3 Lady Flames Set to Compete at NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty sophomore Aly Bozzuto, together with juniors Kamryn Cannings and Shannon Icard are set to compete within the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

The 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will probably be hosted on the McAuley Aquatic Center, Wednesday by means of Saturday in Atlanta, Ga.

During Thursday’s program, Cannings will contest the 100 fly and Bozzuto the 100 breaststroke. Both Bozzuto and Cannings will compete within the 50 free on Friday, with Bozzuto additionally contesting the 200 breaststroke that very same day. On Saturday, Shannon Icard will compete on platform diving, whereas Cannings will swim within the 100 freestyle.

 

How to Follow the Lady Flames

All classes of the 2026 NCAA Championships will probably be streamed stay on ESPN+. Live outcomes may even be obtainable.

This is the ten^th time in 16 years of this system’s historical past that not less than one Lady Flame has been chosen to compete within the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The Lady Flames have had two All-America honorable point out finishers, in Brye Ravettine (13^th in 50 free, 2012) and Jess Reinhardt (10^th in 100 fly, 2014). All opponents on the cancelled 2020 NCAA Championships have been named All-Americans, so Payton Keiner acquired All-American honors in 2020.

Icard is the primary Liberty diver to compete on the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, after ending fifth on the NCAA Division I Zone A Diving Championships on March 11.

The Lady Flames will ship their most members in particular person occasions to nationals in program historical past, breaking the earlier document of two (2014, 2018, 2025).

 

What’s at Stake

Each of the ultimate three days (Thursday by means of Saturday) of the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships begins at 10 a.m. with preliminary heats. Finals classes will start at 6 p.m. every night. Diving prelims begin at midday every day.

The NCAA Championships will function a four-day meet format. The prime 16 instances from every occasion in morning prelims qualify for night finals, with the highest eight swimming within the A Final. Those who full races within the A Final earn All-America first crew standing, whereas B Finalists are named honorable point out All-Americans.

How They Got Here  

Cannings earned automated qualification in each the 100 fly (51.77) and 100 free (48.40) by profitable each occasions in NCAA-qualifying time on the American Conference Championships. The junior’s 22.28 from the 50 free met the NCAA qualifying normal, so she’s going to swim that occasion as effectively. Her highest rating in an occasion is 34^th within the 100 fly.

A local of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Cannings gained the 100 fly and 100 free on the 2026 American Conference Championships, whereas ending second to Bozzuto within the 50 free.

Cannings is this system document holder within the 100 butterfly (51.26), 50 free (22.07), 100 free (48.40) and 200 free (1:44.10).

Bozzuto will contest the 50 free, whereas additionally competing within the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. She earned automated berths in all three occasions on the American Championships, profitable every race in NCAA-qualifying time. Her prime seed is the 100 breaststroke, as her time of 59.57 is tied for 35^th on the psych sheet.

Hailing from Jupiter, Fla., Bozzuto was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the American Championship. She gained the 50 free, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke on the 2025 American Championship. 

Bozzuto holds this system document in each the 100 breaststroke (59.17) and 200 breaststroke (2:09.47) whereas rating second within the 50 free (22.09).

A local of Quitman, Ga., Icard competed in one-meter, three-meter and platform on the 2026 NCAA Division I Zone A Diving Championships. She earned her spot at nationals by inserting fifth within the platform with a 10-dive rating of 444.90.

Icard, the Most Outstanding Female Diver of the 2025 ASUN Championships, completed fifth on platform and sixth on one-meter on the 2026 American Conference Championship. She earned Zone-qualifying scores on all three boards on the TYR ’85 Invite. The junior’s prime one-meter scoring (267.15) got here at UNC Asheville on Jan. 16, whereas she scored season bests on each three-meter (282.40) and platform (242.45) on the American Championship.

Icard holds this system document on platform (261.00), whereas rating second on three-meter (310.70).

 

Thursday, March 18

Thursday’s program contains the 100 fly, 100 breaststroke, 400 IM, 200 free and one-meter diving. Bozzuto and Cannings will start with their 100 yard stroke specialties.

 

100 Butterfly Preview

Cannings is seeded 34^th along with her time of 51.77 from the American Championships. She swam 51.45 within the prelims in 2024, ending 19^th general whereas posting the quickest 100 fly time of any freshman within the subject. Last yr, she positioned 22^nd general in 51.66. In 2025, it took 51.35 to make the B Final on the NCAA Championships, whereas 51.02 was the final A Finalist.

Although Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh has graduated, there’s nonetheless an Olympic Gold medalist on the prime of the 100 fly subject. Stanford’s Torri Huske, the 2024 Olympic 100-meter butterfly champion, has the highest seed at 48.26. Huske completed second to Walsh final yr within the NCAA 100 fly. 2020 Olympian Claire Curzan of Virginia is seeded second (48.47), adopted by Indiana’s Alexandra Shackell and Stanford’s Garlynd Johnson, who’re tied for third at 49.95. Last yr’s fourth-place finisher, Miranda Grana of Indiana, is the fifth seed, 49.98.

This yr’s eighth seed is held by Leah Shackley of NC State (50.52), who positioned ninth final yr. Alabama’s Gabrielle Van Brunt (51.01) has the 16^th seed.

100 Breaststroke Preview

Bozzuto is seeded 36^th within the 100 breaststroke along with her 59.57 which she swam whereas profitable the 2026 American Championship. Last yr, Bozzuto tied for 40^th within the NCAA 100 breaststroke in 1:00.12. In 2025, it took 58.93 to make the B Final on the NCAA Championships, whereas 58.30 was the final A Finalist.

Last yr’s 100 breaststroke champion (Virginia’s Alex Walsh) and runner-up (Tennessee’s Mona McSharry) have each graduated. NC State freshman Eneli Jefimova, the ACC champion, holds the highest seed at 56.77, adopted by 2025 NCAA ninth-place finisher and 2026 SEC champion Anita Bottazzo in 56.87. Louisville’s Anastasia Gorbenko is seeded third at 57.03, whereas 2025 NCAA bronze medalist McKenzie Siroky of Tennessee is the fourth seed, 57.62. Emma Weber of Virginia (57.77) is seeded fifth, adopted by Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley (57.83).

This yr’s eighth seed is held by Mackenzie Lung of Fresno State (57.92). Stanford’s Lucy Thomas (58.59) is seeded 16^th after inserting 11^th final season. 

 

Friday, March 20

Bozzuto and Cannings will each compete within the 50 freestyle on Friday. The two Lady Flames swam in the identical warmth of the 50 free final yr. Bozzuto can have two occasions on Friday, the 50 free and 200 breaststroke.

 

200 Breaststroke Preview

Bozzuto swam a program-record 2:09.47 within the 200 breaststroke on the 2026 American Championships. The freshman is 40^th within the 200 breaststroke itemizing. She competed within the 200 breaststroke final season. Last yr, the final B Finalist swam 2:08.56, whereas it took 2:07.60 to make the A Final.

Defending NCAA 200 breaststroke champion Lucy Bell of Stanford is the highest seed (2:02.67) after profitable the ACC title within the occasion. Aimee Canny of Virginia is seeded second at 2:02.97 after ending seventh at NCAA’s final yr. There is greater than a two-second hole between Canny and third-seeded Anastasia Gorbenko of Louisville (2:05.02). 2026 Big Ten 200 breaststroke champion Letitia Sim of Michigan is fourth at 2:05.24, adopted by Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley (2:05.25), who positioned fourth at nationals in 2025.

This yr’s eighth seed is held by Florida’s Anita Bottazzo (2:06.97), who completed 20^th in 2025. LSU’s Grace Palmer (2:07.55) holds the 16^th seed, after inserting 23^rd a yr in the past.    

50 Freestyle Preview

Cannings (22.07) and Bozzuto (22.09) each swam lifetime-best NCAA B reduce instances within the 50 free on the 2025 ASUN Championships. Cannings tied for 58^th within the NCAA 50 free final yr (22.37), whereas Bozzuto tied for 62^nd (22.46). This week, Bozzuto is seeded 53^rd (22.26), whereas Cannings is tied for 54^th (22.28). Last yr, it took 21.63 to make the A Final on the NCAA Championships, whereas 21.89 was the final B Finalist.

Defending 50 free champion Gretchen Walsh of Virginia has graduated. This yr’s prime seed (20.87) belongs to 2025 NCAA bronze medalist and back-to-back SEC 50 free champion Camille Spink of Tennessee. Olympian Torri Huske of Stanford is seeded second (21.01), adopted by a tie for third (21.09) with Michigan’s Brady Kendall and Virgina’s Sara Curtis. Last yr’s NCAA runner-up, Julia Dennis of Louisville, is seeded fifth at 21.21.

This yr’s eighth seed is held by Annam Olasewere of Stanford (21.46). LSU’s Michaela De Villiers, who positioned 25^th in 2025, is seeded 16^th at 21.59.

Saturday, March 22

On Saturday, Icard will compete on platform diving, whereas Cannings will compete within the 100 freestyle.

Platform Diving Preview

Icard scored 444.90 on her 10-dive mixed program at Zones to earn a spot at nationals. At nationals, prelim scores don’t carry over to finals. Last yr, the final B Finalist scored 269.80 within the five-dive prelims, whereas it took 289.00 to make the A Final.

Icard and East Carolina’s Frida Zuniga Guzman are each competing on platform this week and are the one two American Conference divers to qualify for nationals.

A complete of 36 divers certified for the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships on platform. Only three out of final yr’s A Finalists in platform return, in Viviana Del Angel of Minnesota (3^rd), Daryn Wright of Purdue (4^th) and Bayleigh Cranford of Stanford (6^th).

100 Freestyle Preview

Cannings swam a program-record 48.40 within the 100 freestyle, profitable the American title within the occasion. The sophomore is 51^st within the 100 free itemizing. Last yr, the final B Finalist swam 47.88, whereas it took 47.37 to make the A Final.

Gretchen Walsh completed as a four-time 100 freestyle nationwide champion final yr. Six out of eight of the 2025 nationwide A Finalists return. This week’s prime seed is Anna Moesch of Virginia (45.71), the ACC champion and final yr’s fourth-place finisher. Torri Huske of Stanford, the 2025 nationwide runner-up, is the 2026 second seed (45.79). Tennessee’s Camille Spink, back-to-back SEC 100 free champion and 2025 NCAA bronze medalist, holds the third seed (46.01). Seeds 4 by means of six belong to freshmen: Virginia’s Sara Curtis (46.03), Indiana’s Liberty Clark (46.22) and Texas’ Eva Okaro (46.41).

This yr’s eighth seed is held by Caroline Larsen of Louisville, 46.82, who positioned 19^th a yr in the past. NC State’s Olivia Nel, holds 16^th within the 100 free (47.36) after tying for 36^th in 2025.