90

We said it last year and we’ll say it again: Callis might be the most versatile swimmer in the class. She’s within 3% of the NCAA cutline in 10 different events, which is the most of anyone in the girls’ class of 2026, and has two events where she’s a likely NCAA scorer right from the jump. This past season, she made noted improvement in the 200 fly, dropping eight-tenths in 1:54.82 to put her under the 2026 scoring cut-off of 1:54.99. In her junior year, she exploded in the 400 IM, dropping more than six seconds to clock 4:06.52, and despite not going under it this year, she was still solid with a 4:09.59 clocking at the Virginia Senior Championships in March. At that same meet, she set new best times in the 100 back (52.81), 200 back (1:55.03) and 100 fly (52.52), winning five individual gold medals in the 100 back, 100 fly, 200 fly, and both IMs (1:58.80/4:09.59). A few weeks earlier at the VHSL Class 4 State Championships, she won a pair of state titles in two ‘off’ events, claiming the 50 free (23.14) and 100 breast (1:02.92). Callis has shown an impressive ability to take on a busy program over a four or five-day meet and thrive, but in college, things are a bit different. In championship settings, she’ll need to dial in on three individual races, and on paper, those look like the 200 fly, 400 IM, and based on the current schedule, the 100 back or 500 free would make sense as a #3 if she’s trying to avoid doubles, but she’s capable of racing anything at a high level. She’s also got the sprint free chops to be able to be a relay contributor, especially in the 800 free relay, and is strong in sprint back and fly for the medleys as well.

5. Mena Boardman (Previous Rank: #3) – Commonwealth Swimming – Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) – Portland, OR **Committed to Texas**

Best Times:

100 fly: 50.93 100 back: 52.42 50 free: 22.05 100 free: 48.62 200 back: 1:56.20 200 IM: 1:59.65 200 free: 1:47.22

Boardman falls a few spots in the rankings after failing to improve in two of her best events, the 100 fly and 50 free, last season, though she was still among the best in the class. In March 2025, Boardman unleashed a time of 50.93 in the 100 fly, ranking her #4 all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group, #2 in this class behind Charlotte Crush, and fast enough to make the 2025 NCAA ‘A’ final. This past season, though she didn’t break 51, she did go sub-52 twice, including a 51.77 clocking from Winter Juniors – East. In the 50 free, though she didn’t lower her best time of 22.05 from the previous season, she did go sub-22.5 three separate times, including a 22.30 clocking in March at the BC Premier Invitational. One week earlier, she roared to a pair of NEPSAC Division I titles in the 100 free (48.62) and 200 free (1:47.22), setting new personal bests in both. She also threw down a 23.09 50 fly relay split at the meet. In February, she set a new best time of 52.42 in the 100 back, and then matched it at the BC Premier Invitational. Last August, she gained some valuable international experience at the World Junior Championships, placing sixth in the girls’ 50 fly while winning a pair of medals after swimming preliminary legs on the U.S. medley relays. Boardman projects to be a relay lynchpin for the Longhorns throughout her career, with capabilities of swimming fly, free or back on the medley relays to go along with featuring in the sprint free relays. Individually, she can step in and challenge for a top-eight spot in the 100 fly right away, and she’ll likely also swim the 50 free and 100 free, where she has scoring potential. In addition to ranking #2 behind Crush in this class in the 100 fly, she also holds that position behind the top-ranked recruit in the 50 free, and is top-five in the class in the 100 free.

4. Molly Sweeney (Previous Rank: #4) – Carmel Swim Club – Carmel High School – Carmel, IN **Committed to Tennessee**

Best Times:

200 breast: 2:06.72 (best in class) 200 IM: 1:54.58 (best in class) 100 breast: 59.24 (best in class) 400 IM: 4:12.06 100 fly: 52.10 200 fly: 1:58.93 200 free: 1:47.09 100 free: 49.76 50 free: 23.00 100 back: 55.05 200 back: 1:59.80

Sweeney made big strides in the breaststroke events this season, lowering her class-leading 200 breast time to the sub-2:07 range while taking over as the fastest in the 100 breast. She swept the 100 breast (59.95) and 200 breast (2:06.72) titles at Winter Juniors – East this past December, with her time in the 200 lowering her previous best of 2:07.49 and putting her more than a second under what it took to make the 2026 NCAA final (2:07.58). The 2026 NCAA final had five women go sub-2:06, but four of them were seniors, meaning Sweeney could be a contender for the national title in her first year. At the IHSAA Girls State Championships in February, Sweeney helped lead Carmel to its 40th straight title, sweeping her individual events with victories in the 100 breast (59.24) and 100 fly (52.78). Her 100 breast time moves her past Eliza Wallace (59.36) for the top spot in the class, and is also comfortably under the 2026 NCAA cutline of 59.61. Sweeney also produced 22.75 50 free and 27.01 50 breast relay splits at the IHSAA Championships, and wrapped up the short course season at the Four Corners Speedo Sectionals in late March, winning the 100 breast (1:00.21), 200 breast (2:07.69) and 200 IM (1:57.73), while producing 22.82/49.36 free relay splits and adding a new PB in the 100 back (55.05). Sweeney hasn’t seriously approached her 1:54.58 best time in the 200 IM since setting it in December 2023, but she’ll still be a scoring threat in that event right away, as it took 1:56.43 to put points on the board last season. Headed to Tennessee, Sweeney will have a great breaststroke training partner in McKenzie Siroky, while there’s also a strong medley group there led by Ella Jansen and Emily Brown.

3. Sydney Schoeck (Previous Rank: 7) – CSP Tideriders – Westminster Christian Academy – Chesterfield, MO **Committed to Texas**

Best Times:

1650 free: 15:51.76 (best in class) 1000 free: 9:32.29 500 free: 4:37.88 200 back: 1:51.49 400 IM: 4:04.22 200 IM: 1:57.66 200 fly: 1:57.77 200 free: 1:46.87 100 back: 54.07 100 free: 50.94 50 free: 23.97 100 fly: 55.19

Schoeck is coming off a phenomenal season that saw her lower her best times in her eight best events on paper: 200, 500, 100 and 1650 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 200 and 400 IM. In December, she put on a clinic at Winter Juniors – West, winning titles and setting new best times in the 500 free (4:41.29), 1000 free (9:32.29) and 1650 free (15:52.56) while also placing 2nd with a new personal best in the 400 IM (4:05.96) and adding a 3rd-place finish in the 200 back. However, it was the Speedo Sectionals in Columbia a few months later that she really went off. Schoeck won the 500 free (4:37.88), 1650 free (15:51.76), 200 back (1:51.49) and 400 IM (4:04.22), and also took 2nd in the 200 IM (1:57.66), setting best times across the board. She also set new PBs in the 100 free (50.94), 200 free (1:46.87) and 50 back (25.59) on relay lead-offs.

Her swim in the 1650 free jumps out, as she dropped almost 10 seconds off her best time entering the season, posting a time that would’ve placed 7th at NCAAs. Only our top three recruits have more than two events in which they’re fast enough to be NCAA scorers already, and all of them have four. In addition to being a top-eight swimmer in the 1650 free, Schoeck would’ve cracked the top 16 at NCAAs with her best times in the 500 free (4:37.88), 200 back (1:51.49) and 400 IM (4:04.22), and her 500 free time is within half a second of ‘A’ final territory. Her progression in the 400 IM is notable, given that she entered 2025-26 with a best time of 4:08.41, and then progressively built it throughout the season, going 4:07.93 in the prelims and then 4:05.96 in the final at Winter Juniors, and then clocking 4:04.97 in the prelims at the Columbia Sectionals before resetting her PB for a fourth straight time in the final. Her projected NCAA lineup looks like an easy one to predict, with the 500 free, 1650 free and 400 IM being her three best events on paper. She could also be a factor in the 200 back, but she really separates herself from the majority of others in the distance free and medley events, especially among this class, while the 200 back is bunched up at the top.

2. Kayla Han (Previous Rank: #2) – La Mirada Armada – La Mirada, CA **Committed to Indiana**

Best Times:

400 IM: 4:03.28 (best in class) 500 free: 4:36.88 (best in class) 1000 free: 9:30.10 (best in class) 1650 free: 15:56.07 200 IM: 1:55.74 200 fly: 1:55.46 200 free: 1:45.37 100 fly: 53.78 200 breast: 2:14.62 100 breast: 1:03.77 200 back: 1:58.76 100 back: 55.91 100 free: 49.97 50 free: 23.55

Han has a very similar skillset to two former #1 recruits, Bella Sims and Katie Grimes, as she’s extremely elite across the distance free events, individual medley, and is also very strong across the 200s. After a strong summer that included winning U.S. Junior National titles in the 400 free and 800 free and earning a pair of top-seven finishes at World Juniors, Han had an impressive short course campaign in 2025-26. She set a new best time of 1:55.74 in the 200 IM in early November, and then one month later at Winter Juniors – West, she won a pair of titles and added two more runner-up finishes, most notably setting a new lifetime best time of 4:03.28 in the 400 IM. The 400 IM drop lowers her previous mark of 4:04.44 and puts her inside the NCAA ‘A’ final cutoff (4:03.65), while in the 200 IM, she knocked more than two seconds off her old PB and puts her well under the NCAA scoring threshold (1:56.43). She also set season-best times in the 500 free (4:38.28), 1000 free (9:31.06) and 1650 free (15:57.93) across those two meets, nearing her personal bests. Han closed out 2025 with a bang, setting five more best times at the Speedo Sectionals in Walnut, most notably going 1:55.46 in the 200 fly, under the NCAA cutline, and 1:45.37 in the 200 free to come within 1% of the cutline (1:44.43). In 2026, Han has primarily been focusing on long course, though she did win the CIF state title in the 500 free last weekend while also placing 3rd in the 200 IM.

Headlining Indiana’s strong recruiting class, Han projects to be a cornerstone piece for the Hoosiers for the next four seasons. A schedule featuring the 500 free, 1650 free and 400 IM seems the most likely for Han, though she’s so versatile that a lot of other events could be on the table. She’ll be a clutch swimmer for IU to have on their roster in dual meet settings, with her ability to swim essentially any event at a high level.

1. Charlotte Crush (Previous Rank: #1) – Lakeside Swim Team – Sacred Heart Academy – Louisville, KY **Committed to Tennessee**

Best Times:

100 back: 49.46 (best in class) 200 back: 1:48.69 (best in class) 100 fly: 50.00 (best in class) 50 free: 21.88 (best in class) 100 free: 47.72 (best in class) 200 free: 1:44.34 (best in class) 200 IM: 1:54.87 200 fly: 1:57.67

Crush remains the undisputed top-ranked recruit in this class with three events on her resume fast enough to make the NCAA ‘A’ final while also being a future relay stalwart at Tennessee. Although Crush didn’t improve her best times in a lot of her best events this past season, she still posted times faster than anyone else in this class. She added a bit of time, but still ranks #1 in the class for the season in the 50 free (21.98), 200 free (1:44.67), 100 back (50.11) and 200 back (1:49.24), while she tied her 100 fly best time on the nose at 50.00. Crush did set a few new personal bests, clocking 47.72 in the 100 free and 1:54.87 in the 200 IM at Winter Juniors – East, finishing as the runner-up in both races behind class of 2027 studs Rylee Erisman (100 free) and Audrey Derivaux (200 IM). Crush won the 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly at the meet in her season-best times, and then followed up by comfortably sweeping the KHSAA state titles in the 100 back and 100 fly for the fourth straight year with an identical time of 51.05 in both races. The Lakeside Swim Team product wrapped the short course season with a strong showing at the TNAQ Speedo Southern Premier, winning the 50 free (22.16), 100 back (50.46), 200 back (1:49.50) and 100 fly (50.65) while also setting season-bests in the 50 free (21.98) on a relay lead-off and in the 200 free (1:44.67) prelims before scratching the final.

Heading into college, Crush will immediately be one of the most dynamic swimmers in the nation and will give Tennessee a massive boost. Her personal best times would’ve placed her 2nd at the 2026 NCAA Championships in the 100 back, 3rd in the 200 back and 4th in the 100 fly. With reigning 100 fly champion Torri Huske graduating, Crush could finish in the top three of all three events in her first year, and should be favored to win multiple titles later in her career. Her 200 IM best time is also scary good—it would’ve tied for 9th at NCAAs—and her sprint free events are at an elite level that allows her to step in and instantly be a factor on Tennessee’s relays. With McKenzie Siroky on breast, Mizuki Hirai on fly and Camille Spink on free, the Lady Vols should have lethal medley relays this season as Crush steps into the lead-off leg.

BONUS LOOKBACK

Feeling nostalgic? Here’s a look back at our historic recruiting class rankings, plus our retrospectives of those classes after four NCAA seasons:

Recruiting Class High School Class of 2028 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores High School Class of 2027 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors High School Class of 2026 Way Too Early Rank As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2025 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2024 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2023 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2022 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2021 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2020 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2019 Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2018 Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2017 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2016 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2015 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2014 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2013 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective

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