University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Nine Bulldogs Invited to NCAA Championships
March 11, 2026 | Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving
ATHENS, Ga. – Nine members of the University of Georgia men's swimming and diving team were invited to the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday morning.
The nine Bulldogs, joined by four relay alternates, will head to Atlanta for the event, running March 25-28 at Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center.
Graduate Luca Urlando leads the Bulldog delegation with the top seed in the 200-yard butterfly, coming into Atlanta as the defending NCAA champion and American Record holder in the event. Urlando is also seeded fourth in the 100y butterfly and 20th in the 100y backstroke. He will be competing individually in the 100y back for the first time at an NCAA championship as he returns to the pool where he set an American Record in the event in 2022.
Senior Ruard van Renen earned his fourth career invitation to the NCAA Championships, bolstered by the No. 3 seed in the 100y backstroke, the same finish he took last year in Federal Way, Washington. Van Renen is also seeded 20th in the 100y butterfly. Junior Tomas Koski is making his third appearance at NCAAs, ranking ninth in the 200y freestyle and 26th in the 500y freestyle.
Sophomore Drew Hitchcock and senior Cale Martter will both be making their second career appearances. Hitchcock is seeded 11th in the 200y butterfly and 12th in the 400y IM, while Martter ranks 18th in the 400y IM and 24th in the 200y IM.
Four Bulldogs will be making their individual debuts, led by sophomore Elliot Woodburn, who earned the No. 14 seed in the 100y breaststroke after being named a relay alternate last season. Freshman Sean Green ranks 16th in the 1,650y freestyle and 17th in the 500y freestyle, while fellow first years Finn Hammer and Hayden Meyers are each seeded 22nd in the 400y IM and 200y backstroke respectively.
Georgia will compete in all five relays at NCAAs, led by the seventh-seeded 400y medley relay. The 400y medley relay will be the Bulldogs' lone evening relay, while the other four will compete in timed finals during the morning session. In another change to the NCAA Championships schedule, only 'A' individual finalists will compete in the evening sessions.
Georgia has also selected four student-athletes as relay alternates: senior Roman Valdez, sophomore Tane Bidois, and freshmen Sascha Macht and Kris Mihaylov.
QUALIFIERS
Psych sheet seed in parentheses
Sean Green – 1,650y Freestyle (#16), 500y Freestyle (#17)
Finn Hammer – 400y IM (#22)
Drew Hitchcock – 200y Butterfly (#11), 400y IM (#12)
Tomas Koski – 200y Freestyle (#9), 500y Freestyle (#26)
Cale Martter – 400y IM (#18), 200y IM (#24)
Hayden Meyers – 200y Backstroke (#22)
Luca Urlando – 200y Butterfly (#1), 100y Butterfly (#4), 100y Backstroke (#20)
Ruard van Renen – 100y Backstroke (#3), 100y Butterfly (#20)
Elliot Woodburn – 100y Breaststroke (#14)
RELAY ALTERNATES
Tane Bidois
Sascha Macht
Kris Mihaylov
Roman Valdez
The nine Bulldogs, joined by four relay alternates, will head to Atlanta for the event, running March 25-28 at Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center.
Graduate Luca Urlando leads the Bulldog delegation with the top seed in the 200-yard butterfly, coming into Atlanta as the defending NCAA champion and American Record holder in the event. Urlando is also seeded fourth in the 100y butterfly and 20th in the 100y backstroke. He will be competing individually in the 100y back for the first time at an NCAA championship as he returns to the pool where he set an American Record in the event in 2022.
Senior Ruard van Renen earned his fourth career invitation to the NCAA Championships, bolstered by the No. 3 seed in the 100y backstroke, the same finish he took last year in Federal Way, Washington. Van Renen is also seeded 20th in the 100y butterfly. Junior Tomas Koski is making his third appearance at NCAAs, ranking ninth in the 200y freestyle and 26th in the 500y freestyle.
Sophomore Drew Hitchcock and senior Cale Martter will both be making their second career appearances. Hitchcock is seeded 11th in the 200y butterfly and 12th in the 400y IM, while Martter ranks 18th in the 400y IM and 24th in the 200y IM.
Four Bulldogs will be making their individual debuts, led by sophomore Elliot Woodburn, who earned the No. 14 seed in the 100y breaststroke after being named a relay alternate last season. Freshman Sean Green ranks 16th in the 1,650y freestyle and 17th in the 500y freestyle, while fellow first years Finn Hammer and Hayden Meyers are each seeded 22nd in the 400y IM and 200y backstroke respectively.
Georgia will compete in all five relays at NCAAs, led by the seventh-seeded 400y medley relay. The 400y medley relay will be the Bulldogs' lone evening relay, while the other four will compete in timed finals during the morning session. In another change to the NCAA Championships schedule, only 'A' individual finalists will compete in the evening sessions.
Georgia has also selected four student-athletes as relay alternates: senior Roman Valdez, sophomore Tane Bidois, and freshmen Sascha Macht and Kris Mihaylov.
QUALIFIERS
Psych sheet seed in parentheses
Sean Green – 1,650y Freestyle (#16), 500y Freestyle (#17)
Finn Hammer – 400y IM (#22)
Drew Hitchcock – 200y Butterfly (#11), 400y IM (#12)
Tomas Koski – 200y Freestyle (#9), 500y Freestyle (#26)
Cale Martter – 400y IM (#18), 200y IM (#24)
Hayden Meyers – 200y Backstroke (#22)
Luca Urlando – 200y Butterfly (#1), 100y Butterfly (#4), 100y Backstroke (#20)
Ruard van Renen – 100y Backstroke (#3), 100y Butterfly (#20)
Elliot Woodburn – 100y Breaststroke (#14)
RELAY ALTERNATES
Tane Bidois
Sascha Macht
Kris Mihaylov
Roman Valdez
Players Mentioned
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