Aggie Women Qualify Four Individuals, Four Relays to NCAA Meet

COLLEGE STATION, TX - February 21, 2026 - Kaitlyn Owens of the Texas A&M Aggies during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas A&M Aggies at Rec Center Natatorium in College Station, TX. Photo By Bailee Wagner

Photo by: Bailee Wagner/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 04, 2026 | Swimming and Diving

By: Brad Marquardt, Assistant AD/Athletics Communications

INDIANAPOLIS – Four Texas A&M swimmers and four relays received invitations to the 2026 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championship, the NCAA announced on Wednesday.

Earning individual invitations were sophomore Ella McQuinn, junior Hannah O'Leary, fifth-year senior Kaitlyn Owens and junior Ava Whitaker. It will be Owens' fourth trip to the NCAA Championships and second for Whitaker and McQuinn, while O'Leary is making her national meet debut.

McQuinn, from Round Rock, Texas, earned her berth at the national meet in the 100-yard freestyle after achieving a time of 47.99 on the final day of the SEC Championships. She will also compete in the 200 free and 100 breaststroke by virtue of meeting the NCAA qualifying standard in those races.

O'Leary, also from Round Rock, was invited in the 200 breaststroke after logging a lifetime best of 2:08.62 at the SMU Last Chance last weekend and also had an NCAA qualifying time in the 400 IM.

Owens, from College Station, Texas, qualified for nationals in the 100 backstroke with her personal record of 51.06 from a victory in a dual meet vs. Alabama.

Whitaker, from Nacogdoches, Texas, earned her spot in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:54.86 at the SMU Last Chance and also has achieved the NCAA qualifying standard in the 100 fly. She competed in the 100 and 200 fly at the 2025 NCAA Championships while competing for Indiana.

Texas A&M advanced the 200 and 400 free and medley relays to the national meet. Filling out the swimming portion of the Aggies' NCAA team are a trio of relay alternates: graduate Claire Gass (Celina, Ohio), freshman Reagan Sherrard (College Station, Texas) and freshman Eloise Williamson (Garland, Texas).

The Aggie women learn their full NCAA team after next week's NCAA Zone Diving Championships, which will be contested at the Texas A&M Student Recreation Natatorium Monday through Wednesday. Texas A&M has 10 divers competing at Zones: Gabby Filzen, Bridget Foster, Chloe McKnight, Julie Moons and Joslyn Oakley from the women's team and Matthew Aigner, Jaxon Bowshire, Charles Reuter, Nathan Stone and Emilio Trevio from the men's squad.