Rice Swim and Dive Look to Defend American Title

HOUSTON — Looking to win back-to-back conference championships for the second time in program history, the Rice swim and dive team is set to compete at the American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, this week.

The defending champions were voted No. 1 in the American Pre-Championship Coaches Poll entering the conference meet. The Owls received six first-place votes and 62 total points, while Liberty, competing in its first season in the conference, finished second with three first-place votes. James Madison, also new to the American, came in eighth.

Competition begins Wednesday with swimming preliminaries at 9:30 a.m., followed by finals at 5 p.m. in the 200 medley relay, 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle and team diving event.

Thursday's schedule opens with swimming and diving preliminaries and diving consolations. Finals begin at 5 p.m. and include the 200 freestyle relay, 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 1-meter diving and 400 medley relay.

On Friday, preliminaries will be held in the morning, with 5 p.m. finals scheduled for the 800 freestyle relay, 3-meter diving, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 200 butterfly.

The championships conclude Saturday with finals beginning at 5 p.m. in the 1,650 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, platform diving and 400 freestyle relay.

The Owls are the reigning 2025 champions after securing the title late in the meet, marking the program's first American championship. Rice also captured its first conference title since winning the 2013–14 Conference USA Championship.

Rice scored a program-record 1,475.5 points at the 2025 conference championship, capturing six individual event titles and bringing its total to 15 American titles in program history. The Owls return three defending champions from last year's meet, including Ella Dyson, a three-time 1,650 freestyle winner, along with Ava Portello in the 500 freestyle and Ava Hamblett in the 200 backstroke.

Fans can follow live results on the American's Championship Central page. Prelims and finals will also be streamed on ESPN+, with links available alongside a full day-by-day schedule.

AMERICAN PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP POLL

1	Rice (6)	62
2	Liberty (3)	58
3	FIU	49
4	Tulane	43
5	Florida Atlantic	29
6	Marshall	27
7	East Carolina	24
8	James Madison	23
9	North Texas	9

EVENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, February 18
Swimming Prelims – 9:30 a.m. | ESPN+
Finals & Team Diving Event – 5 p.m. | ESPN+
200 Medley Relay (Finals only)
500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
Team Diving Event

Thursday, February 19
Swimming Prelims – 9:30 a.m. | Diving Prelims – 10 a.m. | ESPN+
Diving Consols – 4 p.m. | Swimming Finals – 5 p.m. | ESPN+
200 Free Relay (Finals only)
400 IM
100 Fly
200 Free
1M – Finals
400 Medley Relay (Finals only)

Friday, February 20
Swimming Prelims – 9:30 a.m. | Diving Prelims – 10 a.m. | ESPN+
Diving Consols – 4 p.m. | Finals – 5 p.m. | ESPN+
800 Free Relay (Finals only)
3M – Finals
100 back
100 Breast
200 Fly

Saturday, February 21
Swimming Prelims – 9:30 a.m. | Diving Prelims 10 a.m. | ESPN+
Diving Consols – 3:45 p.m. | Finals 5 p.m. | ESPN+
1,650 Free (Finals only)
100 Free
200 Back
200 Breast
Platform Diving – Finals
400 Free Relay (Finals only)

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