BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Eight Patriot League men’s swimming student-athletes from Army West Point, Loyola Maryland and Navy have qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships when it was announced by the subcommittee on Wednesday.
The championships will take place March 25-28 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta and will be hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Selected divers will be announced on Thursday, March 12.
ESPN+ will provide live digital coverage for preliminary and finals sessions from Wednesday through Saturday.
Representing the Patriot League are Army West Point sophomore Johnny Crush (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle) and senior Kohen Rankin (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke); Navy senior Ben Denman-Grimm (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle), junior Ben Irwin (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard butterfly), sophomore Gary Jones (200-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle), freshman Chase Maier (1,650-yard freestyle) and senior Michael Phillips (200-yard breaststroke); and Loyola Maryland junior Joe Hayburn (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke).
Additionally, the Black Knights will compete in the 200-yard medley, 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays, while the Midshipmen will race in the 200-yard medley, 200-yard freestyle, 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Hayburn Qualifies For NCAA Championships In 100, 200 Backstrokes
BALTIMORE, Md. – Loyola University Maryland junior
Joe Hayburn became the fourth Greyhounds student-athlete in school history to qualify for an individual NCAA Championships event in any sport on Wednesday when he was named to the field of the 2026 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships.
FULL STORY –
Courtesy of Loyola Maryland Athletic Communications
Navy Qualifies Five for NCAA Men’s Swimming Championship
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Five Navy swimmers and four relay teams have officially received their invitations to compete at the NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championship in two weeks. The announcement of the field for the national championship slated to be held March 25-28 in Atlanta was made Wednesday.
The five individual event qualifiers are the most for the Mids the 1970 team also sent five to the NCAA Championship.
FULL STORY –
Courtesy of Navy Athletic Communications
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.