Seven Vols Punch Ticket to NCAA Championships

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released its cut lines for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships on Wednesday, with seven Tennessee swimmers qualified for the meet.

Based on the seeding in each competition heading into championships, the Vols are projected to have six championship final finishes in five different events. Overall, seven individuals are projected to score at the championship meet, including two in multiple events. In addition, two Tennessee relay teams are also projected to finish inside the top eight.

Leading the way for Tennessee is Gui Caribe, who is competing in three events at this year's championships. Caribe will feature in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and the 100 Fly. Caribe won silver medals in all three events at the SEC Championships> Caribe will look to medal in the 100 Free for the third consecutive year at NCAA, following a silver medal in 2024 and bronze in 2025. Caribe also has a chance to deliver his second top three finish in the 50 Free, with the senior coming third at last year's championships. In total, Caribe has earned 19 All-America designations and was a member of last year's national champion 200 & 400 Freestyle Relay teams.

Three other Vols will also be competing in three events at this year's championships. Koby Bujak-Upton makes his first trip to the national meet, competing in the 100 Free, 200 Free, and 500 Free. Bujak-Upton took home bronze in the 200 Free last month and currently has the top-ranked time in the nation in the event. Nikoli Blackman will feature in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 200 Free at the NCAA Championships. This marks Blackman's third-straight trip to the championships, including last season as he helped the 200 Free and 400 Free Relay teams to the national championship. Closing out the list of three competitors at the meet is Gabe Nunziata. The freshman is coming off a silver medal in the 200 Breast and ranks in the top ten nationally in the discipline.

Two Vols will ply their trade in the 100 & 200 Back later this month, with Nick Simons and Ulises Saravia representing the team. Simons makes his return to the national meet after competing back in 2023, where he earned All-America status in three events. Simons ranks as one of the top swimmers in the 200 Back in Division I heading into the meet. Saravia will make his debut at NCAAs, with the freshman checking in with one of the best times this season in the 100 Back. The Argentinian currently holds the second-best time in the event in UT history with a 44.50. Saravia is also coming off winning a medal at SEC Championships last month as a member of the 400 Medley Relay team that took the bronze. Martin Espernberger will represent Tennessee in the 200 Fly at NCAAs. Last season, Espernberger placed fifth in the 200 Fly, the best finish for a Vol since Melvin Stewart won the event back in 1991. Espernberger got the bronze at SECs, his third consecutive year with a medal in the event at the conference championships.

In the Zone B Diving Championships this week, three male divers have qualified for the national meet in multiple events. Both Bennett Greene and Thomas Ciprick have earned their spots in the 1-meter and 3-meter, while Frazer Tavener has secured a place in the 3-meter.

For all meet information, including schedules, heat sheets/results, and streaming links, travel to the 2026 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships Central page. All sessions of the meet will be streamed on ESPN+, while fans can also follow live stats online or on the Meet Mobile app.

Last season, the Vols earned their best team finish at the NCAA Championships since 2001, placing fifth nationally. The fifth-place finish marked the third consecutive top ten finish for the Vols following placing sixth in 2024 and seventh in 2023. This is the longest stretch of top ten finishes for the program since it did so from 1993-2001. In addition to the finish, the Big Orange broke NCAA records in both the 100 Free and the 400 Free Relay.

Tennessee Swimming & Diving - NCAA Championships Qualifiers
Men (7 entries)

Gui Caribe: 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly
Koby Bujak-Upton: 100 Free, 200 Free, 500 Free
Nikoli Blackman: 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free
Gabe Nunziata: 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM
Ulises Saravia: 100 Back, 200 Back
Nick Simons: 100 Back, 200 Back
Martin Espernberger: 200 Fly

University of Tennessee Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Nikoli Blackman

Koby Bujak-Upton

Gui Caribe

Thomas Ciprick

Martin Espernberger

Bennett Greene

Gabe Nunziata

Ulises Saravia

Nick Simons

Frazer Tavener

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