Get ready for an intense rivalry showdown! The Michigan women and Ohio State men faced off in a thrilling dual meet, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. But here's where it gets controversial... Each team claimed a victory, with the Wolverine women dominating and the Buckeye men preventing a sweep. It was a battle for swimming supremacy!
January 17, 2026, McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH
The highly anticipated SCY (25-yard) meet delivered an exciting finish, with Michigan's women taking the lead with a score of 162-136, while Ohio State's men fought back to secure a win, 167-133.
One of the standout moments came from Buckeye sophomore Mila Nikanorov, who shattered the program record in the 1000-yard freestyle. Her incredible swim not only secured a win but also etched her name in Ohio State's history books.
Women's Recap:
Michigan's 'A' 200-yard medley relay team, consisting of Bella Sims, Letitia Sim, Brady Kendall, and Leila Fack, kicked off the meet with a bang, winning in an impressive 1:34.56. Sims dominated the 200-yard freestyle, leading from start to finish and touching the wall in 1:42.65, a half-second ahead of her competitors. Her dominance continued in the 200-yard backstroke, where she clocked a winning time of 1:53.53, leaving her opponents in her wake. Sims' versatility shone through as she added a third event win in the 200-yard IM, finishing in 1:55.98.
Junior Lexi Greenhawt showcased her speed in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking the only time under 52.70 with a swift 51.86. Hannah Bellard, another Michigan junior, dominated the 200-yard butterfly, touching nearly four seconds ahead of the field in 1:52.85. Kendall's speed was on full display in the 50-yard freestyle, where she touched first, ahead of three Buckeye swimmers. She continued her winning streak in the 100-yard butterfly, touching in 51.40, more than a second faster than Ohio State's Carrie Furbee.
Ohio State's diving sensation, Lena Hentschel, led her team to a 1-2-3-4-5 finish in the 1-meter diving event, scoring an impressive 325.88. She repeated the feat in the 3-meter diving, sweeping the top five spots with a score of 368.78. Sim's hard-fought battle in the 200-yard breaststroke resulted in a winning time of 2:03.18, narrowly edging out Ohio State's Maria Najji Ramos.
The Wolverines' 400-yard freestyle relay team, comprising Greenhawt, Kendall, Fack, and Stephanie Balduccini, sealed the deal with a winning effort, clocking 3:12.21.
And this is the part most people miss... Nikanorov's historic swim in the 1000-yard freestyle, where she became the first Buckeye woman to break the 9:30 barrier, was a true highlight. Her final time of 9:22.37 not only shattered her own 2024 record but also secured her a double win, as she later dominated the 500-yard freestyle with a season-best 4:36.97.
Ohio State's Maria Ramos Najji claimed the 100-yard breaststroke win, charging out of the gates in 27.44 and holding on for the victory in 58.39. Rachel Bockrath, another Buckeye, outpaced Greenhawt in the 100-yard freestyle, winning in 47.85.
Men's Recap:
Ohio State senior Tomas Navikonis engaged in a thrilling race against Michigan's Eitan Ben-Shitrit in the 100-yard backstroke, ultimately winning by a slim margin of seven hundredths of a second, touching in 1:34.29. Sophomore Cornelius Jahn showcased his powerful back half in the 100-yard backstroke, overtaking Michigan's Jack Wilkening by over two tenths in 45.99, his fastest time this season. Jahn completed the backstroke sweep with a comfortable win in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing more than two seconds ahead of his teammate Joseph Roth.
Buckeye sophomore Matthew Klinge soared to a season-best 50-yard freestyle time of 18.86, half a second faster than his competitors. He continued his dominance in the 100-yard butterfly, winning in 45.02, over a second ahead of the field.
Ohio State's diving duo, Tyler Read and Ernest Braitenbach, dominated the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, with Read taking the win in 378.75 and Braitenbach close behind in 368.03 on 3-meter. Eidam held off a charging Antoine Sauve of Michigan to claim the 100-yard freestyle title by a mere six hundredths of a second, touching in 43.10.
Tristan Jankovics clocked a season-best time to win the 200-yard breaststroke for the Buckeyes in 1:54.24, just over half a second better than Luka Mladenovic. Jankovics doubled up with a win in the 200-yard IM, touching more than a second faster than the field in 1:43.67.
Ohio State's 400-yard freestyle relay team, consisting of Navikonis, Klinge, Ahmed Ismail, and Jahn, sealed the men's team victory in 2:50.84.
Michigan's men also started strong, winning the 200-yard medley relay with the quartet of Wilkening, Mladenovic, Tyler Ray, and Ole Eidam touching just under a quarter of a second ahead of Ohio State's 'A' relay in 1:23.70.
Michigan sophomore Lorne Wigginton led the way in the 1000-yard freestyle, touching in a new lifetime best of 8:54.01 on his way to the event win. He and Ohio State senior Mason Edmund were the only swimmers to break the 9:00 barrier. Wigginton completed the distance sweep with a commanding win in the 500-yard freestyle, clocking 4:16.35.
Michigan's Mladenovic and Jaeddan Gamilla led a 1-2 finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, with Mladenovic touching first in 52.02 and Gamilla following in 52.83. Junior Colin Geer found success in the 200-yard butterfly, clocking the fastest time in the event by nearly two seconds in 1:43.85.
This intense rivalry dual meet showcased the best of collegiate swimming, with record-breaking performances and thrilling races. Who do you think will emerge victorious in the next encounter? Let's discuss in the comments!
