By Spencer Penland 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 Results Live Recaps Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 Finals: Day 1 | Day 2Day 3 finals at the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships will be underway in a few hours. It was a great morning of swimming at the McAuley Aquatic Center, setting the stage for what should be the most exciting night yet of these championships.
First, let’s take a look at where the team standings are heading into tonight’s session:
Top 10 Teams After Day 2
Virginia — 249 Texas — 183 Stanford — 173 Tennessee — 158.5 Cal — 133 Michigan — 132 Indiana — 128 Louisville — 79 NC State — 76 Florida — 62.5The evening’s action will kick off with the 100 back, where Virginia junior Claire Curzan was dominant this morning, clocking a 48.81. Curzan was the only swimmer in the field to go under 50 seconds this morning, but most of the final should join her in that club tonight. Her swim was a little less than half a second off her season best of 48.38. Curzan is the defending NCAA champion in this event, having won by 0.01 seconds last year over Bella Sims.
Sims, who swam for Florida last year but is with Michigan now, entered the meet with a season best 49.12 tonight, and went 50.08 this morning for 3rd. While Curzan certainly appears to have the edge in this race, Sims has some momentum, as she won the 400 IM last night. Adding to Sims’ momentum, Michigan had a terrific morning today, qualifying a swimmer to each of the 4 individual finals tonight.
The 200 breast was a fast affair this morning, with 4 swimmers going 2:05-something. Lousiville’s Anastasia Gorbenko led the way with a 2:05.16. Gorbenko is the most experienced swimmer in this field as far as high level (and pressure) finals goes, but she’ll have her work cut out for her tonight. Virginia’s Aimee Canny was 2:05.25 this morning, but has already been 2:02.97 this season. Stanford’s Lucy Bell, the defending NCAA champion in this event, was 2:05.51 this morning, and has been 2:02.67 this season.
Speaking of defending champs, Texas sophomore Jillian Cox will be trying to defend her title in the 500 free tonight. Cox won the event last year as a freshman. This morning, she swam a 4:33.89, taking the top seed for tonight’s final. Cox should have a fight on her hands tonight with Georgia freshman Kennedi Dobson, who has already been 4:30.70 this season. There’s always Cal’s Claire Weinstein as well, who came in 2nd in the mile behind Cox on Wednesday. Weinstein was only 4:36.66 this morning, but she holds a career best of 4:29.38 in the event.
The last individual event of the meet will be the 50 free. This morning, Virginia freshman Sara Curtis had an awesome swim this morning, popping a 20.93, which was her first time under 21 seconds in the event. With both Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass now out of the picture, this 50 free final should be a dogfight tonight for the first time in several years. Curtis was the fastest this morning, but Tennessee’s Camille Spink still holds the fastest season best in the field with a 20.87. Meanwhile, Stanford’s Torri Huske holds a career best of 20.92.
The 400 medley relay will conclude the session tonight. Texas got the ball rolling this morning, posting a 3:24.64, which would have seeded them 4th. As for the teams competing tonight, Virginia should win this relay resoundingly. The Cavaliers are the top seeds by 3.6 seconds, and it would be shocking to see anyone challenge them.
Looking past Virginia, the battle for 2nd should be an exciting one. Michigan (3:24.08), Tennessee (3:24.58), NC State (3:24.65), and Louisville (3:25.16) will be battling with Texas for that 2nd place finish. Each of those teams swam well this morning, and any of them could take it.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 Women’s NCAA Division I Championships: Day 3 Finals Preview
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