Michigan
Big Ten Championships
U-M Eyes Conference Title at Big Ten Championships
2/16/2026 4:53:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for the 2026 Big Ten Championships. The meet will take place over four days from Wednesday (Feb. 18) to Saturday (Feb. 21) at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. The preliminary races will take place at 10 a.m. CT and the finals will follow at 5 p.m. CT. All races will be streamed live on B1G+.
Notes
• The Wolverines carry an undefeated regular season into the postseason after closing with a Senior Day win over Denison on Jan. 31. Michigan's nine victories are its most in a single season since the 2017-18 team won 10 and captured the conference championship.
• U-M leads all Big Ten teams with 17 team conference titles. The Wolverines last claimed the crown in 2018 in Columbus, Ohio.
• After placing third at last year's conference championships, Michigan ended the 2025-26 regular season as the top-ranked Big Ten team.
• Bella Sims has been a big part of the success for the Maize and Blue all season, including receiving Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors twice. Sims has anchored the backstroke events, recording top-three conference times in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke (49.17, 1:51.26). Sims also holds the second-best time in the Big Ten in both the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley (1:54.59).
• Hannah Bellard continues her standout junior season with a school-record 1:50.72 in the 200-yard butterfly, the fastest time in the nation and nearly two seconds clear of the Big Ten field. The two-time All-American also ranks second in the conference in the 500-yard freestyle (4:35.55).
• 2024 Olympian Letitia Sim looks to add more honors this weekend, leading the way among the conference in the 200-yard breaststroke by over one second (2:06.52), while also checking in with the fourth-best time in the 200-yard IM (1:55.78).
• The Wolverines hold the top-two spots in the Big Ten in the 50-yard freestyle with Brady Kendall leading the pack (21.34) and Lexi Greenhawt right behind with a time of 21.53 seconds. Kendall also checks in with the second-best time in the conference in the 100-yard butterfly (50.98)
• U-M holds the best time in the conference in both medley relays (200- and 400-yard) -- along with the top time in the 200-yard freestyle relay, falling just a half-second short of the Hoosiers in the 400-yard freestyle. The Wolverines will return to Minneapolis this week seeking to extend their success after claiming three relay wins at the 2025 championships.
Players Mentioned
