{"id":638847,"date":"2026-03-18T15:32:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T22:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=638847"},"modified":"2026-03-18T17:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T00:46:11","slug":"2026-ncaa-womens-division-i-1650-free-finals-jillian-cox-passes-claire-weinstein-late-for-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2026-ncaa-womens-division-i-1650-free-finals-jillian-cox-passes-claire-weinstein-late-for-win\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NCAA Women’s Division I 1650 Free Finals: Jillian Cox Passes Claire Weinstein Late for Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first swim of the first finals session at the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships was the 1650 freestyle final heat.<\/p>\n

Though Day 1 was set up with prelims and finals sessions, the day is all timed finals with the 1650 and two relays.<\/p>\n

Texas sophomore Jillian Cox<\/strong> used a late surge to pass Cal freshman Claire Weinstein<\/strong> late in the race and claim the first NCAA title of the meet.<\/p>\n

“My race plan was to not focus on anyone else, focus on what I have been training all year and build those 500s and not take it out too fast, which is really hard because you want to go out with everyone,” Cox said. “It is the first individual race of the meet and I kind of rode off the excitement of watching my teammates swim. It was big night for Texas.”<\/p>\n

It was the battle of styles as Weinstein was out strong and very nearly held on, but Cox used a plethora of 27-splits to pull away in the final 300.<\/p>\n

Weinstein took the early lead in the final heat. The 2024 Olympian was at 2:17.50 through 250 yards. She continued her smooth race, a few body lengths ahead of the rest of the field. At the 500, Weinstein was at 4:38.95, after back-to-back splits of 28.41 and 28.38.<\/p>\n

At the 800, Weinstein’s consistent splits were still there as a 28.44 put her at 7:57.57.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, five swimmers were all turning together every length. Virginia’s Katie Grimes pulled ahead but the next turn it was even again.<\/p>\n

At about the 750, Cox made her move to pull ahead of the pack of five, but was still 20 yards behind Weinstein.<\/p>\n

Weinstein was at 28.90 to reach 110:49.90 at the 1150 mark, then threw down a 28.86.<\/p>\n

Cox made her move adn had blown past the others and was now a couple of body lengths behind Weinstein and closing.<\/p>\n

At the 1,300, Cox threw down a 27 spit and was just behind a the 1300.<\/p>\n

Cox pulled ahead oaf the 1,350 with a 27.80 split 13:14.45, four tenths ahead of Weinstein.<\/p>\n

At the 1,500, Cox was three seconds ahead of Weinstein with another 27 split.<\/p>\n

With one lap to go, Cox was at 15:05.27 with another 27, still three seconds ahead and pulled away for the win in 15:32.26, breaking the pool record.<\/p>\n

Weinstein was second in 15:26.52 and Grimes finished third in 15:42.65.<\/p>\n

Nebraska’s Gena Jorgenson<\/strong> took fourth in 15:42.94. OSU’s Nila Nikaronov<\/strong> was fifth in 15:46.48. Georgia’s Kennedi Dobson<\/strong> was sixth in 15:46.97, followed by Louisville’s Thilda Haell<\/strong> in 15:51.82.<\/p>\n

Texas sophomore Kate Hurst<\/strong> had the fastest swim o the earlier heats with a 15:53.09, followed by Florida sophomore Michaela Mattes<\/strong> (15:59.35). Hurst snuck into the eighth spot with her swim.<\/p>\n