Generals Qualify in Five Events for the 2026 NCAA DIII Men's Swimming Championships

2/27/2026 10:25:00 AM

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee announced today the swimming participants in the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, with Washington and Lee earning qualification in five men's events.

The Generals qualified two individuals across three events and two relay teams, all based on performances recorded at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships.

Senior Dalton Jobe qualified individually in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley. Jobe posted a time of 1:37.27 in the 200 free, eclipsing the NCAA invited time standard of 1:38.08. His winning swim at the ODAC Championships reset the league's championship record with a 1:37.65 effort, breaking the previous mark of 1:37.76 set by W&L's Tommy Thetford in 2016.

In the 200 IM, Jobe clocked a 1:47.78 at the ODAC Championships, finishing as the conference runner-up while surpassing the NCAA invited time of 1:48.95. The performance also established a new Washington and Lee program record.

Junior Leighton Chapman qualified individually in the 100-yard freestyle with an entry time of 44.08. At the ODAC Championships, Chapman eclipsed the NCAA "B" cut standard of 44.97 in both prelims (44.45) and finals (44.08). His finals swim also surpassed the 2025 national invited time of 44.44, securing the conference title and an NCAA qualifying mark.

Washington and Lee also qualified two relay teams. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Chapman, William Gordon, Charles Byars and Jobe combined for a 2:58.69 finish at the ODAC Championships, ahead of the NCAA invited time of 2:59.71.

The Generals opened the ODAC Championships with a conference title in the 800-yard freestyle relay, as Jobe, Chapman, Byars and Thomas Denton posted a 6:34.71 — comfortably under the NCAA invited standard of 6:36.90 — to secure qualification.

The championships will be held March 18-21 at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Franklin College, the Indiana Sports Corporation and the IU Natatorium will serve as hosts. A total of 579 participants (526 swimmers and 53 divers) will compete in the championships. Official psych sheets for the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships will be announced by the NCAA in the coming weeks. More information can be found at NCAA.com.

Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.

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