2026 W. NCAA Previews: Virginia Chases Fifth Straight Title In ACC-Loaded 200 Free Relay ...Middle East

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Women’s 200 Free Relay – By the Numbers

In the most chaotic race in college swimming, the end result has almost been a forgone conclusion of late for the Virginia women in the 200 free relay.

The Cavaliers have won the event four straight times at NCAAs, the longest streak since Arizona won four consecutive titles from 2006 to 2009, but something will be distinctly different for UVA in 2026: No Gretchen Walsh.

Walsh has been the closest thing to a cheat code for the Cavaliers in this event, throwing down 20-point relay splits to help them to victory in her first three years of eligibility—also breaking 20 seconds in the relay at ACCs—before leading off last year’s squad in 20.37, tying her all-time mark in the 50 free.

In the first year of the post-Walsh era, the Cavaliers’ top-end sprinting depth has become the best it’s ever been, making them massive favorites to make it five straight titles in the event with the NCAA and U.S. Open records on high alert.

Curtis, Curzan Put Cavaliers A Class Above

Claire Curzan Credit: Jason Wang / Peak Images

Virginia has lost half of its NCAA-winning 200 free relay lineup in each of the past three seasons, and yet they’ve been able to continue to churn out elite 50 freestylers and set a new benchmark in the event every year.

This season, with Walsh and Maxine Parker moving on from the 2025 winning squad, the Cavaliers have reloaded with the addition of Italian freshman Sara Curtis and Augustana transfer Bryn Greenwaldt, giving them a formidable quartet alongside Claire Curzan and Anna Moesch.

All four have been firing off 21-point performances in the 50 free all season, and at last month’s ACCs, they took things to a new level, coming incredibly close to the NCAA and U.S. Open Record.

Virginia put up a time of 1:23.75, the second-fastest performance in history, only trailing the all-time record of 1:23.63 set by an entirely different team of Cavaliers in 2024.

Split Comparison

There is some room to go a little bit faster, potentially, as Greenwaldt set a best time of 21.51 at the Cavalier Invite in early February, and we’ve also seen Moesch split slightly faster than she did at ACCs (20.85 at the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge).

Curzan, the 2025 NCAA runner-up in the 50 free, has shifted her focus away from the individual race this year, but still ranks 11th in the country with her time of 21.48 from an early-season dual meet.

Sara Curtis (photo: Jack Spitser)

Curtis, who owns the second-fastest SCM 50 free split of all-time, has been on fire throughout her first season racing in the U.S. and takes over the position from Walsh as the Cavs’ top leg in this race. Her 20.46 split at ACCs tied for the 16th-fastest leg ever.

Where some of the other teams have one 20-point split surrounded by 21-mids, Virginia has three women capable of splitting 20 to go along with a 21-point lead-off

A fifth straight win in the event seems like all but a lock, and the only question will be if this foursome can better the two-year-old NCAA and U.S. Open Record. If they manage to do so, it will be a pretty incredible feat, given it’s an entirely new lineup from the 2024 squad.

ACC Depth On Full Display

Five of the top eight seeds in the 200 free relay come out of the ACC, putting the conference’s high-end depth on full display.

2025-26 NCAA Rankings, Women’s 200 Free Relay

Louisville and Stanford finished 2nd and 3rd behind Virginia last season at NCAAs, and then last month at ACCs, they joined the Cavaliers on the podium once again, though in a different order, as the Cardinal edged the Cardinals for the runner-up spot.

Both teams have one ace they can rely on for a 20-point split—Torri Huske for Stanford and Julia Dennis for Louisville—to go along with three reliable 21-point legs.

Huske’s 20.63 leg helped guide Stanford to a new program record of 1:25.14 at ACCs, while Dennis was not far off the pace in 20.79. Last year at NCAAs, Dennis split 20.63 to help push Louisville to 2nd place and a school record of 1:25.04.

Split Comparison

Torri Huske (photo: Jack Spitser)

It’s interesting that Stanford and Louisville were relatively even across the board, using their fastest swimmer on the second leg while putting their #2 swimmer (at least on paper) in the lead-off spot. If one of the teams opts to use Huske or Dennis on the opening leg, that could put them into the early lead and give them a leg up on the other team in the race for 2nd, especially if they can get in front of UVA early and then catch a draft late in the race.

Ranking 5th in the country this season are the Cal Bears, who, although they were only 5th at ACCs in a time of 1:26.69, dropped a 1:25.67 clocking at the Cal Last Chance Meet in late February, which is the third-fastest swim in school history and their quickest since 2019.

From ACCs to the Last Chance Meet, just one week apart, the biggest difference for the Bears was Mia West, who dropped more than eight-tenths from her conference championship split (21.47) in 20.63.

Split Comparison

Topping them at ACCs were the NC State Wolfpack, who put up a time of 1:26.33, led by Olivia Nel‘s 21.12 anchor leg and a solid 21.38 second split from Lily Christianson.

Cal’s swim at the Last Chance Meet appears to be their ceiling, and in the fastest-seeded heat at NCAAs, with no clear water, we can probably expect them to be in 1:26-low territory. Directly comparing them to NC State, the Golden Bears have a slight advantage with their slowest legs coming in at 21.7, while the Wolfpack had two splits slower than that (21.99 lead-off, 21.84 flying split) at ACCs.

Kendall Pushes Michigan To The Next Level

Michigan placed 4th in the 200 free relay last season at NCAAs, finishing just 35 one-hundredths back of Stanford in 3rd. Although the Wolverines graduated two members of that team, they’re stronger this year, which comes largely from the development of senior Brady Kendall.

Brady Kendall (photo: Jack Spitser)

Kendall led off the 2025 NCAA relay in 21.61 (after setting a personal best in the individual 50 free one day earlier in 21.53), and has reached a new level this season, winning the 50 free Big Ten title last month in a new conference record of 21.09.

In the 200 free relay, Kendall split a sizzling 20.72 on the second leg, joined by Lexi Greenhawt (21.67), Stephanie Balduccini (21.61) and Leila Fack (21.44) to win the Big Ten title and break the conference record.

Greenhawt has been slightly faster this season, setting a PB of 21.53 in November, and Balduccini has produced multiple 21.6 relay splits throughout the campaign, indicating both may have a bit more in the tank from the Big Ten relay.

The addition of Bella Sims—who will likely swim the other four relays but could easily slot in here—in the offseason has seemingly been a springboard for the Michigan women as they’ve been on fire all season. If they can carry that momentum into NCAAs, a top-four finish in this event is certainly in the cards.

Jockeying For Top Eight Spots: The 1:26s

Finishing in the runner-up position to Michigan in the 200 free relay at Big Tens was Indiana, which has a potent mix of veterans and freshmen that makes them a formidable challenge at NCAAs.

Liberty Clark has been a revelation in her first year in Bloomington, and although she stacks up better in the 100 and 200 free against the best of the best, she’s still right there in the 50, sitting in a tie for 9th in the nation this season in 21.47.

Clark led off the Hoosiers’ Big Ten relay in 21.48, and was followed by fellow freshman Alex Shackell (21.69), and senior teammates Mya DeWitt (22.08) and Kristina Paegle (20.95) as the team set a new program record of 1:26.20.

Shackell has split as fast as 21.40 in her career (and been 21.71 from a flat start), while DeWitt put up a 21.65 split at the Ohio State Invite in November, so the Hoosiers may have a bit of time to drop from their conference performance.

At the SEC Championships, we saw four teams engage in an exciting race for the title, with Tennessee, Alabama, Texas and LSU all finishing within a half-second of one another.

Camille Spink (photo: Jack Spitser)

The SEC was a step behind last season in this event, as Texas was the top-finishing squad from the conference in the 200 free relay at the 2025 NCAAs in 8th, clocking 1:27.00. That appears to be the case again this season, with Tennessee coming in as the top-ranked SEC team in the relay at 7th.

The Lady Vols claimed the conference title in a time of 1:26.27, thanks in large part to a 21.13 opening leg from Camille Spink. Spink won the individual 50 free at the meet in a new lifetime best of 20.87, and dropped a 20.46 anchor leg on the 200 medley relay, so she could help push Tennessee into sub-1:26 territory at NCAAs.

She’ll need help, though, and newcomer Mizuki Hirai is an accomplished short course swimmer who we should expect to be a bit quicker than 21.93 from a flying start with another month under her belt. Julianna Bocska (21.46) and Jillian Crooks (21.75) were strong on the back half.

Finishing close behind Tennessee at SECs were Alabama (1:26.39), Texas (1:26.62) and LSU (1:26.75). Among those three teams, Texas has the top single swimmer in Eva Okaro, who has been as fast as 21.26 this season, while Alabama is the only one with two swimmers sub-22 from a flat start in 2025-26, those being Cadence Vincent (21.58) and Tessa Giele (21.91).

Emily Jones (21.40) and Charlotte Rosendale (21.23) delivered standout splits for Alabama at SECs, Texas has consistency behind Okaro with three swimmers splitting between 21.69 and 21.77 at the conference meet, while LSU has a very strong 1-2 punch in Michaela De Villiers (21.72 relay lead-off, 21.59 individually at SECs) and Avery Littlefield (21.13 split), and a solid third leg (21.77 from Zoe Carlos-Broc), but is missing a sub-22 fourth split.

OTHER CONTENDERS

Joining Alabama, Texas and LSU in the second-fastest seeded heat will be Arizona, Wisconsin, Auburn, Ohio State and Northwestern.

The Wildcats won the Big 12 title in decisive fashion last month in a time of 1:27.33, paced by a 21.28 anchor leg from Julia Wozniak, while Wisconsin is the only one of those five teams that had all of their splits under 22 seconds at their conference meet. The Badgers also have Hailey Tierney on their lead-off leg, who is riding some momentum after setting a new PB of 21.76 in the 50 free at the Wisconsin Women’s Last Chance Meet (after leading off the Big Ten relay in 21.85).

There is a gap greater than a half-second between 11th-ranked LSU and 12th-ranked Arizona, so it will be a tall order for anyone to move up from the teams seeded 1:27 or slower.

SWIMSWAM’S PICKS

Dark Horse: Auburn (14th, 1:27.81) – We mentioned them above, but Auburn was disqualified in this event at SECs, so their entry time of 1:27.81 comes from the Auburn Invite in early February. They had three 21-point legs on that team, and only need to shore up their fourth leg (22.42) to be in clear sight of a top-eight spot. It’s also worth noting that Lisa Klevanovich, who led off the 200 free relay in 21.73 at the Auburn Invite, split 21.06 in November and 21.24 in February on the Tigers’ 200 medley relays.

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