Get ready for an exciting swim meet as the Ivy League Men's Swimming and Diving Championships take center stage! The Ivy League's Finest: A Preview of the 2026 Championships
Dates: February 25th to 29th
Location: DeNunzio Pool, Princeton, New Jersey
Defending Champs: Princeton Tigers
Teams: Brown Bears, Columbia Lions, Cornell Big Red, Dartmouth Big Green, Harvard Crimson, Penn Quakers, Princeton Tigers, Yale Bulldogs
The Road to Atlanta:
Six Ivy League teams are set to send their swimmers to the prestigious NCAA Division I Championships in Atlanta next month. The Ivy League Men's Championships, held at Princeton over the weekend, witnessed an impressive display of talent, with nine swimmers achieving auto-qualification standards across thirteen events. Three of these swimmers even secured multiple bids, and all five relay winners hit the auto-qualification times.
Day 1:
Yale kicked off the championships with a bang, clocking an impressive 1:23.55 in the 200 medley relay, an auto-qualifying time. Princeton followed suit, winning the 800 free relay with a time of 6:09.80, beating the standard by a comfortable margin.
Day 2:
The first day of individual events saw all three winners punch their tickets to the Big Dance. Yale's Noah Millard swam a remarkable 4:10.19 in the 500 free, coming in under the qualifying time by a significant 9.9 seconds. Mitchell Schott of Princeton dominated the 200 IM, winning in 1:40.93 and beating the standard by 3.2 seconds. Yale's Nicholas Finch continued the momentum, clocking an impressive 18.82 in the 50 free, 0.61 seconds faster than the auto-cut.
Day 3:
Finch's performance continued to shine as he earned a second auto-qualification, adding the 100 fly to his NCAA event lineup. He won the conference title in 44.34, a full 1.8 seconds under the standard. Marton Nagy of Brown took the 400 IM title with a time of 3:41.89, 4.3 seconds under the AQ time. Schott's dominance continued as he picked up a second event win, claiming the 200 free in 1:31.52, 2.4 seconds under the standard. Penn's Watson Nguyen won his first of two breaststroke titles with a time of 51.18 in the 100, 1.4 seconds under the AQ time. Cornell's Blake Conway also punched his ticket with a 45.77 in the 100 back, 0.5 seconds under.
Day 4:
Harvard's William Mulgrew started the day strongly, swimming a 14:26.79 in the 1650 free, beating the standard by an impressive 29.8 seconds. His teammate, Adriano Arioti, won the 200 back in 1:39.60, 2.5 seconds under the standard. Princeton's Patrick Dinu claimed the 100 free title with a time of 41.36, clearing the mark by 1.2 seconds. Nguyen secured his second breaststroke auto-invite with a 1:52.03, 2.9 seconds under. Schott wrapped up the meet with his third win, a dominant 1:39.05 in the 200 fly, beating the AQ time by a substantial 4.7 seconds.
Individual Event Winners:
| Event | 2026 NCAA Cut | Swimmer | School | Winning Time | Auto? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 500 Free | 4:18.07 | Noah Millard | Yale | 4:10.19 | Yes |
| 200 IM | 1:44.13 | Mitchell Schott | Princeton | 1:40.93 | Yes |
| 50 Free | 19.43 | Nicholas Finch | Yale | 18.82 | Yes |
| 1000 Free | N/A | William Mulgrew | Harvard | 8:38.01 | Not an event |
| 100 Fly | 46.11 | Nicholas Finch | Yale | 44.34 | Yes |
| 400 IM | 3:46.19 | Marton Nagy | Brown | 3:41.89 | Yes |
| 200 Free | 1:33.93 | Mitchell Schott | Princeton | 1:31.52 | Yes |
| 100 Breast | 52.58 | Watson Nguyen | Penn | 51.18 | Yes |
| 100 Back | 46.29 | Blake Conway | Cornell | 45.77 | Yes |
| 1650 Free | 15:06.60 | William Mulgrew | Harvard | 14:26.79 | Yes |
| 200 Back | 1:42.14 | Adriano Arioti | Harvard | 1:39.60 | Yes |
| 100 Free | 42.55 | Patrick Dinu | Princeton | 41.36 | Yes |
| 200 Breast | 1:54.95 | Watson Nguyen | Penn | 1:52.03 | Yes |
| 200 Fly | 1:43.79 | Mitchell Schott | Princeton | 1:39.05 | Yes |
Relay Winners:
| Event | 2026 NCAA Cut | School | Winning Time | Auto? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 200 Medley | 1:23.61 | Yale | 1:23.55 | Yes |
| 800 Free | 6:14.67 | Princeton | 6:09.80 | Yes |
| 200 Free | 1:16.23 | Princeton | 1:16.03 | Yes |
| 400 Medley | 3:04.96 | Yale | 3:04.65 | Yes |
| 400 Free | 2:49.36 | Princeton | 2:48.36 | Yes |
Key Performers:
- Mitchell Schott, Princeton (200 IM, 200 free, 200 fly)
- Nicholas Finch, Yale (50 free, 100 fly)
- Watson Nguyen, Penn (100 breast, 200 breast)
- Patrick Dinu, Princeton (100 free)
- Noah Millard, Yale (500 free)
- William Mulgrew, Harvard (1650 free)
- Blake Conway, Cornell (100 back)
- Adriano Arioti, Harvard (200 back)
- Marton Nagy, Brown (400 IM)
About Anne Lepesant:
Anne Lepesant, a proud mother of four college swimmers, brings a unique perspective to the world of swimming. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton and an MBA from INSEAD, Anne has a rich background in the financial industry. Currently, she is... (Read more about Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam.com)
Don't miss this thrilling Ivy League Men's Swimming and Diving Championships! Catch all the action and stay tuned for more updates!
