Swimming Success: Carrick Shea ’28 wins NCAA Championship; five Camels earn All-America honors

Carrick Shea ’28 took first place in the 200 breaststroke on the final night of competition at the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday, earning his first career national title and the sixth in program history.

Shea’s performance was a dominant one, as he led from start to finish and touched the wall nearly 2.5 seconds before his nearest competitor. His time of 1:54.45, which broke school and NESCAC records, ranks as the third-fastest ever in NCAA history. The win capped an impressive weekend for the sophomore, who also finished third in the 100 breast and ninth in the 200 IM.

All five Conn swimmers competing at the championships earned All-America status, and the Camels finished 15th in the team standings with 78 points over the four-day meet. It marked Conn’s highest finish since 2014.

Rookie Julian Carlson ’29 finished fourth in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:58.54 and Evan Lyons ’27 finished fifth in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 15:30.94. Shea and Carlson became the first Conn teammates to earn All-America First Team honors in the same event; Lyons also earned First Team honors with his top-eight finish.

Earlier in the competition, Shea, Lyons, Aiden Miller ’27 and Campbell Noel ’29 finished 15th in the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 6:39.59, earning All-America Second Team honors.