WashU Swim Teams Shine at National Championships

Bears set 5 program records and earn 15 All-American finishes

Mar. 26, 2026 at 10:28am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The No. 10 women's and No. 14 men's WashU swim teams competed at the NCAA Division III national championships in Indianapolis from March 18-21, with the Bears enjoying strong individual performances, setting five program records, and earning 15 All-American finishes.

Why it matters

The national championships represent the pinnacle of Division III swimming, and the Bears' success highlights the strength of their program and the hard work of their student-athletes. Setting multiple program records and earning All-American honors demonstrates WashU's ability to compete at the highest level of collegiate swimming.

The details

Standout performances included first-year Parker Chan finishing second in the 500-yard freestyle and setting a program record, junior Marco Minai setting program records in the 200-yard IM and 400-yard IM, and the women's 200-yard freestyle relay team setting a new program best. Other podium finishes came from junior Hannah Lee in the 100-yard breaststroke and junior Shanze Karimi in 3-meter diving.

  • The national championships took place from March 18-21, 2026.
  • The preliminary heats were held in the morning and finals in the evening each day.

The players

Parker Chan

A first-year swimmer who finished second in the nation in the 500-yard freestyle, setting a program record and the fastest time by a first-year in Division III history.

Marco Minai

A junior swimmer who set program records in the 200-yard IM and 400-yard IM, finishing fourth and third in the country, respectively.

Hannah Lee

A junior swimmer who earned fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke and set the program record in the prelims.

Shanze Karimi

A junior diver who finished seventh in the 3-meter diving event.

Andrea Leng, Izzie Gattone, Iris Qi, Ayaan Olasewere

Members of the women's 200-yard freestyle relay team that set a new program record, finishing 11th.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This meet is always super special because everyone at the meet is such a great swimmer. The level of competition is just awesome. … Getting to see these awesome swimmers do what they do best and getting to meet people around the country is just a blast.”

— Marco Minai, Junior

“I think our teams did really well and we all worked together to do the best that we could at nationals. I think that working towards this common goal was something that bonded us all as a team, which made swimming fast for the team all easier.”

— Hannah Lee, Junior

“I try to go in with the same mentality, but obviously I think relays are a lot more fun. You get to do [the relay] with three other teammates and the energy is just a lot higher.”

— Hannah Lee, Junior

“I was super proud of how he did. The amount of work and blood, sweat, and tears he puts into this sport in practices and races pushes me every day and seeing him have success made me super happy.”

— Marco Minai, Junior

“It's time to get back to work. Maybe let my body relax for the week and then get back to work and build back up for next year and hopefully just keep getting better and better.”

— Marco Minai, Junior

What’s next

The Bears will now focus on preparing for the 2026-27 season, with the goal of continuing to improve and build on their success at the national championships.

The takeaway

The WashU swim teams' strong performance at the NCAA Division III national championships, setting multiple program records and earning numerous All-American honors, demonstrates the depth and talent of their student-athletes and the strength of their overall swimming program.