Men’s swimmers in third place going into championship Sunday at CCS nationals

Friday, April 10

Greensboro, NC

8:00 AM

Liberty University Club Sports

CCS Nationals

(Photos by Mason Shipman)

Men’s swimmers in third place going into championship Sunday at CCS nationals

4/12/2026 7:23:00 AM | Men's Swimming

Liberty trails only Cal Poly and UNC Chapel Hill, two programs led by former standouts on their NCAA Division I teams.

With a record 144 programs in contention for this weekend's College Club Swimming National Championships — 12 more than the previous high — Liberty University men's swimming team stands in third place after Saturday's second-day finals at the Greensboro (N.C.) Aquatic Club.

Going into Sunday's final six events, the Flames (480 points) trail only California Poly (698) and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (535). They lead fourth-place Georgia (335) and fifth-place Georgia Tech (328) by significant margins.

"Tonight was the best session we've had so far," Liberty Head Coach Heath Grishaw said. "The guys were electric, and we've had some really good swims."

He said Cal Poly and UNC Chapel Hill both have significant advantages as they have several swimmers who formerly swam at the NCAA Division I level.

"Cal Poly and UNC are in front right now, and Cal Poly is obliterating all of us, like I projected," Grishaw said. "UNC is doing the same thing, winning the combined score as well. Every men's meet record has been broken so far, and other than the 100 breast (stroke), which was won by a former NCAA Division III runner-up, they've been set by one of those two teams."

Four-time defending national champion Purdue, the team Liberty finished runner-up to the past three seasons when the Boilermakers had a number of NCAA DI dropouts, stands in 10th place.

"What that means to us is we're the best Club swim team out here," Grishaw said, noting Liberty's two NCAA DI transfers are not competing in Greensboro. "We're a national championship team by that perspective. Right now, we're the best club team out here, which is a huge accomplishment for this program."

Highlights for the Flames through the first two days include senior captain Whittman Brown finishing fourth in the 200-yard free in 1 minute, 39.73 seconds.

"He said it's one of the most memorable swims of his career, so that was pretty exciting," Grishaw said.

Senior captain Dillon Delaney, normally the Flames' breast stroker in the 200 medley relay, instead swam the butterfly leg.

"He went out with a crazy good time of 21.88 seconds, with a split that is the second fastest in 50 fly ever, so we were stoked with that," Grishaw said, noting the Flames finished sixth as a team in 1:31.22. "The guys stepped up big."

Sophomore Chaz Schuijt, who placed 12th individually in the 50 back in 23.42, led off the 200 medley relay with his lifetime best in the back, 23.14, which would have won a national championship last season. Sophomore Malachi Caballero followed in the breast before Delaney swam the fly and Brown anchored the relay with a strong freestyle sprint finish.

Junior Byron Long broke the Flames' program record in the 400 Individual Medley, held by sophomore Jonah Rees, to place sixth in 4:03:11.

Junior Thomas Hill finished fourth in the 1,000 free in 9:39.44, with freshman Judah Fralic landing in sixth with a lifetime best time of 9:47 followed by senior Ben Bizeau (10th in 9:57.5), and senior captain Carter Rice (13th in 10:05.82).

"To place four guys in the top 15 is a pretty good swim at nationals," Grishaw said.

Caballero placed fifth in the 200 breast in 2:05.44 while Delaney landed in eighth in the 100 IM followed by Caballero (13th) and Rees (18th).

Sunday's events include the 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley, 200 free relay, 500 freestyle, and 50 breaststroke, with preliminary heats starting at 9 a.m. and finals set for 5 p.m.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer