2027 College Swimming Previews: #10 Stanford Men Preserve Stable Depth Despite Dropping A number of Prime Skills

It’s that point of the 12 months once more. SwimSwam will likely be previewing the highest 12 males’s and ladies’s groups (after which some) from the 2026 NCAA Championships. Follow together with the College Swimming Preview Channel. Want to learn much more? Check out the newest version of the SwimSwam journal.

Men’s #10: Stanford Cardinal

Key Losses: Josh Zuchowski (13 NCAA Points), Liam Custer (12 NCAA Points), Rafael Gu (3 NCAA Relays), Zhier Fan (2 NCAA Relays), Andres Dupont Cabrera (4 NCAA Relays)

Key Additions: Maxwell Stanislaus (TX – free/fly), Nathan Foucu (CA – dash free), Davi Carvalho (Brazil – again/IM), Tyler Phillips (VA – fly/free), Sander Sorensen (Norway – free)

Grading Criteria

Over the years, we’ve gone forwards and backwards on tips on how to undertaking factors, starting from largely subjective rankings to extra data-based grading standards primarily based on ‘projected returning points.’ We like being as goal as potential, however we’re going to stay with the method we’ve adopted post-Covid. The “stars” will rely closely on what swimmers truly did final 12 months, however we’ll additionally give credit score to returning swimmers or freshmen who’ve posted occasions that may have scored final 12 months.

Since we solely profile the highest 12 groups on this format, our grades are designed with that vary in thoughts. In the grand scheme of faculty swimming and in comparison with all different school applications, prime 12 NCAA applications would just about all grade nicely throughout the board. But within the curiosity of constructing these previews informative, our grading scale is hard – designed to indicate the tiers between the great stroke teams, the good ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group varieties.

• 5 star (★★★★★) – a uncommon, elite NCAA group projected to attain 25+ factors per occasion
• 4 star (★★★★) – a really, superb NCAA group projected to attain 15-24 factors per occasion
• 3 star (★★★) – NCAA group projected to attain 5-14 factors per occasion
• 2 star (★★) – a strong NCAA group projected to attain 1-4 factors per occasion
• 1 star (★) –  an NCAA group that’s projected to attain no factors per occasion, although that doesn’t imply it’s with out potential scorers – they’ll simply have to leapfrog some swimmers forward of them to do it

We’ll grade every occasion self-discipline: dash free (which we outline to incorporate all of the relay-distance freestyle occasions, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Use these grades as a jumping-off level for dialogue, fairly than a purpose to be offended.

Also, remember the fact that we’re publishing many of those previews earlier than groups have posted finalized rosters. We’re making our assessments primarily based on the very best data we’ve got out there on the time of publication, however we reserve the appropriate to make modifications after publication primarily based on any new data which will emerge concerning rosters. If that does occur, we’ll make sure to notice the change.

The closing notice is that we’re not together with athletes who graduated final spring after exhausting their school eligibility regardless of ongoing lawsuits towards the NCAA concerning the brand new “Five-for-Five” rule.

2025-26 Lookback

It was a productive 2025-26 season for the Cardinal males of Stanford final season, ending Tenth on the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Those championships had been highlighted by a large runner-up end within the 800 free relay, and several other sturdy performances from Henry McFadden (16 factors), Gunnar Grubbs (14 diving factors), Misha Andriyuk (14 diving factors), and Josh Zuchowski (13 factors).

McFadden established himself as a top-tier mid-distance free menace on the nationwide degree, whereas Ethan Ekk made his presence felt closely in his freshman season.

As for the ACC Championships, Stanford completed runners-up to Cal, ending simply 78 factors again of the Golden Bears. A serious piece of their scoring at ACCs got here from diving, as their 130 factors marked the 2nd-most of all the championships, solely trailing the Miami Hurricanes with 162.

Last 12 months, the group relied closely on the upperclassmen, and with a lot of these names now gone from this system; this will likely be a reasonably totally different trying program, with loads of returning stars, and powerful newcomers to this system, this can be a Stanford group trying to preserve its spot inside the highest 10 in 2027.

Sprint Free: ★★★½

The Stanford males do return their solely sub-19-second 50 freestyler from final season, Ethan Harrington, who clocked 18.83 on the Cal Last Chance Meet, which might have tied for thirteenth at NCAAs. He will now enter his senior season as a key piece to just about each Cardinal relay.

Last season, the group had 5 sub-20-second performers within the 50 free, although solely three return this season. Those different two had been Jonathan Tan (19.29) and Andy Kravchenko (19.82). But the group will will miss Rafael Gu‘s 19.13 and Andres Dupont Cabrera‘s 19.41.

However, incoming freshman Nathan Foucu enters his first 12 months with a lifetime better of 19.87 and will very nicely be instantly inserted into the 200 free relay.

Despite no Dupont Cabrera (41.71) or Gu (42.32), Henry McFadden returns to Stanford as a legit menace within the 100 and 200 free for the Cardinal.

Last season, McFadden was the group’s second-fastest performer within the 100 free along with his 42.30 from a twin meet towards Cal. However, he instantly turned a nationwide title menace within the 200 free.

McFadden completed Third on the NCAA Championships final season in 1:30.13, only one tenth of a second outdoors of the nationwide title. If he can get a bit below the 1:30 mark, he needs to be in a strong place to safe that nationwide title.

Jason Zhao, a sophomore this season, posted 1:32.70 on the ACC Championships, incomes him a Tenth-place end within the occasion. Incoming freshman Maxwell Stanislaus needs to be one other shiny spot within the 200 free for the Cardinal, coming into his collegiate years with a lifetime better of 1:34.57 from the Speedo Winter Junior Championships in December of 2025.

Another huge addition to this group is Norweigan freestyler Sander Sorensen, who not too long ago competed on the European Championships, and enters the NCAA with huge time racing expertise and finest lengthy course occasions of 48.65 and 1:45.78, respectively.

The 200 free needs to be a really sturdy occasion for Stanford this upcoming season, particularly with McFadden returning and the pace they’re bringing again. In the 50, each might see one to a number of scorers at NCAAs. However, the 100 free is unclear, therefore added a further half star.

Distance Free: ★★★

Despite the lack of Liam Custer, Ethan Ekk and McFadden spearhead a robust 500 free contingent for the Cardinal. As a freshman, Ekk completed Eleventh within the 500 free at NCAAs in 4:11.50, with 4 of the swimmers forward of him both seniors or older. The stage is about for Ekk to probably advance to the championship closing in 2027.

Ekk’s season finest got here on the ACC Championships, the place he completed 2nd to Max Carlsen of NC State in 4:11.07.

McFadden’s season finest got here on the SMU Invite in 4:16.36. If the dash free group is as sturdy as it’s on paper, he could get the chance to probably swim a bit extra of the space freestyle occasions, through which he’s very able to scoring nicely. His profession finest within the 500 got here in February of 2025 on the ACC Championships when he clocked 4:12.33, which might have been inside scoring vary at NCAAs final season.

This is one other space the place Stanislaus could possibly be a robust piece of the puzzle, with a lifetime better of 4:16.90 and school teaching, he could possibly be molded into one other sturdy mid-distance/distance menace for a reasonably youthful Cardinal group.

As for the 1650, the departure of Custer hits a bit tougher, as he led the group final season in 14:37.28, with Ekk simply behind in 14:42.37. Custer did end seventh on this occasion final season, although Ekk’s time from the ACC Championships would have completed Eleventh on the National degree.

Backstroke: ★★

Stanford’s lone sub-46-second backstroke returns for his junior season in Finn Harland, who went that point to guide off Stanford’s Sixth-place-finishing relay on the ACC Championships.

They do lose out on Hayden Kwan, who was 46.22 final season, although Omer Wiener was the opposite sub-47 backstroke final season along with his 46.79 from the SMU Invite.

It took 44.78 to attain final season at NCAAs, and it’ll doubtless take one thing comparable this upcoming season. However, most of the scorers on the NCAAs had been seniors or older, making for a really new-look backstroke panorama on the nationwide degree. Still, as a security measure, Harland will doubtless must be someplace within the 44-high vary if he needs to offer himself an opportunity to deliver house some factors.

The group’s prime 200 backstroke final season was Josh Zuchowski at 1:38.33, although he won’t be with the group this upcoming season after graduating. Ethan Ekk was on his tail in 1:38.78 on the NCAA Championships, a time that earned him strong factors in twelfth.

Ekk is clearly the headliner of the 200 again for Stanford, and that’s trying just like the case this season. But with Wiener (1:40.35) and Ray Liu (1:41.37) returning, there is a little more depth to the 200 again than initially anticipated.

Incoming freshman Davi Carvalho oozes with uncooked potential, coming in with very restricted expertise racing in yards. Still, with a full school season to arrange, we could possibly be saying his identify as a breakout ACC menace in direction of the top of the season.

Breaststroke: ★★½

With the lack of their prime 100 breaststroker Zhier Fan (51.28), the Cardinal males will search for a brand new prime dash breaststroker. They do retain two different sub-53-second sprinters in Daniel Li (51.54), Abram Mueller (51.96), and Go Nagaoka (52.44).

Li truly outperformed Fan on the NCAA Championships within the 100 breast, ending nineteenth in 51.66, simply 13 hundredths of a second outdoors of scoring vary. If he can get into the 51-low vary at NCAAs, he ought to be capable of sneak out a number of factors for the Cardinal males.

The 200 breast was the place Li was the man, ending Eleventh at NCAAs in 1:51.53, which was nonetheless considerably slower than his finest time of the season, which got here on the twin meet towards Cal in 1:50.79. That time would have completed Eighth at NCAAs.

Additionally, Nagaoka and Mueller had been the next-fastest 200 breaststrokers at 1:52.99 and 1:53.66, respectively.

Li is a robust returner, and the 100 breast seems like there’s sturdy depth there. However, the 200 breast might nonetheless use a bit of labor on the again finish to take among the stress off Li to hold the load.

Butterfly: ★★

Gibson Holmes enters this season because the quickest returning butterflier for the Cardinal from final season, having clocked a forty five.59 on the SMU Last Chance Invite, however the absence of Rafael Gu and his 44.83 will likely be closely felt.

Seniors Jonathan Tan and Ethan Harrington will every additionally return because the Third- and 4th-fastest performers for Stanford from a season in the past, at 46.16 and 46.68, respectively.

Holmes was the one 1:39 200 butterflier final season and enters his senior season as Stanford’s chief within the occasion along with his 1:39.45 from the SMU Last Chance Invite, which might have positioned Sixth on the NCAA Championships.

The actuality within the 200 fly is that Holmes might very nicely make his approach into the championship closing and ship a giant swim for some main level additions to the Stanford group. However, the 100 fly will doubtless be missing a bit, contemplating it took a 44.95 to attain in that occasion final season.

McFadden was 1:42.20 at ACCs final season, although his obligations could also be shifted away from the 200 fly this season; if he had been to determine to race it, he could possibly be a sneaky-solid swimmer for the Cardinals to probably steal some scoring alternatives.

IM: ★

All 4 of final season’s prime 200 IMers will likely be again for the Cardinal, as Gibson Holmes (1:42.48), Omer Wiener (1:43.09), Jason Zhao (1:43.36), and Daniel Li (1:44.31) will likely be aiming to ship huge for Stanford this season.

Although the continuity is a big win for Stanford, it nonetheless took a 1:42.39 to safe only one level at NCAAs, with the closest to that being Holmes, although it was not at NCAAs. In truth, Stanford didn’t have any individual compete on this occasion on the National Championships, although it will not have made any actual distinction to their level totals.

Zuchowski is gone, and with him, the six factors that he earned because the Eleventh-place finisher within the 400 IM at NCAAs. Ethan Ekk was twenty sixth in 3:42.82, and Custer completed thirty third (3:45.62).

Ekk’s season finest got here at ACCs in 3:41.52, which ranks him simply behind Zuchowski because the group’s 2nd quickest performer within the occasion final season.

Holmes, was entered within the 400 IM occasion at NCAAs, although he opted to not swim it; his season finest sat at 3:43.41 at ACCs.

It isn’t probably the most surefire occasion for the Cardinal. Though Holmes feels as if he might come out a robust 200 IM at NCAAs, the dearth of top-end scoring makes this the weakest group for this upcoming season.

Diving: ★★★

Diving was a serious increase to the Cardinal group at NCAAs final season, bringing in 28 factors by the diving occasions.

Rising Sophomore Gunnar Grubbs completed Ninth within the 1-meter and twelfth on the platform to complete 14 factors on the boards, whereas junior Misha Andriyuk positioned fifth on the platform and twenty second on 3-meter for the extra 14 factors for Stanford.

Andriyuk additionally made his presence felt at ACCs, successful the platform occasion and including an Eighth-place efficiency on 3-meter and a Ninth-place efficiency on 1-meter. Grubbs additionally delivered nicely at ACCs, ending fifth on platform and Tenth on 1-meter.

If these two younger skills can take that subsequent step ahead all through the season, Stanford could possibly be actually sturdy outcomes from its already confirmed diving contingent.

Relays: ★★½

Note that the grading system doesn’t align completely for relays as double factors.

Relay grading system:

• 5 star (★★★★★) – 31+ factors per relay occasion
• 4 star (★★★★) – 22-30 relay factors per occasion
• 3 star (★★★) – 12-21 relay factors per occasion
• 2 star (★★) – 5-11 relay factors per occasion
• 1 star (★) – 0-4 relay factors per occasion

We talked about the 800 free relay final season that completed 2nd, although it is going to be an uphill climb, contemplating 9 of the 20 relay members from the NCAAs are now not with this system.

In the free relays, no extra Rafael Gu; Andres Dupont Cabrera would be the contact to fill, although Harrington and McFadden are key returners for these relays.

Jonathan Tan might want to step up huge on the dash free relays, whereas Nathan Foucu looks as if an early decide to fill one or each of these dash free relay spots.

The 800 free relay will want a substitute for Dupont Cabrera, which could possibly be certainly one of about 4 or 5 totally different swimmers. It wouldn’t come as an excessive amount of of a shock to see somebody like Omer Wiener get the nod, or Tan if they’ll drop these 200 free occasions this season.

The breaststroke legs of the medley relay look to be in okay form with Daniel Li or Abram Mueller, although the butterfly would be the query, with both Gibson Holmes or Tan being a pair of sub-21.5 performers final season. The remainder of the relay spots seem to hold over seamlessly from final 12 months, which can present loads of returning firepower.

Total Stars: 19.5/40

2025-26 Outlook

After a number of huge departures from final season’s squad, the Cardinal are in a significantly better place to repeat inside the highest 10 in 2027.

The returns of Henry McFadden, Daniel Li, Gibson Holmes, Finn Harland, and Ethan Ekk are huge, amongst many others. The thrilling a part of this Stanford group is the incoming expertise that may make their debut this season, with loads of names corresponding to Nathan Foucu, Davi Carvalho, Maxwell Stanislaus, Sander Sorensen, and Enzo Desviat Ruiz, simply to call a number of.

With the 2nd-place end at ACCs final season and a Tenth-place outing on the nationwide degree, the Cardinal males could possibly be a harmful group with a number of swimmers who might positively bounce their seed positions when the time issues most.

If the diving can proceed to be a shiny spot for Stanford, and the relays can throw down huge swims when known as upon, the Cardinal males could also be one of many sneakier groups to look out for as we get nearer to the top of the collegiate season.

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