2026 W. NCAA Previews: Tight Race Set For 100 Freestyle With Moesch, Huske Leading Way ...Middle East

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Women’s 100 Freestyle

The 100 freestyle was one of the highlights during conference season with seven of the top 25 performers all-time coming on February 21, 2026, the final day of the 2026 ACC, SEC, and Big Ten Women’s Championships. The event will be absent of the fastest in history for the first time in four years as Gretchen Walsh swam a 44.71 at last year’s meet to set new NCAA, US Open, and American Records.

With only an ‘A’ final, it looks as if another seven of the top 25 performers all-time could make history in order to make the single final. With such a tight field, prelims success will be key to sneaking in. This is an event where the absence of the ‘B’ final will really be felt, with such a strong field that has gotten so much faster in the last year.

The Sub 46 Club

Gretchen Walsh is on her own in the sub-45 club, but Anna Moesch and Torri Huske are members of the sub-46 club that will be competing in the meet this year. The two were in a head to head battle earlier this year at ACCs and Moesch earned the win there.

Moesch enters as the fastest seed with a 45.71, a time that she swam to win the ACC title last month and had a strong final 25 to get ahead of Huske who touched narrowly behind in a 45.79. Neither had been sub-46 prior to this season as Huske entered the year with a 46.01 that she swam for 2nd at the 2025 NCAA Championships behind Walsh. Moesch’s best time coming into the season was a 46.76 that she swam at 2025 ACCs.

The two have set themselves up as the favorites, although they are followed close behind by numerous athletes. Both Huske and Moesch are also familiar with each other at the international level as both swam on the US women’s 4×100 free relay this past summer. Moesch split a 53.80 during prelims on the 3rd leg of the relay while Huske anchored the relay to gold in finals with a 52.88.

Just off of making the sub-46 club was Camille Spink of Tennessee who swam t0 a 46.01 in her win at the 2026 SEC Championships last month. Spink rounds out the top returners from last year as she was 3rd at 2025 NCAAs in a 46.68. Spink had a huge SEC Championships that also included titles in the 50 free and 200 free.

Fresh To The Big Stage

Besides the top three returners, the next three seeds will all be new to the NCAA Championships. Virginia’s Sara Curtis blasted a 46.03 at ACCs and has already transitioned well to short course yards after arriving from Italy in the fall. Curtis will look to join Moesch and continue the Virginia dominance, especially in the sprint freestyles. She, alongside Moesch, was already a part of the 400 free relay that swam to an NCAA record at ACCs.

Also looking to make waves for the first time at the big dance is Indiana’s Liberty Clark. Clark had not focused on swimming full-time until arriving at Indiana as she also played volleyball during high school. Her full-time focus on swimming has paid off so far as she enters as the #5 seed with a 46.22. She arrived at Indiana with a lifetime best 48.48 and dropped from her best time at five meets this season, with her final time coming at the 2026 Big Ten Championships when she broke Maggie MacNeil’s meet record.

Rounding out the three new arrivals is Eva Okaro who, like Curtis, has also adjusted to SCY well after arriving from England. Okaro finished 2nd behind Spink in the individual 100 free at SECs with a 46.77 but led off the Texas 400 free relay with a best time 46.41 which enters her as the #6 seed.

Returning ‘A’ Finalists

Louisville’s Julia Dennis made huge strides in the 100 free as a junior last season and was 8th in the final with a 47.41 but was faster in prelims with a 47.11, a lifetime best at the time. Dennis continued improving this season and swam a lifetime best 46.76 at the Eddie Reese Showdown in January. She has been at the core of Louisville’s sprint group for the last four years and will look to cap off her NCAA career on a high note.

The Big Ten returns two ‘A’ finalists with Stephanie Balduccini of Michigan and Minna Abraham of USC attempting to make the top eight once again. Balduccini hit a lifetime best 46.98 at midseason during the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge. She was a bit off of that with a 47.20 at Big Tens last month, but was off her best times in all of her individual events. Balduccini had a great taper last year so head coach Matt Bowe seems to have dialed in on what she needs at the end of the season.

Abraham did not compete at Big Tens last month, due to personal reasons, but appears on the psych sheet for NCAAs. She is tied as the 11th seed with a 47.01 but has a lifetime best 46.95 that she swam for 5th at last year’s meet. If all is well, Abraham looks to make another ‘A’ final.

How Important The Morning Shall Become

Without the ‘B’ final, the morning is going to be about the details. A few of the top seeded swimmers had big swims in finals but if they are able to do so in prelims, they make a strong case to make the final.

Caroline Larsen of Louisville enters as the #8 seed right behind Dennis. Larsen’s entry time of a 46.82 came from a lead off swim during Louisville’s 400 free relay at ACCs. She was only a 47.69 in prelims of the 100 free which earned her a spot in the ‘B’ final before she won the ‘B’ final in a 47.22.

Alabama’s Cadence Vincent also had a bit slower swim in prelims at SECs, with a 47.53 in prelims before blasting a 47.06 in finals for a lifetime best. Vincent was 10th last year in a 47.49 in the final after a 47.49 in prelims so she has improved this year but will need to post another big swim if she looks to make the top eight.

The same goes for Ohio State’s Rachel Bockrath, who was 2nd in prelims at Big Tens in a 47.68 before swimming a lifetime best 47.01 in finals.

SwimSwam’s Picks:

Darkhorse Pick

Darcy Revitt (Washington State) – Revitt returns to NCAAs after making the meet a year ago as a freshman. She has had a strong sophomore campaign and enters as the #18 seed with a 47.45 which she swam to win the Mountain West title. She swam a 48.11 at the 2025 Mountain West Championships before swimming a 48.06 at 2025 NCAAs, so she had success dropping after conference last year. Revitt trains under sprint coach Austin Pillado at WSU, who notably arrived after most recently spending time at Arizona State,

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