College Swimming Reset (Men’s Backstroke and Breaststroke): No Stopping Hubert Kos
The college swimming season has entered its home stretch. January features the final dual meets of the season before conference championships in February and the NCAA Championships in March. Prior to the holiday break, swimmers set themselves up for championship season with strong performances at various midseason invitationals. Here is a look at every women’s individual event as of right now, including the records, the winners from the 2025 NCAA Championships, the top returning swimmers, the top times in the country this season and the top performances in history.
Below are the statistics for the men’s backstroke and breaststroke events. While both breaststroke winners from last year’s national meet have graduated, Hubert Kos returns to continue his backstroke domination.
Men’s part one – freestyle
Women’s part one – freestyle
Women’s part two – backstroke & breaststroke
Women’s part three – butterfly & IM
100 Backstroke
- U.S. Open Record: Hubert Kos – 43.20 (2025)
- American Record: Will Modglin – 43.26 (2025)
- NCAA Record: Hubert Kos – 43.20 (2025)
- 2025 Champion: Hubert Kos, Texas – 43.20
- Top Returning Finisher: Hubert Kos, Texas – 43.20
Current 2025-26 Rankings:
- Will Modglin, Texas – 43.26
- Ruard Van Renen, Georgia – 43.92
- Adam Chaney, Arizona State/Owen McDonald, Indiana – 44.13
- Max Wilson, Florida State – 44.43
All-Time Rankings:
- Hubert Kos – 43.20
- Jonny Marshall – 43.22
- Will Modglin – 43.26
- Luca Urlando – 43.35
- Ryan Murphy – 43.49
- Kacper Stokowski – 43.57
- Brendan Burns – 43.61
- Coleman Stewart – 43.62
- Dean Farris – 43.66
- Ruard Van Renen – 43.85
This is the lone event in college swimming for men or women where the top-four performers in history are active college swimmers. Hubert Kos out-dueled Jonny Marshall for the national title last season by two hundredths, with both men eclipsing the previous NCAA and U.S. Open records. Kos has since gone on to win international gold in the 200-meter back for the third consecutive year before breaking short course meters world records in the 100 and 200 back. Will Modglin threw his name into the mix with a time of 43.26 at the midseason Texas Invitational to lower the American record. Luca Urlando, who was the fastest swimmer ever one year ago, rarely competes in this event, but his Georgia teammate Ruard Van Renen is a consistent sub-44 performer. Adam Chaney also has a 43 to his name, achieved two seasons ago.
200 Backstroke
- U.S. Open Record: Hubert Kos – 1:34.21 (2025)
- American Record: Destin Lasco – 1:35.37 (2024)
- NCAA Record: Hubert Kos – 1:34.21 (2025)
- 2025 Champion: Hubert Kos, Texas – 1:34.21
- Top Returning Finisher: Hubert Kos, Texas – 1:34.21
Current 2025-26 Rankings:
- JT Ewing, Arizona State – 1:39.00
- Tommy Hagar, Alabama – 1:39.03
- Jonny Marshall, Florida – 1:39.04
- Alex Desangles, Arizona – 1:39.11
- David King, Virginia – 1:39.37
All-Time Rankings:
- Hubert Kos – 1:34.21
- Destin Lasco – 1:35.37
- Ryan Murphy – 1:35.73
- Shaine Casas – 1:35.75
- Jonny Marshall – 1:35.85
- John Shebat – 1:36.42
- Austin Katz – 1:36.45
- Owen McDonald – 1:36.63
- Gabriel Jett – 1:36.69
- Hugo Gonzalez – 1:36.72
Destin Lasco was going for a four-peat in this event last season, but Kos denied him that honor in dramatic fashion, blasting Lasco’s NCAA and U.S. Open records by more than a second. He is the big favorite for a repeat, and 1:33 could be in the cards. Meanwhile, the only other current collegians with sub-1:37 times are Marshall and Owen McDonald, and McDonald is not a lock to swim this event on the national level because a conflict in the newly-introduced schedule with the 200 IM. It’s unclear if Modglin has the endurance to put together a full 200 back. This season’s current rankings, with JT Ewing leading the way, figure to shift significantly in the coming months.
100 Breaststroke
- U.S. Open Record: Julian Smith – 49.51 (2025)
- American Record: Julian Smith – 49.51 (2025)
- NCAA Record: Julian Smith – 49.51 (2025)
- 2025 Champion: Julian Smith, Florida – 49.55
- Top Returning Finisher: Nate Germonprez, Texas – 50.29
Current 2025-26 Rankings:
- Nate Germonprez, Texas – 49.71
- Campbell McKean, Texas – 50.37
- Yamato Okadome, Cal – 50.48
- Kohen Rankin, Army – 50.76
- Will Modglin, Texas – 50.91
All-Time Rankings:
- Julian Smith – 49.51
- Liam Bell – 49.53
- Ian Finnerty – 49.69
- Nate Germonprez – 49.71
- Max McHugh – 49.90
- Finn Brooks – 49.94
- Caeleb Dressel – 50.03
- Kevin Cordes – 50.04
- Denis Petrashov – 50.27
- Carsten Vissering – 50.30
The past two seasons have seen Liam Bell (2024) and Julian Smith (2025) emerge from relative obscurity to claim NCAA titles. This year’s breakthrough performer could be Nate Germonprez, the Texas junior who clocked 49.71 at midseason to become the third-fastest man in history. Germonprez was already the top returning finisher from last season with the graduations of Smith and Denis Petrashov, but his new best time is a half-second quicker than his best from the 2024-25 campaign. Texas could put up a huge haul in this event with Campbell McKean, Modglin and Will Scholtz all sub-51 at midseason. Aside from Germonprez, Cal’s Yamato Okadome is the only A-finalist from last season back in the mix.
200 Breaststroke
- U.S. Open Record: Leon Marchand – 1:46.35 (2024)
- American Record: Will Licon – 1:47.91 (2017)
- NCAA Record: Leon Marchand – 1:46.35 (2024)
- 2025 Champion: Jassen Yep, Indiana – 1:48.30
- Top Returning Finisher: Yamato Okadome, Cal – 1:50.23
Current 2025-26 Rankings:
- Will Scholtz, Texas – 1:49.59
- Ben Delmar, North Carolina – 1:49.76
- Nate Germonprez, Texas – 1:49.80
- Yamato Okadome, Cal – 1:50.04
- Baylor Nelson, Texas – 1:50.71
All-Time Rankings:
- Leon Marchand – 1:46.35
- Will Licon – 1:47.91
- Jassen Yep – 1:48.30
- Matt Fallon – 1:48.48
- Reece Whitley – 1:48.53
- Kevin Cordes – 1:48.66
- Andrew Seliskar – 1:48.70
- Max McHugh – 1:48.76
- Carles Coll Marti – 1:48.89
- Caspar Corbeau – 1:49.15
Three swimmers recorded sub-1:50 efforts at midseason, Texas swimmers Scholtz and Germonprez plus North Carolina’s Ben Delmar. All three of those swimmers raced in the NCAA consolation final last season. This is another event primed for new blood in 2026 with six out of eight A-finalists graduating. The only men returning to the field are Okadome, who has already lowered his best time to 1:50.04, and Louisville’s Jake Eccleston. We’ll see if anyone can distinguish themselves during conference championships and throw down a 1:48 before the national meet.
