The LSU swimming and diving program recently wrapped up its historic season at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta, where the men’s team took 16th place, and the women’s team finished in 21st.
A competition that was defined by record-breaking speeds and elite performance, the Tigers also secured attention from the country with their highest point total and team finish since 2023, which was guided by both individual feats and relay team depth.
On the women’s side, a sensational performance from Zoe Carlos-Broc, Martina Bukvic, Avery Littlefield and Michaela de Villiers in the 200-meter medley relay would be one of the big point-earners for LSU as it earned a 10th-place finish.
With an All-American Honorable Mention from the swim, this medley relay would be the spark that ignited the start of the tournament for LSU.
In the 200-meter free relay, Carlos-Broc, de Villiers, Littlefield and Megan Barnes would touch the wall with a time of 1:27.65 for an 11th-place finish. The collective effort by all four women proved to be essential in maintaining their top-25 position in the standings.
The relay would also be the second All-American Honorable Mention for the women’s team, before they took two the 400-meter free relay and 200-meter fly, where they would earn mentions three and four.
The 400-meter free relay became one of the backbones of the women’s 21st-place finish. Made up by the same team seen in the 200-meter free relay, a mark of 3:13.41 at the wall would make them 15th in the nation.
Senior Sofia Sartori would round out the women’s tournament in the 200-meter fly as yet another highlight of the Tigers’ success. Her 12th-place finish resulted from a time of 1:54.38 and marked the first individual points earned for the Tiger team.
As the men jumped into the pool a few days later, they would soon be met with just as much success.
The undisputed star of the tournament was junior Jere Hribar, who delivered a historic performance in the 100-meter free.
After claiming five medals at the conference championship, Hribar found a silver medal performance following a time of 40.33. His new school record would earn First Team All-American honors as he became the second men’s team member in LSU history to podium in the event.
On top of this, Hribar found a 10th-place finish in the 200-meter free for another All-American Honorable Mention. Tying Brooks Curry’s program-record mark in this event, Hribar proved to be a crucial factor in the success found on the men’s side of the championship.
As for relays, the strength was anchored by Stepan Goncharov, Volodymyr Lisovets, Caleb Ellis and Hribar in the 200-meter medley.
This squad swam to a 10th-place finish behind a mark of 1:22.06 that managed to earn a Second Team All-American honor. Highlighted by the depth of the team, this relay was what provided momentum early on for the Tigers in the tournament.
Senior Carson Paul would cap off the men’s team’s success with a fourth-place finish in the men’s platform final. His score of 404.20 earned him First Team All-American status. He outperformed his sixth-place finish from the 2024 championship.
With the highest NCAA championship finish of his career, Paul’s performance would help edge the LSU men’s team to a 16th-place finish.
The end of the 2026 season for LSU marked a defining moment for the program, and it made its way back to the national stage. After securing its best championship finish in three years, both teams have proven that they are a program on the rise that’s ready to challenge the collegiate world of swim and dive.
