Get ready for an exciting update on the 2026 NCAA Automatic Qualifiers! The first day of individual events in week two of the Division I conference season has just wrapped up, and we've got some incredible swimmers to talk about.
This week, we're focusing on three of the power-four conference meets, which means a whole new batch of athletes are joining the Division I NCAA Championships in March. But here's where it gets controversial... even though conference winners from these power-four schools would typically qualify regardless, we're including them in our tracking for a more comprehensive overview.
Let's dive into the action!
Women's Highlights:
- UNLV's Ava Olson dominated the women's 500 freestyle, clocking in at 4:43.08, a personal best by almost two seconds! She dropped significantly from her previous mark of 4:44.88, easily securing her spot with a time under the qualifying threshold of 4:43.70.
- Washington State's Darcy Revitt, a returning qualifier, swam an impressive 21.84 in the 50 freestyle, improving on her prelims swim and lifetime best of 21.83.
- The ACC and SEC Championships saw all event winners easily meet the NCAA qualifying standards and 2025 Invite Times. Seven swimmers from each gender, including four from the SEC and three from the ACC, earned automatic qualifications tonight, bringing the total to 14 women and 11 men.
Men's Standouts:
- Ahmed Jaouadi from Florida took the 1650 freestyle with a time of 14:25.14, well under the 2025 Invite Time of 14:48.80.
- Hubert Kos of Texas dominated the 100 backstroke, finishing in 43.86, faster than the required 45.26.
- Luca Urlando from Georgia showcased his talent in the 200 fly, clocking in at 1:38.46, faster than the 1:41.45 invite time.
As of February 18th, here's a complete list of all the women and men who have qualified so far:
All Women's Qualifiers:
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sara Curtis | Virginia | ACC | 50 Free | 21.09 | 22.01 |
| Darcy Revitt | Washington State | Mountain West | 50 Free | 21.84 | 22.01 |
| Holly Nelson | Hawaii | Big West | 50 Free | 22.28 | 22.01 |
| Asia Kozan | UC San Diego | Big West | 200 Free | 1:45.52 | 1:44.74 |
| Katie Grimes | Virginia | ACC | 500 Free | 4:33.78 | 4:39.47 |
| Ava Olson | UNLV | Mountain West | 500 Free | 4:43.08 | 4:39.47 |
| Jillian Cox | Texas | SEC | 1650 Free | 15:32.75 | 16:09.37 |
| Jillian Crooks | Tennessee | SEC | 100 Back | 50.50 | 51.68 |
| Anita Bottazzo | Florida | SEC | 100 Breast | 57.11 | 59.51 |
| Chloe Braun | UC San Diego | Big West | 100 Breast | 58.95 | 59.51 |
| Campbell Stoll | Texas | SEC | 200 Fly | 1:50.60 | 1:55.82 |
| Samantha Banos | UCSB | Big West | 200 Fly | 1:56.44 | 1:55.82 |
| Torri Huske | Stanford | ACC | 200 IM | 1:51.27 | 1:56.53 |
| Eva Boehlke | UC San Diego | Big West | 200 IM | 1:57.43 | 1:56.69 |
All Men's Qualifiers:
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Quintin McCarty | NC State | ACC | 50 free | 18.63 | 19.02 |
| Karol Ostrowski | Hawaii | Big West | 50 Free | 19.13 | 19.02 |
| Max Carlsen | NC State | ACC | 500 Free | 4:09.44 | 4:14.13 |
| Ahmed Jaouadi | Florida | SEC | 1650 Free | 14:25.14 | 14:48.80 |
| Hubert Kos | Texas | SEC | 100 Back | 43.86 | 45.26 |
| Nate Germonprez | Texas | SEC | 100 Breast | 49.92 | 51.58 |
| Carter Dooling | Grand Canyon | Big West | 200 Breast | 1:54.56 | 1:52.89 |
| Vili Sivec | CSUB | Big West | 100 Fly | 45.91 | 45.12 |
| Luca Urlando | Georgia | SEC | 200 Fly | 1:38.46 | 1:41.45 |
| Arsenio Bustos | NC State | ACC | 200 IM | 1:40.39 | 1:42.65 |
| Tom Thalau | Hawaii | Big West | 200 IM | 1:43.93 | 1:42.65 |
Stay tuned for more updates as we head into the final stretch of the conference season! Who do you think will be the next big qualifier? And this is the part most people miss... the road to the NCAA Championships is filled with surprises and upsets. Will any of these swimmers make it to the top? Let's find out together!
