INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Trinity University will have seven swimmers competing at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships beginning Wednesday, March 18th.
There are five women and two men who have qualified for the national meet, including men's team members Luke Fender (Jackson, Miss. / St. Andrew's Episcopal) and Jack Hester (Round Rock, Texas / Cedar Ridge), along with Neely Burns (Phoenix, Ariz. / Thunderbird), Amy Benson (Newmarket, N.H. / Phillips Exeter Academy), Julia Carter (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs), Ava Easley (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy), and Kaya Alvegaard-Struble (Kansas City, Mo. / Pembroke Hill) for the Tiger women.
Meet Overview
Day 1 of the meet will be a busy one for the Tigers as Wednesday begins with Fender's 500 freestyle, where he is the 9th seed. He is within striking distance of the A final, so he'll be looking for a solid prelims swim to get him there. Burns and Alvegaard-Struble are competing in the 200 IM with seeds of 14th and 45th respectively. Easley and Hester will compete in the 50 freestyle, both utilizing their opportunity for a bonus event. Wrapping up the day's action for Trinity will be the 400 medley relay, which is made up of Easley, Burns, Benson, and Carter.
Day 2 starts with Alvegaard-Struble and Fender in the 200 freestyle, with seeds of 28th and 30th. Then comes the 400 IM for Burns in which she is seeded 6th, giving her a legit shot at the A final with a strong morning swim. The 200 free relay concludes the session for the Tigers, where Benson, Alvegaard-Struble, Easley, and Carter are swimming.
The third day begins with the 200 medley relay, where Easley, Burns, Benson, and Carter will once again demonstrate their medley prowess. The 100 back will follow and both Easley and Hester made it to nationals in with seeds of 28th and 15th, respectively. The 800 free relay will cap Friday's action for Trinity, with the team of Benson, Burns, Alvegaard-Struble, and Carter come in as the 18th seed. The team scored in last year's NCAA meet and will be hoping for a repeat in 2026.
The fourth and final day consists of Fender's 1650 freestyle, where he is 15th. Easley's 100 free is her final bonus event, setting up an exciting end to her first NCAA meet. The 200 back consists of both Hester and Alvegaard-Struble, where they are fifth and 34th. Then comes the 200 breast, which will be the final event in the individual college career for Burns, and for which she is seeded 18th. The final event of the meet is the 400 free relay, with the specific swimmers competing still to be determined.
