2026 State Boys Swimming & Diving Championships Preview

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS:  The 102nd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Swimming and Diving Championships can be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, at Waukesha South High School in Waukesha, Wis. 

TICKET INFORMATION:  Ticket costs for every match session are $9 plus on-line charges, and they’re solely obtainable to be bought on-line on the WIAA web site by way of GoFan, the WIAA ticketing associate, at: 

MEET INFORMATION:  The Division 2 championships can be held Friday, with the Division 1 championships to comply with on Saturday. The Division 2 diving competitors begins Friday at 1:30 p.m., and the swimming finals will comply with at 5:30 p.m. The Division 1 diving competitors will start Saturday at 9:30 a.m., with the swimming occasions scheduled for two:30 p.m. The swimming occasions will run consecutively following the primary occasion’s beginning time on the respective days. Here is the order of occasions (all occasions in yards): 

Order of Events

1. Diving

2. 200 Medley Relay

3. 200 Freestyle

4. 200 Individual Medley

5. 50 Freestyle

6. 100 Butterfly

7. 100 Freestyle

8. 500 Freestyle

9. 200 Freestyle Relay

10. 100 Backstroke

11. 100 Breaststroke

12. 400 Freestyle Relay

CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE ON WIAA.TV:  Every occasion of the WIAA State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships can be streamed dwell on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a subscription foundation. To buy a subscription to the dwell programming for under $12.99 monthly, log-on to www.wiaa.television or www.nfhsnetwork.com and click on on the “Subscribe Now” hyperlink situated on the prime proper space of the web page. Archived streams of the meets can be obtainable on demand on the NFHS Network 72 hours after the match with a subscription. 

BY THE NUMBERS:  There are 111 groups within the 2026 Boys Swimming & Diving Tournament Series. The largest 67 packages are in Division 1, with the remaining 44 packages in Division 2. 

HOW THEY QUALIFIED:  Schools are assigned immediately into sectional competitors with six sectionals in Division 1 and 4 in Division 2. The winners of every occasion on the sectional meet certified for the State Meet. Also qualifying are the following 18 (Division 1) and 12 (Division 2) finest people/relays/divers–not together with sectional winners–from all of the sectionals mixed.

LAST YEAR:  Middleton gained the Division 1 crew championship for the third straight season by compiling 273 factors. Verona was second with 175 factors. In Division 2, McFarland gained the crew championship for the second consecutive yr with 283 factors, and Rhinelander positioned second within the crew standings with 235 factors.

MEET HISTORY:  The WIAA started the boys swimming and diving championships in 1925 and moved to a two-division format in 1993. Madison Memorial has gained 16 championships to guide all member faculties. Waukesha, earlier than it was break up into three faculties, captured 15 crew titles with seven of these coming in succession from 1964-70. Madison West is tied for second on the checklist of titles with 15. Shorewood and Wauwatosa, earlier than it grew to become two separate faculties, have compiled 9 championships. McFarland has claimed eight crew titles, and Arrowhead has earned six crew championships. Madison Memorial has produced essentially the most occasion champions with 92. Madison West has gained 78 occasions and Waukesha, earlier than splitting into three faculties, gained 77 titles. Whitefish Bay is subsequent on the checklist of particular person champions with 63. Competitors from Wauwatosa, earlier than dividing into two excessive faculties, gained 61. Ben McDade of Monona Grove has gained essentially the most occasion championships in a prep profession with 15, and Ryan O’Donnell of McFarland is subsequent on the checklist with 14. Four people have gained 10 State titles, together with Ben Anderson of Arrowhead, Jay Mortenson of Madison West, Tom Wanezek of Brookfield East and Paul DeLakis of Eau Claire Memorial/North. 

EVENT NOTES-DIVISION 1:  Three particular person occasions function their 2025 champion trying to retain the State title, and all three relays have final yr’s champion trying to win consecutive titles. The three returning particular person champions are all from Middleton. Senior Sam Wolf gained the 100-yard breaststroke final season and returns this season with the occasion’s quickest qualifying time of 55.35, which is nearly one second faster than the next-fastest qualifier, junior Ryan Wanner of Waukesha West/Mukwonago, who enters motion with a time of 56.31 after putting fifth final yr and seventh in 2024. Senior Caden Van Buren was the champion within the 50 freestyle a yr in the past. He enters competitors with a seed time of 20.73. Junior Logan Loppnow of Brookfield Central/East possesses the swiftest qualifying time within the occasion at 20.31 after ending fifth final yr. Senior Max Carter is the third Middleton swimmer trying to repeat as champion. He gained the 100 freestyle final yr, and he enters the meet with the sixth-best qualifying time at 46.85. Again, it’s Loppnow that has the perfect time getting into the meet within the occasion at 45.67 after putting fourth final season and fifth in 2024. Caden Van Buren can be in search of the gold within the 100 butterfly with the occasion’s quickest qualifying time of 48.52. He simply missed climbing to the highest of the awards podium the previous two seasons with runner-up finishes.  Ryan Wanner has the highest seed time within the 200 freestyle at 1:39.59. He ought to anticipate a problem for the title from Wolf, whose qualifying time is simply .05 seconds off his qualifying tempo. Sophomore Max Garbacz of Madison West seems to be the frontrunner for the gold medal within the 200 particular person medley. He is the highest returning finisher from final yr, having positioned third, and his time of 1:50.12 is nearly three seconds sooner than the following swiftest competitor. The race for the five hundred freestyle title must be aggressive. Senior Cody Carlson of Menomonee Falls/Hamilton has recorded the quickest seed time of 4:38.02, and he comes into the meet as the highest returning finisher from final yr, putting fifth. Garbacz and junior Declan Foy of Marquette may additionally contend for the title with their qualifying instances of 4:39.68 and 4:39.79, respectively. The 100 backstroke options a number of swimmers that gained expertise final season. Senior Will Van Ermen of D.C. Everest completed fourth final season, which is the best end of any returning competitor within the occasion. The finest qualifying time at sectionals final week was recorded by sophomore Brecken Curran of Verona at 49.42, after he positioned sixteenth in 2025. Sophomore Benjamin Wisotzke of Waukesha West/Mukwonago positioned sixth a yr in the past, and his time is half of a second behind Curran’s qualifying time. AJ Beard of Madison Memorial was runner-up within the diving competitors final season and fifth in 2024. He qualifies with the second-best qualifying rating of 528.0. Senior River Reeves of Oshkosh North  Co-op possesses the highest sectional rating with a 545.70 after putting third the previous two seasons and eleventh in 2023. Middleton has the excellence of getting the quickest qualifying time in two of the three relays in protection of the three titles the Cardinals gained within the relays final season. They are the four-time defending champions within the 400 freestyle relay and the three-time defending champions within the 200 medley relay. They once more seem like in place to contend for the title within the 200 medley relay with the occasion’s quickest qualifying time of 1:32.60. The Cardinals might want to minimize time within the 400 freestyle in the event that they wish to prolong their streak of dominance within the occasion. They enter the meet with a seed time of three:12.31. Brookfield Central/East possesses the quickest seed time at 3:05.89. Brookfield Central/East may even try to dethrone Middleton within the 200 freestyle relay with the quickest sectional time of 1:24.19. The Cardinals can be  defending the gold they gained final yr within the occasion with the second-swiftest qualifying time of 1:24.71. 

EVENT NOTES-DIVISION 2:  Four of the 12 occasions function final yr’s champion in search of one other title, together with one particular person occasion and three relays. Junior Cale TeBeest of McFarland seeks his third straight championship within the 100-yard butterfly. He qualifies with the quickest seed time of 49.77, which is .85 sooner than junior Ethan Kim of Shorewood–the next-fastest qualifier–who positioned third final yr. Cale TeBeest can be a prime contender to win the 200 freestyle, possessing the swiftest seed time of 1:41.67, which is nearly two seconds sooner than the next-best time. Staying within the household, junior Blake TeBeest will transition from the 200 particular person medley and the 100 backstroke this season after profitable these occasions the previous two seasons. He has certified with the quickest sectional instances in two occasions. His time of 20.03 within the 50 freestyle is multiple second higher than the second-best efficiency within the occasion. Others that can problem for a place on the medal stand within the 50 freestyle are Steven Camacho of Whitefish Bay, who positioned third final season; Ethan Kim, who was fifth a yr in the past; and junior Ethan Goodman of Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights, who was sixth. Blake TeBeest additionally enters the meet with the quickest qualifying time within the 100 freestyle at 55.92, which is nearly three seconds sooner than the remainder of the sphere. Senior Gavin Reiser of Stoughton has the excellence of posting the quickest qualifying instances in each the 100 breaststroke and 200 particular person medley this season with instances of 56.23 and 1:54.98, respectively. He positioned fourth within the breaststroke final yr and third in 2024. He’ll have to contend for the crown with senior Charlie Prince of Port Washington, who has the second-fastest seed time at 57.96. Prince positioned third within the breaststroke a yr in the past, and fourth in each 2024 and 2023. In addition to Reiser, senior Jack Prahl of Edgewood can be anticipated to be among the many prime finishers within the 200 IM with the second-best qualifying time of 1:56.99 after putting fourth final yr. Junior Jude Hill of Nicolet ought to contend for the title within the 100 backstroke after turning within the quickest qualifying time at sectionals final week at 51.22 and ending runner-up final season. The occasion encompasses a crowded discipline of skilled qualifiers as seven of the highest 10 finishers final yr return this yr, together with Miles Jakowski of Whitefish Bay. He has the second-fastest qualifying time at 51.34 following a Tenth-place end in 2025. Senior Carter O’Leary of DeForest leads all qualifiers within the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:39. 43. Junior Grayson Rudich of Cedarburg is the next-fastest competitor within the occasion with a time of 4:43.84 after putting fourth final yr. Sophomore Quinn Edwards of Cedarburg is again for an additional shot on the title within the diving competitors. He was runner-up final season and enters the meet with a qualifying efficiency of 344.10. Sophomore Collin Heller of Plymouth possesses the perfect qualifying rating at sectionals final week with a rating of 453.30. Senior George Powers of Edgewood may additionally problem for a medal with a qualifying rating of 358.95 after ending fourth final season and eighth in 2024. McFarland is the returning champion in all three relays. The Spartans have their sights on a fourth straight title within the 400 freestyle relay. Their qualifying time of three:15.01 is greater than three seconds sooner than the three:18.10 turned in by Whitefish Bay, the next-fastest qualifier within the occasion. McFarland has gained three straight 200 medley relays, however Whitefish Bay has the quickest qualifying time within the occasion at 1:35.73, greater than two seconds higher than the 1:38.05 time the Spartans recorded to qualify this yr. Whitefish Bay additionally has the swiftest qualifying time within the 400 freestyle relay at 1:27.40, an occasion gained the previous two seasons by McFarland. The Spartans might want to enhance on their seed time of 1:30.40 to win their third straight championship within the occasion.

NEED CREDENTIALS?:  Media credential requests  for the 2026 WIAA Boys State Swimming & Diving Championships should be requested by submitting the request from the restricted media space of the WIAA web site by midday Feb.18. Verification of accredited credentials is offered on the restricted media space of the WIAA web site. Credentials can be obtainable for pick-up upon arrival at Waukesha South High School.  

STATE MEET INFORMATION:  Information for the 2026 Boys Swimming & Diving Championships is offered on-line for the media. The Boys Swimming & Diving Tournament homepage and State Tourney Central consists of hyperlinks to warmth sheets, qualifiers and schedule info, in addition to the hyperlink to the State Tournament archives, which features a transient historical past and State Meet information. Additional info can be accessed within the Boys Swimming & Diving Media Guide and Tournament Information choices on the web Media Center web page.

ORDER STATE MEET APPAREL ONLINE:  WIAA-licensed attire is offered on-line for the 2026 State Boys Swimming & Diving Championships. To browse and buy branded merchandise, go to the WIAA Store at:  https://tier1sports.com/product/2026-wiaa-boys-state-swim-and-dive-championship/. Online purchases made by midnight on Monday, Feb. 16 can be obtainable for pick-up on the venue Feb. 20-21. Apparel may even be obtainable in the course of the championships at Waukesha South High School.

FOLLOW STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MEDIA:  Receive updates of the State Boys Swimming & Diving Championships on the WIAA State Tournament X account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaaswimdive. Also comply with every day recaps on Facebook.

NEED THE QUALIFIERS?: All qualifiers, lane assignments and qualifying requirements can be found on the boys swimming and diving web page on the WIAA web site. 

NEED RESULTS?:  Results of the State Tournament can be found on the WIAA web site at www.wiaawi.org by accessing the State Tourney Central web page or the Boys Swimming and Diving Tournament Information web page.