{"id":640364,"date":"2026-03-28T17:16:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T00:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=640364"},"modified":"2026-03-29T07:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T14:38:31","slug":"texas-again-longhorn-men-prevail-at-ncaa-championships-for-second-straight-year-17th-overall-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/texas-again-longhorn-men-prevail-at-ncaa-championships-for-second-straight-year-17th-overall-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas, Again: Longhorn Men Prevail at NCAA Championships for Second Straight Year, 17th Overall Title"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas, Again: Longhorn Men Prevail at NCAA Championships for Second Straight Year, 17th Overall Title<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout the four days of the NCAA Men\u2019s Championships, the Texas Longhorns were not exactly showing peak form. Hubert Kos<\/strong> delivered a performance best described as legendary, pushing Josh Liendo<\/strong> to the limit in the 100 butterfly<\/a> before swimming the fastest time ever<\/a> in both backstroke events<\/a>, but results for Rex Maurer<\/strong>, Will Modglin<\/strong>, and Nate Germonprez<\/strong>, top seeds entering the competition, were mixed. Several members of the team\u2019s supporting cast could not replicate their sensational midseason times, particularly after the team dealt with multiple bouts of illness following the SEC Championships.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Florida Gators were making a run, enough to make head coach Bob Bowman<\/strong> nervous. Liendo won three sprint titles while distance aces Ahmed Jaouadi<\/strong> and Ahmed Hafnaoui<\/strong> each came through with dramatic victories. Florida briefly took the lead over Texas during Friday\u2019s finals, and although the Longhorns would quickly restore order, the margin was just 9.5 points at the end of the night.<\/p>\n

But simply, by meet\u2019s end, Texas had too much. The team set the tone with an opening-night win in the 800 free relay with Rafael Fente-Damers<\/strong>, Camden Taylor<\/strong>, Maurer and Baylor Nelson<\/strong>. Maurer set an American record in his winning effort in the 400 IM<\/a> with Nelson taking second. Maurer and Nelson each added another top-three finish, Maurer in the 500 free and Nelson in the 200 IM. Campbell McKean<\/strong> and Germonprez picked up a 2-3 finish in the 100 breaststroke, and Germonprez came in fifth in the 200 breast.<\/p>\n

Modglin swam in three championship finals, finishing fourth in the 100 back and 200 IM, and Cooper Lucas<\/strong> came in sixth in the 400 IM.\u00a0Sprint freestyle has been a weakness all season, but the relays came through, all finishing in the top six. Diving did its part, as per usual under longtime diving coach Matt Scoggin<\/strong>, with\u00a0Nick Harris<\/strong> and\u00a0Luke Forester<\/strong> placing sixth and seventh, respectively, in 3-meter.<\/p>\n

The last day was especially critical, with Texas putting three swimmers and one diver into championship finals and getting five more scoring points between ninth and 16th place.<\/p>\n

\"bob

Bob Bowman rooting on his team at the NCAA Championships — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

“With the challenge Florida gave us, I wasn’t confident that we might be able to win until after this morning session,” Bowman said. “I never once thought we would win until maybe after the prelims this morning. They were swimming very well. They improved quite a bit off of their seeds. We did not. We didn’t swim particularly well in a number of places here. I just thought we showed great resilience and toughness and just stayed with the task until we got it to a point where it was manageable.”<\/p>\n

The Longhorns finished the meet with 445.5 points, 29 ahead of second-place Florida, to secure their second consecutive NCAA title and 17th all-time. Bowman\u00a0has now guided his teams to three consecutive national titles after previously winning with Arizona State in 2024.\u00a0Eddie Reese<\/strong>, who guided the program for more than 40 seasons, was responsible for the first 15 titles.<\/p>\n

“It’s a lot of fun, actually,” Bowman said. “It’s pretty gratifying because for me as a coach, all of my real success in the first half of my career was in long course meters. I was the coach at Michigan for four years in there, but I had no idea what I was doing. Sorry, boys. I figured it out later. We had some kind of success there with long course, not really in the college system.<\/p>\n

“When I got to ASU, I had nine years to kind of figure this thing out, and it’s just fun now to understand the game, even as it changes week to week, and just try to learn how to put together a roster and then develop that. Gratifying, but really just fun.”<\/p>\n

Florida scored 416 points to capture second place, the team’s highest finish since 1985. Indiana’s impressive final day lifted the Hoosiers to third place with 351 while Arizona State rode four relay wins to 328 points and a fourth-place finish. Tennessee claimed fifth with 272 points, just ahead of NC State (258.5). A rebuilding campaign for California put the Bears in seventh (231), followed by Michigan (220), Virginia (192) and Stanford (136).<\/p>\n

This latest title-winning team fully embraced their head coach’s motivational tactics that have previously directed some of the greatest swimmers in history. Bowman knew his team was heavily favored entering this meet, expecting a different scenario than the knockout fight with Cal last season that was decided by just 19 points. Still, he steered the team toward daily incremental improvement, assuming that every point would count at the end.<\/p>\n

“I think we try to keep the same mindset either way,” Maurer said. “We don’t really focus on external projections or external expectations on what we need to do. Our goal is to win by as many points as possible, no matter if we are expected to or if we’re expected to win by one point. I think just keeping our foot on the pedal for this entire meet until that last relay finishes is our goal no matter what.”<\/p>\n

Each day when Bowman gives his swimmers their workouts, the sheet includes his favorite catchphrase: “Do your work.” Those three words perfectly capture the level-headed intensity he expects from his athletes, and the results, evident for decades, continue to show up. His rapid rebuilding of Texas into the country’s premier program ranks among his greatest accomplishments, even in a career that has included years mentoring Michael Phelps<\/strong> and\u00a0Leon Marchand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Just do your work because that’s the only thing you can control,” Kos said. “You do your work, then everything else will fall into place, and there’s nothing else you can really control.”<\/p>\n