SMU Sends Eight to NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

SMU will send eight athletes – six swimmers and two divers – to the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, taking place from March 25 to March 28 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia . This marks a significant step forward for the program, which boasts 29 NCAA champions, but hasn’t seen a title since 1998 .

Swimmer Lineup

Jack Berube and Francis Brennan will each compete in two individual events. Eli Likins, Harold Lockhart, Sage Sungail, and Jack Forrest will participate in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays .

Key Swimmers

• Jack Berube: A school record holder in two individual events and part of the record-holding 400 medley relay, Berube qualified in the 100 and 200 backstroke and aims to score team points by finishing in the Top 16 .
• Francis Brennan: The first SMU freshman to qualify for NCAAs since 2009, Brennan will compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle. He reached the A Final at the ACC Championships in the 200 freestyle and has broken the school record multiple times, most recently with a time of 1:32.13 .
• Harold Lockhart, Sage Sungail, and Jack Forrest: This veteran trio returns to compete in the relays, with Forrest having been part of the 800 free relay that earned All-America status in 2024 – the first Mustang relay to do so in over a decade .
• Eli Likins: As a sophomore, Likins will gain valuable experience competing in the 400 relay, building towards future seasons .

Diving Contingent

Luke Sitz and Grant Cates will represent SMU in diving events . They will compete in the 1-meter springboard on Thursday and the 3-meter springboard on Friday, with Cates also participating in the platform event on Saturday .

Diver Highlights

• Luke Sitz: Coming off standout performances, Sitz has been named ACC Diver of the Week 11 times over the last two years and won gold and bronze in the 1- and 3-meter springboard events at the ACC Championships .
• Grant Cates: A promising freshman, Cates aims to build on his solid Zone Championships performance, particularly in the platform dive .

Program Momentum

SMU head coach Greg Rhodenbaugh believes the team is steadily improving. He noted that the program has set numerous school records during his tenure and is on track to return to the Top 10 nationally . The success of this year’s freshman class, including Brennan, is contributing to the program’s upward trajectory .