Nebraska’s Baxter, Jorgenson earn second-team All-America honors at NCAA championships

LINCOLN, Neb — Nebraska picked up two second-team All-America honors as the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships moved into its final stretch, with Abby Baxter and Gena Jorgenson earning the awards during prelim sessions.

Jorgenson, a senior distance swimmer, earned second-team All-America recognition in the 500 freestyle with a 14th-place finish. It was a career best in the event and her fourth All-America title.

Jorgenson’s time of 4:38.77 also stood as a school record. She had broken the previous record just weeks earlier at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, lowering her time by 0.38 from 4:39.15.

The format for All-America recognition has also changed. Until this year, swimmers could compete in the evening session for the B finals. Now, places nine through 16th are awarded honorable mentions in the All-America category.

On the 3-meter springboard, Baxter scored 312.15 to finish 11th. The junior from Coppell, Texas, finished 20th at nationals last year with a score of 290.45. Her 11th-place finish marked the best showing for a Nebraska diver in the event since Abi Knapton placed 15th at the 2019 NCAA Championships.

In the 50 freestyle prelims, Hungarian swimmer Beatrix Tanko posted a 22.36. Tanko set the school record at the Hawkeye Invite in November, swimming a 22.17 for a second-place finish. Seeded 46th, Tanko moved up to 39th in the event.

Nebraska’s NCAA Championship competition will continue with Kelsey Clairmont in the platform dive to conclude her time at Nebraska. Tanko is also set to swim the 100 freestyle to wrap up her inaugural championships.

The meet is streaming on ESPN+. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. CT, with diving trials starting at 11:15 a.m. CT. Finals resume at 5 p.m. Results can also be followed on MeetMobile.