GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Rice won the 2026 American Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday, February 21, at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, successfully defending its title from 2025.
The Owls finished with 1,404.5 total points, 154.5 ahead of second-place Liberty, which had 1,250 points. East Carolina, picked seventh in the Pre-Championship Poll, finished third with 1,009.5 points, followed by FIU with 990 points. Tulane was fifth with 905.5 points, followed by Florida Atlantic (814), James Madison (787), Marshall (707.5) and North Texas (608).
Liberty’s Aly Bozzuto, the meet’s Most Outstanding Swimmer, earned her third individual event win, claiming the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:09.47. It was her third NCAA automatic-qualifying mark of the meet. Nula Gow (2:10.77) and Ella Freeman (2:12.88) of Florida Atlantic were second and third.
East Carolina’s Frida Zuniga was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Diver after winning the platform diving event with a Championship-record 319.75 points. Zuniga became the first diver to win all three individual events at an American Championship. The North Texas duo of Amelia Sharp (240.6) and Kamryn Wong (233.5) rounded out the podium.
In the first event of the event, Ava Portello of Rice won the 1,650-yard freestyle in an NCAA-qualifying time of 16:23.84. Rice completed 1-2-3 with Ella Dyson (16:25.90) and Ava Hamblett (16:41.94) placing second and third.
Liberty’s Kamryn Cannings earned her second NCAA automatic bid of the meet, winning the 100-yard freestyle in 48.40, ahead of Marshall’s Elyse Wood in 48.82 and Tulane’s Eliza Lennox in 48.96.
Florida Atlantic’s Meg Drover-Smith won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:55.24, ahead of Liberty’s Gwyn Frick in 1:55.61 and FIU’s Claudia Frasca in 1:55.92.
In the final event of the meet, the Liberty team of Natalie Colarossi, Dakota Howard, Bozzuto and Cannings won in a time of 3:16.84, ahead of East Carolina (3:18.52) and FIU (3:19.43).
Frick was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Freshman Swimmer, while Tulane’s Libby Brewer was named the Most Outstanding Freshman Diver.
2026 American Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship
Team Scores
- Rice 1404.5
- Liberty 1250
- East Carolina 1009.5
- FIU 990
- Tulane 905.5
- Florida Atlantic 814
- James Madison 787
- Marshall 707.5
- North Texas 608
American Championship Swimming Coach of the Year
Seth Huston, Rice
American Championship Diving Coaches of the Year
Ryan McIntire, East Carolina
Stephanie O’Callaghan, North Texas
Most Outstanding Swimmer
Aly Bozzuto, Liberty
Most Outstanding Diver
Frida Zuniga, East Carolina
Most Outstanding Freshman Swimmer
Gwyn Frick, Liberty
Most Outstanding Freshman Diver
Libby Brewer, Tulane
Wednesday, February 18
200-yard Medley Relay – Diana Santamaria, Frida Loebersli, Oumy Diop, Tawannah McLemore, FIU – 1:36.24 –
Championship Record
500-yard Freestyle – Ava Portello, Rice – 4:42.67 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
200-yard Individual Medley – Reese Cole, Rice – 1:58.28
50-yard Freestyle – Aly Bozzuto, Liberty – 22.27 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
Team Diving Event – Sydney Guidara, Kamryn Wong, Amelia Sharp, North Texas – 298.25
Thursday, February 19
200-yard Freestyle Relay – Alexandra Volk, Emory Hill, Madison Wimmer, Jamie Cornwell, James Madison – 1:30.22
400-yard Individual Medley – Reese Cole, Rice – 4:12.61 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
100-yard Butterfly – Kamryn Cannings, Liberty – 51.77 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
200-yard Freestyle – Lise Coetzee, Tulane – 1:46.77
1-meter Diving Finals – Frida Guzman, East Carolina – 314.75 (Championship record set by Sydney Guidara in prelims - 320.55)
400-yard Medley Relay – Gwyneth Frick, Aly Bozzuto, Kamryn Cannings, Dakota Howard, Liberty – 3:33.70
Friday, February 20
800-yard Freestyle Relay – Ava Portello, Avery Karacz, Ava Hamblett, Reese Cole, Rice – 7:12.09
3-meter Diving Finals – Frida Guzman, East Carolina – 378.45 –
Championship Record
100-yard Backstroke – Gwyneth Frick, Liberty – 52.92
100-yard Breaststroke – Aly Bozzuto, Liberty – 59.57 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
200-yard Butterfly – Lauren McNamara, Marshall – 1:58.16
Saturday, February 21
1,650-yard Freestyle – Ava Portello, Rice – 16:23.84 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
100-yard Freestyle – Kamryn Cannings, Liberty – 48.40 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
200-yard Backstroke – Meg Drover-Smith, Florida Atlantic – 1:55.24
200-yard Breaststroke – Aly Bozzuto, Liberty – 2:09.47 –
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
Platform Diving Finals – Frida Zuniga, East Carolina – 319.75 –
Championship Record
400-yard Freestyle Relay – Natalie Colarossi, Dakota Howard, Aly Bozzuto, Kamryn Cannings, Liberty – 3:16.84