Evansville, Ind. – The University of Findlay men's and women's swimming teams kicked off the 2026 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championship meet on Tuesday, March 10 at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Indiana. The event is set to take place over five days with preliminary races taking place in the morning session to be followed by finals in the evening.
The leadoff race of the championship is historically reserved for just a single event each year as the 800 freestyle relay kicks off the five-day marathon on the evening of the first day. Findlay had teams in both the men's and women's races.
Findlay's women were first in the water as the team of freshman Helmi Käkelä, senior Troi Grubbs, sophomore Sophie Busby, and senior Macee Reckard teamed up to take on the nation's best. Swimming in the second heat, the group finished in a time of 7:30.67 which placed them 14th.
The men went next and, also in the second heat, Findlay's team of sophomore Sebastian Camacho, senior Randy Keener, junior Santiago Arteaga, and freshman Juan Blandon Torres went fast, earning second team all-American in the event with a time of 6:29.76 which also establishes a new program record in the event.
Tomorrow begins the first full day of competition as, at 10 am, the preliminary races begin, starting with the 200 individual medley. The 50 yard freestyle, 1000 yard freestyle, and 1 meter diving will all take place in the morning with finals to begin at 5:30 pm.
Results all week can be found HERE.
