Stanford Men's Swimming Secures NCAA Qualifying Times at SMU Invite

Cardinal swimmers post personal bests and earn spots at 2026 national championships

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Stanford men's swimming team concluded a successful weekend at the SMU Last Chance Invite in Dallas, Texas, securing four NCAA qualifying times and numerous personal bests. Standout performances from swimmers like Gibson Holmes, Henry Morrissey, and Ray Liu have the Cardinal well-positioned to contend for the team title at the upcoming 2026 NCAA Championships.

Why it matters

Stanford is aiming for its first men's swimming national championship since 1998, and these strong showings at the SMU Invite suggest the team is peaking at the right time ahead of the big meet. Securing NCAA qualifying times now allows the Cardinal to focus on fine-tuning their performances rather than worrying about simply making the championships.

The details

Gibson Holmes led the way for Stanford, achieving NCAA qualifying marks in both the 100 fly (45.59) and the 200 fly (1:39.45). Henry Morrissey also secured his spot at NCAAs with a season-best time of 14:57.58 in the mile. Ray Liu contributed qualifying times in the 200 IM (1:44.44) and 400 IM (3:45.40), while several other Cardinal swimmers posted personal bests in their events.

  • The SMU Last Chance Invite took place on March 6-8, 2026.
  • The 2026 NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 25-28 at Georgia Tech.

The players

Gibson Holmes

A Stanford swimmer who qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 fly and 200 fly.

Henry Morrissey

A Stanford swimmer who secured his spot at the NCAA Championships with a season-best time in the mile.

Ray Liu

A Stanford swimmer who achieved NCAA qualifying times in the 200 IM and 400 IM.

Stanford Men's Swimming

The No. 6 ranked men's swimming team at Stanford University, which is aiming for its first national championship since 1998.

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What they’re saying

“Securing qualifying times at this stage of the season allows athletes to focus on peak performance at the NCAA Championships, rather than the pressure of simply making the meet. These improvements suggest the team is peaking at the right time.”

— Samantha Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Newsy-Today.com (Newsy-Today.com)

What’s next

The Cardinal will now shift their focus to the 2026 NCAA Championships, scheduled to take place from March 25-28 at Georgia Tech – the same location as the ACC Championships. Stanford could potentially contend for the team title, though success will depend on performance against other top programs.

The takeaway

These strong performances at the SMU Invite put Stanford men's swimming in a great position to make a run at the program's first national championship since 1998. The Cardinal's depth and ability to post personal bests at the right time of year suggest they could be the team to beat at the upcoming NCAA Championships.