January all the time looks as if it lasts without end however it’s lastly February, and the NCAA postseason is on the horizon. Some convention meets are solely days away now. This previous weekend, many groups closed the books on the common season and that meant many groups confronted off towards their long-standing rival faculties. Throughout the nation, groups renewed these heated rivalries, giving us some thrilling motion as we gear up for probably the most thrilling a part of the school season.
This week, we’re diving deep on how the motion unfolded at these rivalry meets.
HYP
Ladies:
Princeton, 160.5 def. Harvard, 139.5
Princeton, 209 def. Yale, 91
Harvard, 307 def. Yale, 93
Males:
Princeton, 193 def. Harvard, 159
Princeton, 201.5 def. Yale, 151.5
Harvard, def. Yale 172
The 2025-26 Ivy League twin meet titles have been up for grabs on the annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton tri-meet this weekend in Cambridge. The Harvard and Princeton ladies have been each undefeated in Ivy League duals heading into the weekend, as have been all three groups on the boys’s facet. On the finish of the meet, Princeton was topped each the ladies’s and males’s Ivy League Twin Meet Champions for the season.
The ladies’s meet got here all the way down to the ultimate relay. The Crimson began the two-day meet sturdy, profitable the primary three occasions–and 4 of the primary 5. Nina Janmyr (3-meter), Alexandra Bastone (1000 free, 9:38.94), and Anya Mostek (100 again, 52.34) earned particular person wins to provide the house group a sizzling begin, plus the 200 medley relay group’s victory in 1:37.77.
Credit score: Jason Wang / Peak Pictures
Princeton actually began to get rolling to shut out the primary day, with Eleanor Solar (1:55.66) profitable the 200 butterfly and Sabrina Johnston (22.42) and Sophia Sunwoo (22.72) going 1-3 within the 50 freestyle. The trio led a full scale assault on Day 2, serving to the Tigers shut a 12-point hole as Solar picked up two extra occasion wins whereas Johnston and Sunwoo went 1-2 within the 100 freestyle. The lead modified palms a number of occasions all through the day however with solely the 400 freestyle relay left, Harvard wanted to complete first and third to be able to eke out a 1-point victory. However Sunwoo, Johnston, and Solar mixed with Simecek to the touch first (3:16.04) and safe the general win.
Princeton’s divers went 1-2-3-6-7 within the opening males’s 1-meter occasion, giving the Tigers a 16-point benefit earlier than the primary swimming occasion. Harvard collected early wins within the 200 freestyle relay and 1000 freestyle, with Crimson freshman William Mulgrew breaking the pool file within the latter (8:48.72). Princeton struck again with Mitchell Schott profitable the 200 free (1:33.38) and 200 fly (1:42.40) backed by sturdy performances from his teammates in every occasion. In the meantime, the Bulldogs have been conserving themselves within the combine wins wins within the 100 again (Jake Wang, 46.85), 100 breaststroke (Charlie Egeland, 53.02), and 400 IM (Kavin Li, 3:49.11).
The Tigers led each groups after Day 1, holding a 5 level benefit over Harvard and an 18-point one over Yale, whereas the Crimson led the Bulldogs by 30 factors.
Diving was enormous for the Tigers on Day 2 once more, serving to Princeton prolong their lead and depart Harvard and Yale to give attention to their head-to-head battle. Princeton picked up extra wins from Schott, Nicholas Finch, and their 200 medley/400 freestyle relay groups. Harvard’s three occasion wins in a row in the midst of the session from Adriano Arioti (200 again, 1:41.46), Joshua Chen (200 breast, 1:56.16), and one other pool file from Mulgrew (500 free, 4:14.25) gave the group sufficient of a cushion to beat Yale by 9 factors because the Tigers swept the meet.
Cal vs. Stanford
Ladies: #2 Stanford, 154 def. #6 Cal, 145
Males: #8 Stanford, 118 def. #7 California, 119
The Stanford and Cal males traditionally method the NCAA season very in another way–with the Golden Bears ultra-focused on the NCAA Championships–however each groups suited up to tackle their Bay Space rivals.
Cal’s quartet of Evan Petty, Yamato Okadome, Samuel Quarles, and Lucca Battaglini gained the 200 medley relay to open the day however the momentum shortly swung in favor of Stanford because the Cardinal gained 11 of the 12 particular person occasions. Rafael Gu (50 free, 100 fly), Henry McFadden (100/200 free), and Ethan Ekk (500/1000 free) every gained two particular person occasions for Stanford. Okadome earned Cal’s solely particular person occasion win of the day, edging forward of Stanford’s Zhier Fan, 51.34 to 51.57. Daniel Li prevented Okadome from finishing the breaststroke sweep, beating him with a lifetime greatest 1:50.79 to Okadome’s 1:51.11.
Lucy Bell (photograph: Jack Spitser)
The ladies’s meet was additionally suited and was a a lot nearer affair, with the Cardinal ladies grabbing a nine-point victory over the Golden Bears. Stanford senior Lucy Bell was the star of the meet, sweeping the breaststrokes and profitable the 200 IM. Her greatest efficiency of the day got here within the 200 breaststroke, the place she swam a 2:03.72. The time undercut the two:04.28 lifetime greatest she swam to win her first particular person NCAA title final March and made her the eighth quickest performer in occasion historical past. Earlier within the meet, Bell swam a 57.60 for the 100 breaststroke win forward of Cal freshman Siljie Slyngstadli’s Golden Bear file of 58.21. Bell closed her day with a win within the 200 IM (1:52.50), lacking her lifetime greatest by three-hundreths.
Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske swept the dash freestyles (21.76/46.62), whereas Gigi Johnston gained the 100 butterfly (50.76). Cal matched Stanford with six particular person occasion wins however the place it was Stanford’s seniors choosing up occasion wins, Cal’s day was highlighted by its freshmen. Whereas Slyngstadli earned a program file, fellow freshmen Claire Weinstein and Teagan O’Dell every gained a pair of occasions. Weinstein gained the 200/500 free double (1:42.13/4:38.65), hitting a brand new season-best within the former and O’Dell swept the backstrokes (50.51/1:51.13). O’Dell’s 100 again time is a brand new lifetime greatest, breaking the 50.76 she swam on the 2024 Winter Junior Championships. Cal’s ultimate freshman to win a person occasion was Camille Henveaux (1000 free, 9:41.54). Breakout sophomore Mia West stored her momentum going with a 200 fly win over Caroline Bricker, swimming a lifetime greatest 1:53.32 to edge out Bricker’s 1:53.35 swim.
With the group’s splitting the person occasion wins, Stanford’s relay wins within the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay proved to be the distinction makers in Berkeley.
Texas vs. Texas A&M
Ladies: Texas, 207 def. Texas A&M, 92
Males: Texas, 230 def. Texas A&M, 70
The Longhorns simply defeated their cross-state rivals the Aggies in Faculty Station, Texas this weekend. Distance swimmers Rex Maurer and Jillian Cox highlighted the day for the Longhorns.
Rex Maurer (photograph: Jack Spitser)
A two-time NCAA champion, Maurer has been having a powerful follow-up season to his explosive breakout in 2024-25, although it’s been a quieter season in comparison with among the headlines that his teammates have generated. He made headlines with a 8:37.19 1000 freestyle on Friday, placing collectively the seventh-fastest efficiency all-time. Maurer detrimental break up the race, going out in 4:20.72 and coming residence in 4:16.47 to take about 4 seconds off his earlier lifetime greatest (8:41.23).
Cox, additionally a two-time NCAA champion after sweeping the gap freestyle occasions finally yr’s NCAA Championships, fired off a 1000 freestyle faculty file on the ladies’s facet of the meet. Cox swam a 9:23.84, breaking the college file of 9:24.83 she swam final season throughout a twin meet towards LSU.
Rafael Fente-Damers and Campbell Stoll have been additionally key components of Texas’ victories. Fente-Damers contributed to 4 occasion wins (two particular person, two relay), putting first within the 100/200 free (43.10/1:33.66) and contributing to the profitable 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. On the ladies’s facet, Stoll grabbed wins within the 200 IM (1:57.26), 200 butterfly (1:54.02), and as a part of the 200 medley relay (1:35.84).
Auburn vs. Alabama
Ladies: Alabama, 180.5 def. Auburn, 119.5
Males: Alabama, 151 def. Auburn 149
Tommy Hagar (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Alabama swept the swimming version of the Iron Bowl however it was a close to factor, because it got here all the way down to the 400 freestyle relay to resolve the boys’s meet. Auburn gained the relay however wanted to position first and second to safe the win; Alabama earned a 2-3 end and eked out the general win by two factors, 151 to 149.
Leo Alacantara was one in all a number of double occasion winners for the Crimson Tide. He broke his personal 1000 freestyle faculty file early within the meet, swimming an 8:50.19 to decrease his mark by over a second. He adopted that up with a 500 freestyle in 4:15.65. Tommy Hagar swept the backstrokes for Alabama (45.91/1:39.29), narrowly lacking his 1:39.03 season-best. Sean Niewold, a spring semester addition, additionally picked up two particular person wins, touching first within the 50 free (19.23) and 100 fly (45.90).
The Alabama ladies earned the win extra simply, pulling away and beating Auburn 180.5 to 119.5. The standard suspects of Emily Jones, Cadence Vincent, Jada Scott, and Gaby Van Brunt have been key to the group’s win as was new addition Tessa Giele. Jones swept the backstroke occasions (51.17/1:53.58) whereas Vincent took care of enterprise within the dash freestyles (21.92/47.70).
Extra Notable Outcomes
A yr after Florida misplaced to Florida State in a impartial web site twin meet, the Gators struck again with a commanding sweep of the Seminoles. The Florida ladies earned the win 186 to 110, whereas the boys gained 202 to 93.
USC was lacking Minna Abraham, however large performances from Justina Kozan, Ashley McMillian, and Nicole Maier helped the Ladies of Troy win their fifth-straight twin meet towards cross-town rivals UCLA. USC gained 174 to 126 – an indication of enchancment for the Bruins as USC gained each occasion final yr.
Although UCLA misplaced to USC, they did seize a decisive win over Nevada (163-80) this weekend. For Nevada, the spotlight of the meet was Scarlett Ferris’ 50.78 100 backstroke program and Mountain West convention file. The time improves on her former data of 51.16 by .38 seconds and in addition improves her standing because the second-fastest mid-major swimmer in occasion historical past behind Celia Pulido (49.77).
Indiana swept Louisville at residence this weekend. The Hoosier males gained simply however the ladies’s meet was a a lot nearer affair. The #5 Indiana ladies got here from behind to beat #7 Louisville 161-138. They stamped their general victory with a faculty file within the 400 freestyle relay as Liberty Clark, Grace Hoeper, Alex Shackell, and Kristina Paegle swam 3:08.07, breaking their former program mark (set earlier this season) by over a second.
