IRVING, Texas – The 2021 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships are set for Feb. 25-27 at the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center/Barr-McMillion Natatorium in Dallas. SMU will serve as the host institution for the championship meet for the second time, along with the 2018 conference championships.
 
Live coverage of the American Swim and Dive Championships will be available on ESPN+ all three days, with prelim competition beginning each day at 10 a.m. (CT). Finals on Thursday and Friday will start at 6 p.m. (CT), and championship Saturday is slated to commence at 5 p.m. (CT). Brendan Gulick and Kristen Keith will be on the call for each finals session.
 
HOUSTON WOMEN IN SEARCH OF FIFTH STRAIGHT TITLE
Houston has a chance to make conference history this weekend at SMU, as the Cougars are in search of an unprecedented fifth American Swim and Dive Championship in the last five years. Houston won its fourth straight title in 2020 as the meet host, scoring 952.5 points to outpoint runner-up SMU.
 
Houston athletes scored 18 total event victories at last season’s championships, as Mykenzie Leehy (50 and 100 freestyle) and Ioanna Sacha (200 backstroke and 200 IM) doubling up as individual medalists. The Cougars also completed the sweep in all five relay events, establishing a meet record in the 800 freestyle relay.
 
A fifth victory would break a Houston deadlock with the East Carolina men’s program for the most team championships in either gender in meet history. The ECU men were victorious from 2015-17 and again in 2020 before the program was disbanded in the summer of 2020.
 
CINCINNATI MEN LOOK TO RETURN TO THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Following a one-year stint as the runner-up at the championships meet, Cincinnati is in search of its third team title in four seasons on the men’s side headed into the 2021 meet. The Bearcats raised the team hardware in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019, one of only two teams in the conference with multiple men’s championships (East Carolina, four).
 
Cincinnati registered a total of five event wins as the 2020 runner-up, taking the gold in three of the five individual freestyle finals heats including Michael Balcerak in the 200 freestyle and Noah Smith in the 1650 freestyle. The Bearcats added a win in the 200 IM from Dominic Polling and a team triumph in the 800 freestyle relay.
 
SMU MEN, HOUSTON WOMEN BOTH RECEIVING VOTES IN CSCAA POLL ON EVE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Both SMU on the men’s side and Houston on the women’s side were among teams receiving votes in the latest College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll that was released on Feb. 11. The Mustangs garnered five votes in the men’s poll following a 3-2 dual meet record in the regular season, and Cougars picked up 13 votes in the women’s poll thanks to 3-1 mark in dual competition.
 
NCAA B-CUTS ENTERING CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
Preparing to gear up to the top level with championship season looming, American athletes logged a number of NCAA qualifying cuts during the regular season. SMU’s Daniel Forndal (100 freestyle, :43.26), Jack Callan (1650 freestyle, 15:24.25), Jack Easton (200 backstroke, 1:44.67), Caleb Rhodenbaugh (:53.51, 100 breaststroke; 1:54.72, 200 breaststroke), Connor Dalbo (:53.80, 100 breaststroke; 1:55.75, 200 breaststroke), Colin Feehery (:54.20, 100 breaststroke; 1:56.99, 200 breaststroke; 1:45.49, 200 IM; 3:45.94, 400 IM) and Brayden Rudd (1:57.79, 200 breaststroke) have all notched men’s NCAA B-cuts, joining Cincinnati’s Blake Hanna (:47.66, 100 backstroke; 1:44.07, 200 backstroke), and Hunter Gubeno (1:43.51, 200 backstroke), Dalton Lillibridge (:53.80, 100 breaststroke) and Dominic Polling (:54.10, 100 breaststroke). Parker Hardigree, Dominic Hoefer and Peter Smithson have posted NCAA Zone D diving score off the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.
 
NCAA B-cut performers represent American women’s program have included Houston’s Mykenzie Leehy (:49.00, 100 freestyle; 1:45.33, 200 freestyle), Ioanna Sacha (:53.40, 100 backstroke; 1:55.11, 200 backstroke; 1:59.79, 200 IM), Katie Higgins (:53.68, 100 butterfly) and Abby Jackson (1:59.21, 200 butterfly) have notched cut times for the defending conference champions. Tulane’s Kate McDonald (1:01.59, 100 breaststroke) and SMU’s Olivia Grossklaus (1:58.01, 200 butterfly) have also turned in NCAA B-cuts. SMU’s Johanna Holloway, Taylor Ohlhauser and Nicole Stambo have each qualified with NCAA Zone D scores.