The Top Returning Finishers From the NCAA Championships in 2025-26 Season
A large contingent of top performers departed college swimming at the conclusion of last season. Gretchen Walsh concluded her astounding four years representing the University of Virginia by matching or lowering the fastest time ever in all three of her individual events while Jordan Crooks was similarly brilliant in the men’s sprint events. Individual Olympic medalists Alex Walsh (Gretchen’s older sister), Luke Hobson and Mona McSharry all concluded their time representing their respective schools, as did Texas butterflyer Emma Sticklen, Indiana freestyler Anna Peplowski and essentially all the men who contended for the top spots in the breaststroke events.
Fortunately for swimming fans, the talent returning to NCAA competition for the 2025-26 season is immense. Five women are set to defend their individual wins from last season, representing seven out of 13 individual events while the five returning winners on the men’s side account for nine events. Only two events total lack at least one top-three finisher from last season returning this year. Both are men’s races, with Tomas Koski the best of those back in the 200 freestyle while Cal’s Yamato Okadome looks to benefit from a cleared-out field in the men’s 200 breaststroke.
Stanford’s Torri Huske and Virginia’s Claire Curzan are each the top returning finishers in all three of their individual events, while Hubert Kos, the Texas senior who is a newly-minted world-record holder, is the defending national champion in all of his races. However, all three swimmers are likely to make changes to their lineups this year to manage the new event order slated to make its debut this spring. Less likely to be affected is Josh Liendo, the clear favorite to win all three of his events for the second time in his career with longtime rival Crooks now graduated.
Rex Maurer, another key figure in the Longhorns’ national title, returns atop his two best events, and on the women’s side, Texas’ Jillian Cox is the defending champion in the two longer freestyle events. Caroline Bricker is the top returning finisher in both the 400 IM and 200 fly. And if Huske were to drop the 200 IM from her schedule, which seems likely, her Stanford teammate would become the best of the bunch back for 2026. And if Kos were to take the 200 IM out of his lineup, Indiana’s Owen McDonald and the Longhorn’s Will Modglin would be the only 2025 A-finalist returning to the contest.
Below is the full list of swimmers beginning this college season as the top returning national finisher from a year ago.
Women’s Top Returners
- 50 Freestyle: Claire Curzan, Virginia (21.11) – 2nd
- 100 Freestyle: Torri Huske, Stanford (46.01) – 2nd
- 200 Freestyle: Minna Abraham, USC (1:40.56) – 2nd
- 500 Freestyle: Jillian Cox, Texas (4:31.58) – 1st
- 1650 Freestyle: Jillian Cox, Texas (15:33.54) – 1st
- 100 Backstroke: Claire Curzan, Virginia (49.11) – 1st
- 200 Backstroke: Claire Curzan, Virginia (1:46.82) – 1st
- 100 Breaststroke: McKenzie Siroky, Tennessee (57.41) – 3rd
- 200 Breaststroke: Lucy Bell, Stanford (2:04.28) – 1st
- 100 Butterfly: Torri Huske, Stanford (48.90) – 2nd
- 200 Butterfly: Caroline Bricker, Stanford (1:51.55) – 3rd
- 200 IM: Torri Huske, Stanford (1:49.67) – 1st
- 400 IM: Caroline Bricker, Stanford (3:57.36) – 1st
Men’s Top Returners
- 50 Freestyle: Josh Liendo, Florida (18.23) – 2nd
- 100 Freestyle: Josh Liendo, Florida (39.99) – 1st
- 200 Freestyle: Tomas Koski, Georgia (1:31.36) – 6th (tie)
- 500 Freestyle: Rex Maurer, Texas (4:05.35) – 1st
- 1650 Freestyle: Zalan Sarkany, Indiana (14:21.29) – 1st
- 100 Backstroke: Hubert Kos, Texas (43.20) – 1st
- 200 Backstroke: Hubert Kos, Texas (1:34.21) – 1st
- 100 Breaststroke: Nate Germonprez, Texas (50.29) – 3rd
- 200 Breaststroke: Yamato Okadome, Cal (1:50.23) – 6th
- 100 Butterfly: Josh Liendo, Florida (43.06) – 1st
- 200 Butterfly: Luca Urlando, Georgia (1:36.43) – 1st
- 200 IM: Hubert Kos, Texas (1:37.91) – 1st
- 400 IM: Rex Maurer, Texas (3:34.00) – 1st
