The 2026 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships concluded with a thrilling final day of competition. The women's 1650 freestyle saw Missouri Saint Louis's Justice Beard claim her third event win of the week, securing the top time with a 16:24.18 performance. Beard's split times of 54.23 and 4:52.05/5:03.52/5:02.13 showcased her dominance. Hailey Williams finished second in 16:36.85, while Olivia Hansson took third with a 16:46.83. Beard's performance was a significant improvement from her previous best of 16:24.86, setting a new standard for the event.
The men's 1650 freestyle was equally captivating. Indiana's Swann Plaza emerged victorious with a time of 14:52.11, outpacing Tampa's Jacob Hamlin by over eight seconds. Plaza's split times of 9:03.04 and 10:25.36/10:25.36 demonstrated his exceptional pacing. Hamlin, despite finishing second in 15:00.42, narrowly missed the National Record he set last year.
The women's 100 freestyle was a close affair, with Nova's Kristina Orban claiming the gold in 49.34. Orban's split times of 23.75 and 25.59 showcased her speed. Emily Mears-Bentley took second in 49.35, while Zsofia Kurdi secured bronze in 49.40. The men's 100 freestyle saw Lynn's Maurice Grabowski triumph with a time of 41.89, three tenths ahead of Guillaume Guth.
The women's 200 backstroke witnessed West Florida's Agata Naskret breaking her own National Record with a 1:52.90 performance, surpassing her previous record of 1:53.25. Naskret's split times of 26.27 and 54.67 showcased her prowess. Tampa's Sidni Meister finished second in 1:57.29, while Vittoria Proietti took third in 1:57.54.
Drury's Alvaro Zornoza Quiros and Ivan Adamchuk dominated the men's 200 backstroke, finishing first and second respectively in 1:41.20 and 1:42.22. Zornoza Quiros' split times of 25.73 and 26.17 showcased his speed. Mesa's Richard Schmiedefeld took third in 1:43.90.
Drury's Gwen Bergum claimed the women's 200 breaststroke title in 2:10.78, breaking the NCAA record. Her split times of 33.83 and 33.75 demonstrated her strength. Melina Giraudeau finished second in 2:11.26, while Celina Schmidt took third in 2:11.97.
Indy's Jeremias Pock broke both the meet and NCAA records in the men's 200 breaststroke, finishing in 1:51.12. Pock's split times of 25.07/27.84/28.63/29.58 showcased his exceptional swimming. Lynn's Maxim Tsyfarov took second in 1:53.95, while Drury's Joao Nogueira finished third in 1:53.99.
The women's 400 freestyle relay saw Nova Southeastern set a new NCAA record, while the men's 400 freestyle relay was won by Queens. The final day of the championships showcased the talent and determination of the athletes, with several records broken and exciting races.
