Reviewing SwimSwam's 2026 NCAA Event Predictions – Women's Edition
The 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, GA, from March 18-21, 2026, was a spectacle of athletic prowess and strategic forecasting. SwimSwam's preview index aimed to predict the top eight finishers in each event, and the results were both impressive and insightful.
Event Highlights and Predictions:
1650 Freestyle: Jillian Cox from Texas emerged as the clear favorite, securing the top spot. However, the competition was fierce, with Gena Jorgenson from Nebraska and Claire Weinstein from Cal finishing in the top three.
200 Medley Relay: Virginia dominated this event, securing the gold medal. Louisville and Stanford followed closely behind, with Tennessee and Michigan rounding out the top four.
800 Freestyle Relay: Virginia once again proved its prowess, taking the first place. Michigan, Cal, and Stanford followed in that order, with Texas and Indiana completing the top eight.
100 Butterfly: Torri Huske from Stanford claimed the gold, followed by Claire Curzan from Virginia and Alex Shackell from Indiana. Miranda Grana from Indiana and Mizuki Hirai from Tennessee rounded out the top eight.
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200 Freestyle: Anna Moesch from Virginia claimed the gold, followed by Minna Abraham from USC, Claire Weinstein from Cal, and Liberty Clark from Indiana. Stephanie Balduccini from Michigan, Mia West from Cal, Nikolett Padar from Texas, and Madi Mintenko from Virginia rounded out the top eight.
100 Breaststroke: Eneli Jefimova from Virginia claimed the gold, followed by Anastasia Gorbenko from Louisville and Anita Bottazzo from Florida. McKenzie Siroky from Tennessee and Letitia Sim from Michigan completed the top eight.
200 Freestyle Relay: Virginia once again dominated, securing the gold medal. Stanford and Louisville followed, with Michigan and Indiana rounding out the top four.
100 Backstroke: Claire Curzan from Virginia claimed the gold, followed by Bella Sims from Michigan and Maggie Wanezek from Wisconsin. Miranda Grana from Indiana and Leah Shackley from NC State completed the top eight.
200 Breaststroke: Lucy Bell from Stanford claimed the gold, followed by Aimee Canny from Virginia and Anastasia Gorbenko from Louisville. Eneli Jefimova from NC State and Mackenzie Lung from Fresno State completed the top eight.
500 Freestyle: Jillian Cox from Texas claimed the gold, followed by Kennedi Dobson from Georgia, Claire Weinstein from Cal, and Katie Grimes from Virginia. Hannah Bellard from Michigan, Cavan Gormsen from Virginia, Julie Brousseau from Florida, and Ella Jansen from Tennessee completed the top eight.
50 Freestyle: Torri Huske from Stanford claimed the gold, followed by Sara Curtis from Virginia, Camille Spink from Tennessee, and Julia Dennis from Louisville. Brady Kendall from Michigan, Eva Okaro from Texas, Anna Moesch from Virginia, and Annam Olasewere from Stanford completed the top eight.
400 Medley Relay: Virginia dominated this event, securing the gold medal. Tennessee, Michigan, and Stanford followed in that order, with NC State and Louisville rounding out the top eight.
200 IM: Anastasia Gorbenko from Louisville claimed the gold, followed by Lucy Bell from Stanford, Mia West from Cal, and Teagan O'Dell from Cal. Angie Coe from Texas, Aimee Canny from Virginia, Campbell Chase from Texas, and Leah Hayes from Virginia completed the top eight.
100 Freestyle: Torri Huske from Stanford claimed the gold, followed by Anna Moesch from Virginia, Camille Spink from Tennessee, and Sara Curtis from Virginia. Liberty Clark from Indiana, Julia Dennis from Louisville, Eva Okaro from Texas, and Stephanie Balduccini from Michigan completed the top eight.
200 Butterfly: Hannah Bellard from Michigan claimed the gold, followed by Alex Shackell from Indiana, Tess Howley from Virginia, and Campbell Stoll from Texas. Caroline Bricker from Stanford, Emily Brown from Tennessee, Ella Jansen from Tennessee, and Carli Cronk from Notre Dame completed the top eight.
200 Backstroke: Claire Curzan from Virginia claimed the gold, followed by Bella Sims from Michigan and Maggie Wanezek from Wisconsin. Miranda Grana from Indiana, Erika Pelaez from NC State, Teagan O'Dell from Cal, and Leah Shackley from NC State completed the top eight.
Analysis and Commentary:
SwimSwam's predictions were remarkably accurate, with 120 of 144 finalists or top eight finishers correctly identified, a significant improvement from the previous year. The event with the most accurate predictions was the 400 Freestyle Relay, where all eight finalists were correctly predicted. However, the 200 Breaststroke was the least accurate, with only five of the top eight correctly predicted.
Texas emerged as the surprise package, with five top-eight finishes that were not predicted, including three in relays. Piper Enge from Texas claimed fifth in the 100 breast, and Campbell Stoll from Texas cracked the 'A' final of the 100 fly, winning the title in the 200 fly. The Longhorns' freestyle performances were particularly impressive, with Nikolett Padar moving up to finish third in the 200 free and leading off the 800 free relay.
Cal also had a strong showing, with four swimmers making 'A' finals that were not predicted, including Teagan O'Dell in the 400 IM and Annie Jia in the 100 fly. Mary-Ambre Moluh claimed sixth in the 100 free, and Lilou Ressencourt took eighth in the 200 fly.
UCLA's Rosie Murphy and Pitt's Claire Jansen were the two swimmers who landed multiple top-eight finishes after being predicted for none. Murphy set a new personal best in the 400 IM and cracked the 200 IM final, while Jansen made the 100 back final and the 200 back final, winning the latter with a new personal best.
Takeaways:
SwimSwam's predictions were largely accurate, with some notable surprises and impressive performances. Texas and Cal emerged as the surprise packages, while Virginia and Stanford continued their dominance in the team standings. The championships highlighted the importance of strategic forecasting and the unpredictable nature of NCAA swimming and diving events.
