Michigan
NCAA Championships
Sims Captures 400 IM Title, Michigan Sixth After Day Two of NCAA Championships
3/19/2026 8:45:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Site: Atlanta, Ga. (McAuley Aquatic Center)
Event: NCAA Championships (Day 2Â of 4)
U-M Team Result: 6th Place of 40 Teams (132 Points)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 20 -- at NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships - Day Three (Atlanta, Ga.), 10 a.m./ 6 p.m.
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Bella Sims led the way for the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team, capturing the 400-yard IM national title Thursday (March 19) as the Wolverines checked in at sixth after the second day of competition at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at McAuley Aquatic Center.
Sims led wire-to-wire in a loaded field to post a time of 3:58.08 to capture the national championship in the 400 IM, Michigan's first individual NCAA title since Maggie MacNeil in 2021. It is also the first 400-yard IM gold by a Wolverine since Mindy Gehrs in 1993.
The team of Lexi Greenhawt, Brady Kendall, Stephanie Balduccini and Leila Fack posted a time of 1:25.92 to finish fourth overall.
In the morning, Balduccini placed ninth overall in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.44. Letitia Sim took 10th place with a mark of 58.35 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Hannah Bellard finished 13th in the 400-yard IM, touching the wall at 4:05.36. Sims placed second in the 400-yard IM preliminaries to earn a second swim.
In diving, Kiarra Milligan placed 11th in the one-meter dive with a score of 276.40.
Michigan will return to McAuley Aquatic Center on Friday (March 20) for the third day of the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Preliminaries will start at 10 a.m., with finals getting underway at 6 p.m.
Team Standings (After Day Two)
1. No. 1 Virginia 249 2. No. 3 Texas 183 3. No. 2 Stanford 173 4. No. 6 Tennessee 158.5 5. No. 5 California 133 6. No. 4 Michigan 132 7. No. 6 Indiana 128 8. No. 8 Louisville 79 9. No. 9 NC State 76 10. No. 10 Florida 62.5 11. No. 11 Ohio State 53 12. No. 12 USC 49 13. No. 13 Alabama 47 14. No. 19 Georgia 38 15. Miami 33
Players Mentioned
