By Mark Wild on SwimSwam
2026 Atlantic Coast Convention Championships
Dates:
Diving: Sunday, February 15–Tuesday, February 17
Swimming: Tuesday, February 17–Saturday, February 21
Location: McAuley Aquatic Heart, Atlanta, GA
Defending champions: UVA girls (6x); Cal males (1x)
Reside Outcomes
Reside Video: ESPN+ ($)
Schedule of Occasions (PDF)
Championship Central
Pre-Scratch Psych Sheet
Reside Outcomes
Reside Recaps
Prelims:
Finals: Day 1|Day 2|Day 3
Groups: Boston Faculty, Cal, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (girls swimming & diving/males diving), NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Day 4 Warmth Sheet
Day 4 Prelims Scratch ReportÂ
In the event you’re questioning if in some way you fell within the slipstream of a Delorean travelling at 88 mph and are abruptly within the 4th day of swimming at ACCs I can’t provide help to. However I can affirm that the 4th day of the ACC Championships will see our first particular person races of the meet, as diving took heart stage on the primary two days, with the topsy-turvy 200 medley and 800 free relays occupying a lot of the consideration yesterday.
This morning, nonetheless, sees the five hundred free, 200 IM and 50 free occupying our consideration. It’s a excellent mixture of occasions for all swim followers as we see a smattering of all disciplines: the gap (not likely that lengthy, although) primarily based 500, the very technical and but quick 200 IM and the “POWER” that’s the 50 free.
UVA, presently simply eleventh within the Workforce rankings, will look to kick off their title protection in earnest as they appear to stack the five hundred free closing tonight with the likes of prime seed Aimee Canny in addition to Cavan Gormsen, Madi Mintenko and Katie Grimes, who’re seeded third by way of fifth. California, too will look to make use of this occasion to earn an enormous enhance of factors as Claire Weinstein sits seeded 2nd and her teammate Ella Cosgrove ranks seventh.
The Ladies’s 200 IM noticed a rash of withdrawals as prime seed Lucy Bell of Stanford withdrew, as did her teammate #8 Caroline Bricker. UVA too had a number of scratches as Canny (#4) and Anna Moesch (#10) withdraw. Regardless of this, nonetheless, the occasion will see an amazing battle as defending champion Torri Huske, seeded seventh on the psych sheet has opted to swim this as an alternative of the 50 free the place she was seeded 1st. Huske will take to lane 5 within the penultimate warmth, with Louisville’s Anastasia’s Gorbenko in lane 4.
The ultimate girls’s occasion on the morning, see UVA first-year Sara Curtis because the swimmer to beat on paper, however nothing is definite as Louisville’s Julia Dennis, the #2 seed, will likely be using a excessive after having captured the 200 medley relay title final evening away from UVA.
The boys’s 500 free will likely be an age previous battle of age, as the highest 4 seeds are all freshman. Actually six of the highest eight, and eight of the highest 11 entrants are making their ACC debut. Main the way in which are Ethan Ekk of Stanford, Max Carlsen of NC State, Ryan Erisman of California and Oscar Isberg of Louisville. That mentioned, the expertise of veterans Lance Norris and Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes (who’s listed as fifth yr, however is actually making his ACC debut as a Cal switch) could play spoiler.
The 200 IM is comparable story because the a lot heralded younger weapons of UVA, Max Williamson and Thomas Heilman will look to make a reputation for themselves towards the expertise of Louis Dramm, a senior from UNC and Daniel Diehl, a junior from NC State. Williamson and Heilman, the first and 4th seed are usually not the lone pair of first yr teammates within the prime 8 as Stanford has a pair of rookies seeded extremely with Omer Weiner and Jason Zhao occupying the fifth and sixth spots.
The final race of the morning, the blink and also you’ll miss it, 50 free, sees NC State seeking to make a robust displaying because the Wolfpack led by #2 seed Quintin McCarty and #6 ranked Jerry Fox will look to make up invaluable factors after DQing in final evening 200 Medley. McCarty could have his arms full nonetheless, as he’s one among 4 swimmers already beneath the 19.00 second barrier this season with Cal’s Lucca Battaglini main the way in which at 18.78, and Nikita Sheremet and Brendan Whitfield of Louisville and Virgina Tech, becoming a member of them there.
WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – FINAL
NCAA: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
ACC: 4:28.90 — Leah Smith, Virginia (2017)
ACC Championship Document: 4:30.74 — Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
Pool: 4:30.81 — Leah Smith, Virigina (2016)
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 4:39.47
High 8
Katie Grimes (UVA) – 4:36.49
Cavan Gormsen (UVA) – 4:36.55
Aimee Canny (UVA) – 4:38.37
Madi Mintenko (UVA) – 4:38.46
Clai Weinstein (California) – 4:38.71
Thilda Haell (Louisville) – 4:39.01
Daria Golovaty (Louisville) – 4:40.28
Bailey Hartman (UVA) – 4:40.65
Notre Dame’s Carli Cronk lit issues up within the 2nd warmth, the place the sophomore went 4:45.90 to put up the primary sub-4:50.00 of the morning. The 19-time Deaflympics gold medalist entered with a seed time of 4:51.75. Subsequent to her in lane 3, Stanford’s Addison Sauickie, appeared to cease mid size in her 500 and the resumed her race to complete with a time of 5:01.12. The sophomore appeared to exit the pool gingerly with some assist, earlier than needing to be helped to a chair. If we hear extra, we’ll replace.
Warmth 3 noticed just a few swimmers eclipse Cronk’s time, however warmth 4 noticed fireworks as UVA’s Cavan Gormsen, the third general seed posted the primary sub-4:40 time, because the junior hit the wall in 4:36.55, lower than a second off her entry time of 4:35.65. Out in 1:48.55, Gormsen was between 28.09 and 28.23 from the 150 to 400 yard mark, earlier than she closed in 27.88 and 27.51 to win the warmth of Louisville’s Thilda Haell, who touched the wall in 4:39.01. Virgina Tech’s Chiara Klein was Declared False begin within the warmth.
The fifth warmth was a better affair as Olympic teammates Claire Weinstein and Katie Grimes went face to face in the course of the pool. Whereas extra distance oriented than her membership teammate, Grimes had a lead of over a second on Weinstein on the 200 with the pair opening in 1:47.98 and 1:49.05, and he or she by no means appeared again because the Cavalier sophomore cruised into the wall at 4:36.49, overtaking her teammate, Gormsen’s prime time from the earlier warmth. Weinstein, who had an entry time of 4:34.81, was slightly off that as she stopped the clock at 4:38.71. The Cal Bear ought to safely advance to the A-final, as her time sits third with just one warmth remaining.
Warmth 6 was the closest of all of them as teammates Aimee Canny and Madi Mintenko managed the sector and secured themselves berths within the A-final with the pair touching in 4:38.46 and 4:38.46 respectively. The highest and 4th seeds respectively, had been out slower than Grimes, with the senior and first yr opening in 1:48s however and had been neck and neck on the 350 flip, however Canny made right here transfer slightly sooner and acquired the contact.
Within the staff race, it’s precisely what UVA wanted as they superior 5 into the highest 8, with sophomor Bailey Hartman rounding out their contingent.
MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – FINAL
NCAA: 4:02.31 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2024)
ACC: 4:06.74 — Lucas Henveaux, California (2025)
ACC Championship Document: 4:08.83 — Lucas Henveaux, California (2025)
Pool: 4:06.61 — Matthew Sates, Georgia (2022)
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 4:14.13
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Ryan Erisman (California) – 4:11.17
Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes (California) – 4:13.02
Max Carlsen (NC State) – 4:14.49
Nathan Wiffen (California) – 4:14.72
Ethan Ekk (Stanford) – 4:15.20
Patrick Branon (ND) – 4:16.10
Norvin Clontz (California) – 4:16.23
Oscar Isberg (Louisville) – 4:16.58
Up by way of warmth 4, the beginning of the circle seeded heats, the highest time belonged to UVA first yr Nathan Szobota, who stopped the clock in 4:18.02, which not solely lower 4.82 off his seed time, however betters his PB of 4:18.38 from the 2023 NCSA Spring Championships.
As talked about above within the preview, this occasion is crammed with younger weapons seeking to make a reputation for themselves and Ryan Erisman did nothing to alter that storyline because the Cal first-year out-dueled his teammate Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes. The pair had been close to equal on the 400 yard mark, with Erisman flipping at 3:21.86, 26 forward, however the Florida native turned on the afterburners and closed in a sub-50 cut up of 49.31 to the touch in 4:11.17, which like Szobota just isn’t solely a brand new Season Finest, but additionally a brand new PB, as he had by no means earlier than damaged 4:12. Oliveira de Moraes, a switch from Michigan, got here residence in 50.90 to put up the 2nd quickest time of the morning of 4:13.02.
Fellow first yr Max Carlsen of NC State asserted his authority on the sector as he had over a second lead on the 200 yard mark, with the Nevada native opening in a swift 1:37.64 (for reference, Erisman was 1:40.36). Carlsen was on a sub-4:10 tempo however after the 300 flip, the Wolfpack swimmer began to sluggish as he crept into 26-point 50s. earlier than cruising into the end wall at 4:14.49, forward of fellow first-year Patrick Branon of ND, who took 2nd within the warmth at 4:16.10.
Shock Shock, it was one other freshman profitable the final warmth of the boys’s 500 free, however Nathan Wiffen countered the script above, as #10 seed upset fellow first-years Ethan Ekk and Oscar Isberg, as he attacked the race from lane 6 and survived a 24.16 final 50 from Ekk to win the warmth in 4:14.72, a drop of almost 2 seconds from his seed. For his half Ekk, appeared to simply settle slightly too quickly within the 26-second splits, however used that final cut up to maintain himself in rivalry for the A-final, as the highest seed touched in 4:15.20, 4.10 slower than his seed.
All informed, seven of the eight A-final spots went to first years, with the lone upperclassman being Oliveira de Moraes. As he’s a switch to the ACC, your complete A-final are new faces, that means there aren’t any returning A-finalists from 2025.
WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL
NCAA: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
ACC: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
ACC Championship Document: 1:50.15 — Kate Douglass (Virgina (2023)
Pool: 1:50.08 — Alex Walsh, Virgina (2022)
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:56.69
High 8
MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL
NCAA: 1:36.34 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2022)
ACC: 1:37.98 — Destin Lasco, California (2025)
ACC Championship Document: 1:40.31 — Arsenio Bustos, NC State (2023)
Pool: 1:37.69 — Léon Marchand, ASU (2022)
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:42.65
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WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL
NCAA: 20.37 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
ACC: 20.37 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
ACC Championship Document: 20.57 — Gretchen Walsh, Virgina (2024)
Pool: 20.84 — Kate Douglass, Virgina (2022)
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 22.01
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MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL
NCAA: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
ACC: 18.34 — Jack Alexy, California (2025)
ACC Championship Document: 18.57 — Chris Guiliano, Notre Dame (2024)
Pool: 18.20 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2016)Â
2025 NCAA Invite Time: 19.02
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Learn the complete story on SwimSwam: 2026 ACC Championships: Day 4 Prelims Reside Recap
