North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Wolfpack Close NCAA Championships with Silver in 400 Freestyle Relay
3/28/2026 11:36:00 PM | Swimming
ATLANTA, GA. - After four days of elite competition, NC State men's swimming & diving concluded its 2025–26 season at the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, held March 24–28 at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
The Wolfpack placed sixth overall with 258.5 points, marking the program's 11th consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships and its 44th appearance at the national meet. In his 15th season at the helm, head coach Braden Holloway led NC State to his 14th NCAA Championships appearance.
Across the four-day meet, the Wolfpack delivered an impressive performance, totaling 34 All-America honors, nine top-10 times in program history, five school records, and two ACC records. Notably, every NC State swimmer who qualified for the meet scored individually, a first during Holloway's tenure.
The final day was highlighted by a record-breaking performance in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet of Hudson Williams, Jerry Fox, Kaii Winkler, and Quintin McCarty turned in a historic swim, finishing second with a time of 2:43.31. The mark shattered both the program and ACC records set just one month earlier at the ACC Championships, establishing a new school record.
Individually, junior Quintin McCarty earned his first career podium finish in the 100 freestyle, placing sixth with a time of 40.90. In the 200 individual medley, Arsenio Bustos capped off his five-year Wolfpack career with a fifth-place finish (1:41.02), narrowly ahead of teammate Daniel Diehl, who took sixth in 1:41.03. Diehl's performance marked a personal best heading into the evening finals.
NC State advanced eight swimmers to finals on the final day, including three A-final appearances, and added two more second-team All-America honors.
Morning Highlights:
Bustos and Diehl represented the Wolfpack in the 200 IM A-final, with Bustos leading the pair in fifth place (1:41.02), followed closely by Diehl in sixth (1:41.03). Diehl's swim marked a personal-best performance as he advanced to the evening session.
All-American Tally
- 2nd place | 400 freestyle relay | Fox, McCarty, Williams, Kaii Winkler | 2:43.31
- 3rd place: 200 freestyle relay | McCarty, Salls, Fox, Winkler | 1:13.73
- 4th place | 50 freestyle | Quintin McCarty | 18.47
- 5th place | 200 IM | Arsenio Bustos | 1:41.02
- 5th place | 200 medley relay | McCarty, Diehl, Hayes, Salls | 1:23.23
- 5th place | 800 freestyle relay | Winkler, Diehl, Williams, Fox | 6:07.20
- 6th place| 200 freestyle | Kaii Winkler | 1:30.93
- 6th place | 100 freestyle | Quintin McCarty | 40.90
- 6th place | 200 IM | Daniel Diehl |1:41.03
- 7th place | 100 butterfly | Aiden Hayes | 43.85
- 8th place | 100 backstroke | Aiden Hayes | 44.49
All-American Second Team
- 9th place |100 backstroke | Quintin McCarty | 44.49
- 10th place | 100 freestyle | Jerry Fox | 41.28
- 12th place | Max Carlsen | 1650 freestyle | 14:44.57
- 13th place | Arsenio Bustos | 100 butterfly | 44.67
- 13th place | Jerry Fox | 50 freestyle | 18.83
- 13th place | 400 medley relay | Williams, Bustos, Hayes, Winkler | 3:02.33
- 15th place | 100 freestyle | Hudson Williams | 41.51
ACC Record
- 2nd place | 400 freestyle relay | Fox, McCarty, Williams, Winkler | 2:43.31
- 3rd place: 200 freestyle relay | McCarty, Salls, Fox, Winkler | 1:13.73
School Record
- 2nd place | 400 freestyle relay | Fox, McCarty, Williams, Kaii Winkler Winkler | 2:43.31
- 3rd place | 200 freestyle relay |McCarty, Salls, Fox, Winkler | 1:13.73
- Quintin McCarty | 50 freestyle | 18.54
- 4th place | Kaii Winkler | 200 freestyle | 1:30.83
- 6th place | Aiden Hayes | 100 butterfly | 44.04
- 4th place | Quintin McCarty | 50 freestyle | 18.47
#GoPack | @packswimdive
Players Mentioned
