Colorado State University Athletics
Whineray Earns Extra Invite to NCAA Championships
3/4/2026 10:03:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Junior qualifies for 100-, 200-yard backstroke
FORT COLLINS  – One was automatic. The other was looking pretty good, too.
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Wednesday, the NCAA released the official invite list and psyche sheet for the 2026 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with Colorado State junior Tess Whineray making the cut for both the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes. Whineray earned automatic qualification for the 200 back by winning the 200 backstroke title at the Mountain West Championships while hitting the qualifying time, touching in a meet- and school-record time of 1:52.82.
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Whineray is the first Colorado State swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2013 when Breann Fuller qualified in the same two events. Whineray earned an invite as a qualifier in the 100 backstroke with at time of 5.73, a school record she established while finishing second to Nevada's Scarlett Ferris at conference.
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Whineray is seeded 29th in the 200 back, 38th in the 100 back. The top eight swimmers in the preliminary heats qualify for the finals under a restructured meet format. Competitors who finish ninth through 16th will be recognized as honorable mention All-Americans.
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The meet will be held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. The facility was built in 1995 to host the 1996 Summer Games pool events. At those Games, Colorado State Hall of Famer Amy Van Dyken became the first female American swimmer to win four gold medals in a single Games.
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The four-day event starts March 18; Whineray will compete on the final two, with the 100 back held March 20, the 200 back the following day.
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Wednesday, the NCAA released the official invite list and psyche sheet for the 2026 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with Colorado State junior Tess Whineray making the cut for both the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes. Whineray earned automatic qualification for the 200 back by winning the 200 backstroke title at the Mountain West Championships while hitting the qualifying time, touching in a meet- and school-record time of 1:52.82.
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Whineray is the first Colorado State swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2013 when Breann Fuller qualified in the same two events. Whineray earned an invite as a qualifier in the 100 backstroke with at time of 5.73, a school record she established while finishing second to Nevada's Scarlett Ferris at conference.
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Whineray is seeded 29th in the 200 back, 38th in the 100 back. The top eight swimmers in the preliminary heats qualify for the finals under a restructured meet format. Competitors who finish ninth through 16th will be recognized as honorable mention All-Americans.
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The meet will be held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. The facility was built in 1995 to host the 1996 Summer Games pool events. At those Games, Colorado State Hall of Famer Amy Van Dyken became the first female American swimmer to win four gold medals in a single Games.
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The four-day event starts March 18; Whineray will compete on the final two, with the 100 back held March 20, the 200 back the following day.
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Players Mentioned
BK
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