On the third day of the NCAA championships in Federal Way, Wash., Texas and Florida continued to showcase their swimming prowess by winning three and two individual events, respectively.

Florida’s Josh Liendo Defends Title in 100 Butterfly

Josh Liendo, hailing from Toronto, defended his title in the 100 butterfly with a remarkable personal-best time of 43.06, which stands as the second-fastest time in history. His fellow Canadian, Ilya Kharun of Montreal, finished closely behind Liendo, securing the second-place spot. Both Liendo and Kharun had previously won medals in the same event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with Liendo winning silver and Kharun taking home bronze.

Rex Maurer and Luke Hobson Shine for Texas

Rex Maurer of Texas clinched victory in the 400-yard individual medley, outpacing Ohio State’s Tristan Jankovics with a personal-best time of 3:34.00. This marked Maurer’s second individual title of the week. Luke Hobson, also representing Texas, secured his third consecutive NCAA title in the 200 freestyle, setting a new NCAA, American, and school record at 1:28.33. His teammate Chris Guiliano finished in second place.

Hubert Kos and Julian Smith Make Waves

Hubert Kos of Texas narrowly defeated Florida’s Jonny Marshall in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall in a world record time of 43.20. Julian Smith of Florida continued the team’s success by winning the 100 breaststroke with a time of 49.55, becoming the first Gator to secure victory in the event in program history.

Other Highlights of the Night

Carson Tyler of Indiana claimed his second 3-metre diving national title by edging out his teammate Quentin Henninger. In the final event of the night, the 400 medley relay, Florida and Texas finished first and second, with the Gators taking the top spot with a time of 2:56.10.

Team Standings After Day 3

With their impressive performances, Texas leads the team standings with 368 points, followed by California in second place with 312.5 points and Indiana in third with 304 points.