Stanford's Gibson Holmes made a splash at the 2026 SMU Last Chance Meet, swimming a personal best of 1:39.45 in the 200 fly, which secured his place in the NCAA Championships. This performance marks a significant improvement from his 6th-place finish at the ACC Championships, where he clocked 1:40.81. With this time, Holmes now ranks 9th in the country and 2nd in Stanford history for the 200 fly, behind only Andrei Minakov. This is a remarkable achievement, considering Holmes' previous best of 1:40.67 from the NCAA Championship meet last year, where he earned Honorable Mention All-America honors. The race now looks competitive for Stanford, with Josh Zuchowski and Henry McFadden also in the running, both ranking within the top 46 nationally. Holmes' performance in the 100 fly, where he set a new personal best of 45.59, further enhances his NCAA prospects. He also has the option to compete in the 200 IM and 400 IM, adding to Stanford's depth in these events. The SMU meet showcased several other standout performances, including Henry Morrissey's 14:57.58 in the 1650 freestyle, which, while not enough to crack the top 40 in the NCAA, still demonstrated significant improvement. USC's Junhao Chan and Cal's Zachary Tan also had their moments, with Chan winning the 100 breaststroke final in 51.62, and Tan narrowly missing out with a time of 51.79. The UNC men, unfortunately, fell short of qualifying for the 200 medley relay at the NCAAs, finishing in 1:23.89, just 0.02 seconds behind the 'B' standard. This meet served as a crucial stepping stone for several swimmers, providing them with the opportunity to secure their spots at the NCAA Championships and showcase their talent. With the NCAA Championships fast approaching, the SMU Last Chance Meet has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping the season's outcomes and setting the stage for the upcoming national competition.
