University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
NCAA Women's Championships
Pitt Women Reach New Heights at 2026 NCAA Championships, Earn Highest Finish in Program History
3/21/2026 10:22:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
ATLANTA, Ga. — Pitt women's swimming and diving concluded the 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday at Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center, capping the program's most successful NCAA Women's Championships in history.
Pitt finished tied for 16th with 55 points, the highest team finish in program history, an 11-place improvement over 2025 and surpassing the previous program record of 18th set by the 1982-83 team.
Senior Claire Jansen posted the highest individual finish by any swimmer in program history, placing fourth in the 200 backstroke finals in 1:49.10. Jansen entered the championship final as the eighth seed after posting a 1:50.31 in preliminary heats, then moved up four spots to earn first-team All-America honors. She also placed seventh in the 100 backstroke finals for a second first-team All-America distinction and contributed to all three of Pitt's relay units.
Sydney Gring broke the 200 IM school record with a 1:54.96 in the preliminary round. Gring earned All-America honorable mention in the 200 IM (10th), the 100 backstroke (11th, advancing from the 32nd seed), and the 100 butterfly (16th). She also posted a relay leadoff split of 47.91 in the 400 freestyle relay, a new school record in the 100 freestyle.
Pitt's relay performances produced two more school records. The 800 freestyle relay of Avery Kudlac, Gring, Mary Clarke, and Jansen placed 12th in 7:00.57, earning honorable mention All-America honors as the first Pitt relay to score at the NCAA Championships in 39 years and only the second relay in program history to do so. The 200 and 400 freestyle relays each placed 16th for honorable mention All-America recognition — combining with the 800 freestyle relay to mark the first time in program history Pitt scored in three relays at a single NCAA Women's Championship meet. The 400 medley relay of Jansen, Angelina Messina, Gring, and Kudlac finished 18th in 3:31.44, breaking the previous program record of 3:31.57 set at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Results
Claire Jansen — 200 backstroke — 4th (1:49.10, school record)
Claire Jansen — 100 backstroke — 7th
Sydney Gring — 200 IM — 10th (1:54.96, school record)
Sydney Gring — 100 backstroke — 11th
800 freestyle relay (Kudlac, Gring, Clarke, Jansen) — 12th (7:00.57)
Sydney Gring — 100 butterfly — 16th (51.33)
200 freestyle relay (Gring, Jansen, Clarke, Kudlac) — 16th (1:28.46)
400 freestyle relay (Gring, Jansen, Clarke, Kudlac) — 16th (3:13.49)
400 medley relay (Jansen, Messina, Gring, Kudlac) — 18th (3:31.44, school record)
Kimmy Shannon — 200 backstroke — 34th (1:54.24, preliminaries)
Jess Vega — platform diving — 33rd (220.90)
Cassie Guerrera — platform diving — 40th (187.20)
Mariana Osorio Mendoza — platform diving — 41st (176.60)
Players Mentioned
