Cards Sent 17 to Finals After Thursday Prelims at ACC Championships

Thursday, February 19

Atlanta, GA

Prelim 9:30 | Finals 5:30 ET

University of Louisville

ACC Championships

Cards Sent 17 to Finals After Thursday Prelims at ACC Championships

February 19, 2026 | Swimming & Diving

By: Nancy Worley

ATLANTA -- The Cardinals are sending 17 Cardinals into the finals Thursday night at the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Tech.

The ACC has seven of the top ten fastest times in the women's 400 IM in the NCAA Division I. In 400 IM,  UofL's Kim Herkle earned a second swim with a 4:08.68 to qualify tenth overall and make the B-final. Freshmen Kaitlyn Sallows put up a 4:18.66 and Maya Bezanson turned in a 4:20.15 in the circle-seeded event.

Louisville advanced three Cardinals into the A-finals of the men's 400-IM, led by Jackson Millard's 3:39.86, which vaults him into the No. 2 seed going into tonight's championship. Gregg Enoch boarded a 3:41.44 to qualify fourth. Defending 2025 ACC 400 IM champion Tommy Bried will be the seventh seed after going 3:42.26 in prelims.

In the 100 butterfly, Ella Welch boarded a 51.36 to tie for eighth but will swim as the top seed in the B-final after a swim-off. Caroline Larsen went 52.77 to make the B-final. Camille Murray checked in at 53.56 and Karoline Barrett swam a 54.11 but neither will advance.

Five Cardinals earned a second swim in the men's 100 butterfly, led by Aiden Musso's 45.14 which seeds him fourth in the A-final.  Rian Graham will join him in the championship heat after posting a 45.30 to earn the eighth seed. Aidan Paro will swim in the B-final after going 45.47. Charlie Crush (46.30) and Thomas Powers-Hammond (46.43) will be back to swim the C-final.

In the 200 freestyle, Daria Golovaty put up a 1:44.24. Summer Cardwell carded a 1:44.54.  Julia Dennis turned in a time of 1:46.08 and Xeniya Ignatova was right there with a 1:46.11. After a false start caused the heat to be competed after the men's event had completed, Amelia Bodenstab (1:48.77) and Thilda Hall (1:46.70) were in that heat with Hall advancing to the C-final. Leticia Romao stopped the clock at 1:48.84 but did not advance.

In the men's 200 free, Guy Brooks will compete in the A-final after checking in at 1:32.50. Matias Santiso (1:34.98), and Oscar Isberg (1:34.74) were in the mix but did not advance. Freshmen Nikita Sheremet put up a 1:35.48 and Max Hatcher went 1:37.68.