GREENVILLE, S.C. – Wingate University has been picked to claim the Conference Carolinas championship in the 2026-27 Women's Swimming & Diving Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Five schools, Catawba College, Carson-Newman University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Mars Hill University, and Wingate University, are new to Conference Carolinas this year as associate members in men's and women's swimming.
Wingate was picked atop the poll with 105 points and seven first-place votes, while Catawba was picked second with 80 points and two first-place votes. UNC Pembroke picked up the final first-place votes and 73 points to land in third. Carson-Newman came in fourth with 72 points, while Emmanuel University and Lenoir-Rhyne are tied for fifth with 62 points apiece.
Converse University (44), King University (42), Mars Hill University (34), Barton College (16) and Chowan University (15) rounded out the poll.
The 2026-27 Conference Carolinas Swimming & Diving Championships are scheduled for Tuesday, February 2 through Saturday, February 6 at the Kingsport Aquatic Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches, and they can't vote for their own school.
2026-27 Conference Carolinas
Women's Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
|
School |
Points (1st Place) |
| 1 |
Wingate |
105 (7) |
| 2 |
Catawba |
80 (2) |
| 3 |
UNC Pembroke |
73 (1) |
| 4 |
Carson-Newman |
72 |
| T5 |
Emmanuel |
62 |
| T5 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
62 |
| 7 |
Converse |
44 |
| 8 |
King |
42 |
| 9 |
Mars Hill |
34 |
| 10 |
Barton |
16 |
| 11 |
Chowan |
15 |
2026-27 Conference Carolinas Women's Swimming & Diving Players to Watch
Barton
- Lily Calandra, Fr., Manorville, New York
- Carleigh Palmer, Fr., Johannesburg, South Africa
- Avril Villalobos, Sr., Raleigh, North Carolina
Carson-Newman
- Megan Corcoran, Jr., Pensacola, Fla., (2026 South Atlantic Conference Championship Female Swimmer of the Meet, 2026 four-time All-South Atlantic Conference first team, three-time NCAA All-America and honorable mention All-America honors)
- Fernanda Paranhos, So., São Paulo, Brazil (2026 All-South Atlantic Conference third team)
- Gabriella Simon, Fr., Chicago, Illinois
Catawba
- Louise Jones, Jr., Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England
- Ruby Broadfoot, So., Johannesburg, South Africa
- Zofia Kondrasiuk, Fr., Warsaw, Poland
Chowan
- Lina Danna, Sr., Rabbat, Morocco
- Sara Turanjanin, So., Kragujevac, Serbia
- Vanja Romic, So., Subotica, Serbia (All-Conference Carolinas third team)
Converse
- Kate Hollingsworth, Jr., Clemson, South Carolina
- Maya Guevara, So., Long Beach, California (2026 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Mayle Iwanski, Jr., Evans, Georgia (2026 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
Emmanuel
- Eulalie Clech, Fr., Marseille, France (2026 All-Conference Carolinas second team in the 500, 1000, and 1650 yard freestyle)
- Isabella Hernandez, Jr., Santiago, Dominican Republic
- Darielys Ortiz, So., Quito, Ecuador (2026 All-Conference Carolinas second team in the 100 yard freestyle)
King
- Katie Koenst, Sr., Nassau Bay, Texas (All-Conference Carolinas in the 800 yard freestyle relay)
- Alice Schoemans, Jr., Auderghem, Belgium (All-Conference Carolinas third team in the 400 yard Individual medley and 800 yard freestyle relay)
- Mariandree Valdes, Fr., Antigua, Guatemala
Lenoir-Rhyne
- Madison Mitton, Fr., Florence, South Carolina
- Ann-Cathrine Beissel, Jr., Wuppertal, Germany
- Emma Sheets, Jr., Piedmont, South Carolina
Mars Hill
- Grace Jenkins, Jr., Mars Hill, North Carolina
- Catalina Portilla, Jr., Bogota, Colombia
- Maria Orozco, Sr., Cali, Colombia
UNC Pembroke
- Noelie Lacour, So., Free/Fly, Bergerac, France (2026 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year; 2026 All-Conference Carolinas first team in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle as well as 200 and 400 yard freestyle relays, All-Conference Carolinas third team in the 100 yard butterfly)
- Naekeisha Louis, Jr., Free/Fly, Castries, St. Lucia (2026 All-Conference Carolinas first team in the 200 freestyle relay)
- Benedetta Pepe Pugliese, Sr., IM/Fly, Avellino, Italy (2026 All-Conference Carolinas first team in the 200 yard breaststroke, second team in the 400 yard individual medley and third team in the 200 yard individual medley)
Wingate
-
Elizabete Ozola, Jr., Ropazi, Latvia (All-America in 800 yard freestyle relay and 400 yard freestyle relay)
Livia Kingsland, Jr., Nottingham, United Kingdom
Emma Tommasoni, Fr., Torbole Casaglia, Brescia, Italy