ATLANTA, Ga. (theACC.com) – Virginia cemented its place in history Saturday night, powering to a record-breaking sixth consecutive NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship at the 2026 NCAA Championships inside McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
In dominant fashion, the Cavaliers piled up 589 points to secure the title and lead a remarkable ACC showing that placed five teams in the top 10.
With the victory, Virginia sets the all-time record for the longest championship streak in NCAA swimming and diving history—men’s or women’s—and now owns the longest active title run across all Division I sports.
Stanford won five straight team championships from 1992 to 1996. Texas is the only other program to claim five consecutive titles, winning the championships in five straight seasons from 1984 to 1988.
Stanford finished second (380.5), followed by Texas (376.5), California (303) and Tennessee (301.5) to round out the top five. Louisville (8th) and NC State (9th) also landed in the top 10.
ACC programs captured 17 of 21 events across the four-day meet, with Virginia sweeping all five relays in commanding style.
Individually, Virginia’s Claire Curzan starred with two individual titles and played a pivotal role in four relay victories, alongside teammates Sara Curtis and Anna Moesch, who also contributed to four relay wins. Bryn Greenwaldt, Aimee Canny and Madi Mintenko added multiple relay titles to fuel the Cavaliers’ historic run. Stanford’s Torri Huske led all swimmers with three individual titles, while teammate Lucy Bell added two.
Day 1 – Wednesday, March 18
On the opening day of competition, the ACC secured four of the top five finishes in the women’s 200-yard medley relay, highlighted by Virginia’s first-place performance and pool-record time of 1:31.91. Stanford and Louisville tied for second, each touching in 1:32.35, while NC State rounded out the top five with a fifth-place finish in 1:33.05.
Virginia added to its strong start by capturing the national title in the 800-yard freestyle relay, setting both meet and pool records with a winning time of 6:45.21. California earned bronze in the event, finishing third overall with a time of 6:47.68.
In the only other event contested on day one, California’s Claire Weinstein placed second in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:36.52, just ahead of Virginia’s Katie Grimes, who took third in 15:42.65.
Day 2 – Thursday, March 19
The ACC put on a show on day two of the NCAA Championships, overwhelming the competition with a dominant performance—winning five of six finals and adding five more national titles to an already impressive haul.
The night opened with fireworks in the 100-yard butterfly, where Stanford’s Torri Huske surged to gold in 48.49, narrowly edging Virginia’s Claire Curzan (48.55) in a thrilling ACC one-two finish. The conference’s depth was on full display as Stanford’s Gigi Johnson (50.06) and Cal’s Annie Jia (50.34) also cracked the top five.
Momentum only built from there. Virginia’s Anna Moesch delivered a statement swim in the 200-yard freestyle, blasting to gold in a pool-record 1:39.23. NC State’s Eneli Jefimova followed with a breakout performance in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching first in another pool record (56.30) to secure the first national title of her collegiate career.
Virginia continued to own the relays, capturing gold in the 200-yard freestyle relay—their third relay title of the championships. The Cavaliers quartet of Curzan, Bryn Greenwaldt, Moesch and Sara Curtis combined for a blistering 1:24.11, holding off a strong Stanford squad that finished second with a time of 1:25.57.
In the lone diving event of the night, Miami’s Chiara Pellacani soared to gold on the 1-meter board, defending her title with 345.70 points and securing her second straight national championship in the event.
In the 400-yard IM, the ACC’s depth was undeniable, placing five swimmers in the A final. Stanford’s Lucy Bell (3:58.72) and Cal’s Teagan O’Dell (3:59.43) led the charge with podium finishes, taking second and third, respectively.
Virginia finished the day atop of the team standings with 249 points through nine events. Stanford ended the day in third with 173 points, while California was fifth with 133 points. Louisville (8th; 79 points) and NC State (9th; 76 points) are also in the top 10 overall.
Day 3 – Friday, March 20
The ACC continued its dominance on night three of the championship meet, claiming five of six gold medals for the second straight day.
Virginia kept building its lead behind a standout performance from Claire Curzan, who stormed to gold in the 100-yard backstroke with a meet and pool record time of 48.24. The Cavaliers were backed by strong depth across the conference, with multiple ACC swimmers filling the top eight.
The 200-yard breaststroke was an ACC showcase as well, sweeping the top four spots. Stanford’s Lucy Bell captured the national title (2:02.38), followed by Virginia’s Aimee Canny (2:03.09), while Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley and Louisville’s Anastasia Gorbenko tied for third (2:05.24).
California’s Claire Weinstein added another gold for the ACC, breaking the pool record in the 500-yard freestyle (4:30.09). Virginia chipped in valuable points with Cavan Gormsen (6th) and Madi Mintenko (8th) also finishing in the top eight.
Stanford’s Torri Huske added another individual title to her resume in the 50-yard freestyle, winning in a pool-record time of 20.66. Virginia’s Sara Curtis took second (20.74), highlighting a strong ACC presence that saw 10 swimmers place in the top 16.
Virginia closed the night in dominant fashion, winning the relay for the third consecutive evening. The team of Curtis, Canny, Curzan, and Moesch touched first in 3:20.66 to take gold in the 400-yard medley.
Heading into the final day, Virginia held a commanding lead with 437.5 points, ahead of Texas (272) and Stanford (242.5). California sat sixth, with Louisville and NC State also in the top 10.
Day 4 – Saturday, March 21
Virginia and Stanford closed out the NCAA Championships in dominant fashion Saturday night, combining to win five of the six events and putting an emphatic stamp on the final team standings.
Stanford set the tone early, as Lucy Bell captured the 200-yard IM title (1:52.09), leading a tightly contested race that saw California’s Teagan O’Dell and Mia West take second and third, while Louisville’s Anastasia Gorbenko finished fourth.
The Cardinal kept rolling in the 100-yard freestyle, where Torri Huske secured her third title of the meet in record-breaking fashion, touching in a pool record 45.17. Virginia’s Anna Moesch (45.54) and Sara Curtis (45.77) followed close behind, placing second and third, respectively.
Stanford made it three-for-three to open the night as Ellie Cole soared to gold in the women’s platform diving finals, delivering a meet-record score of 399.80.
With the team title already in hand, Virginia showed no signs of slowing down. Claire Curzan captured her second individual crown of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle, setting a meet record at 1:46.10. NC State’s Erika Pelaez added a third-place finish, while Pitt’s Claire Jansen placed fourth.
Curzan wasn’t done. She teamed with Madi Mintenko, Anna Moesch and Sara Curtis to close the meet in historic fashion, powering Virginia to victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay with an NCAA, U.S. Open, meet and pool record time of 3:05.26. Stanford finished second at 3:06.72.
NCAA Champions from the ACC
Wednesday, March 18
200 Medley Relay: Virginia – 1:31.67 (Sara Curtis, Emma Weber, Claire Curzan, Bryn Greenwaldt)
800 Free Relay: Virginia – 6:45.21 (Aimee Canny, Madi Mintenko, Bailey Hartman, Anna Moesch)
Thursday, March 19
100 Fly: Torri Huske, Stanford – 48.49
200 Free: Anna Moesch, Virginia – 1:39.23
100 Breast: Eneli Jefimova, NC State – 56.30
200 Free Relay: Virginia – 1:24.11 (Claire Curzan, Bryn Greenwaldt, Anna Moesch, Sara Curtis)
1-Meter Diving: Chiara Pellacani, Miami – 345.70 points
Friday, March 20
100 Back: Claire Curzan, Virginia – 48.24
200 Breast: Lucy Bell, Stanford – 2:02.38
500 Free: Claire Weinstein, California – 4:30.09
50 Free: Torri Huske, Stanford – 20.66
400 Medley Relay: Virginia – 3:20.66 (Sara Curtis, Aimee Canny, Claire Curzan, Anna Moesch)
Saturday, March 21
200 IM: Lucy Bell, Stanford – 1:52.09
100 Free: Torri Huske, Stanford – 45.17
Women’s Platform Diving: Ellie Cole, Stanford – 399.80
200 Back: Claire Curzan, Virginia – 1:46.10
400 Free Relay: Virginia – 3:05.26 (Claire Curzan, Madi Mintenko, Anna Moesch, Sara Curtis)