Rutgers Scarlet Knights Swimming and Diving Make Waves with Multiple Podium Finishes
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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights women’s swimming and diving program made a big splash on the second day of the Big Ten Championships. Together, the team showed the conference that they are a force to be reckoned with. With a high-octane performance featuring school records and NCAA-level marks, Rutgers earned three top-8 finishes. That immediately sent four athletes to the finals.
Rutgers Scarlet's Anna Vlachou and Ana Hazlehurst Rewrite the Books
Highlighting the day was a record-breaking performance in the pool by Anna Vlachou and a dominant showing on the boards by diving duo Bailee Sturgill and Katerina Hoffman. For a program steadily rising under its coaching staff, Day 2 of the Big Ten Championships was a definitive "mic drop" moment.
Three podium finishes, a school record, and 4 finalists highlight RU action on Day 2 at the Big Ten Championships!
— RU Swimming & Diving (@RUSwimDive) February 20, 2026
Recap: https://t.co/FnFNFdorSS
Photo Gallery: https://t.co/FnFNFdorSS pic.twitter.com/yWpjfEsepp
The swimming events were headlined by Anna Vlachou, who put on a clinic in the 100 Butterfly. During the morning preliminaries, Vlachou clocked a 52.16, shattering a school record that had stood since 2019. Not satisfied with just that, she returned for the A Final and shaved another hundredth of a second, touching the wall in 52.15.
That performance wasn’t just a Rutgers benchmark for her. It is also an NCAA qualifying time, earning her an eighth-place finish. Vlachou became the first Scarlet Knight to reach the Big Ten A Final in the 100 Fly since 2019, cementing her place among the elite. Her season has been a masterclass in consistency, featuring multiple event wins against top-tier competition like Nebraska, Princeton, and Arkansas.
Joining Vlachou in the record-breaking spree was Ana Hazlehurst, a Big Ten Preseason Swimmer to Watch. Hazlehurst delivered the third-fastest 400 IM in Rutgers history with a preliminary time of 4:13.88. She ultimately placed 15th in the B final. That also marks the second consecutive year Rutgers has been represented in this fiercely competitive heat.
The diving well was equally kind to the Scarlet Knights. Katerina Hoffman and Bailee Sturgill both punched their tickets to the 1M Dive finals with NCAA-qualifying marks in the preliminaries. Hoffman stood third after the prelims with a score of 288.90, while Sturgill was seventh at 274.60.
In the high-stakes final session, both divers delivered top-8 finishes. At first, Bailee Sturgill scored 282.00 to finish seventh, repeating her top-10 Big Ten finish from a year ago. Meanwhile, Katerina Hoffman tallied 280.90 to finish eighth, marking her first-ever appearance in a Big Ten 1M final.
This sophomore duo has been a revelation all season. Sturgill, a Big Ten Diver of the Week earlier this year, and Hoffman. She recently won the Rutgers Platform Invite, has consistently placed on the podium at major invitationals, and captured silver medals at the USA Diving Winter Nationals.
Let's Talk About the Relays and Team Depth
The Scarlet Knights’ depth was on full display during the 200 free relay. The "A" relay team of Emilianna Gonzalez, Anna Vlachou, Chiara Alberti, and Ana Hazlehurst finished 11th with a time of 1:30.61.
Additionally, Sephora Ford contributed key points by narrowly missing the consolation finals, finishing 18th in the diving prelims. After eight events, Rutgers sits in 10th place overall with 171.5 points, with many of their strongest individual events still on the horizon.
This success isn’t a fluke. Because it’s the result of a stellar 2025-26 season. Vlachou, Hazlehurst, Sturgill, and Hoffman have spent the year collecting accolades and making their mark. Sturgill and Hoffman’s silver medals in Synchronized Platform at the USA Diving Winter Nationals proved they can compete with the best in the country. On the other hand, Hazlehurst’s versatility across the 200 IM and 400 IM has been a cornerstone of Rutgers’ dual-meet success.
Rutgers’ program milestones highlight the achievements of these standout athletes. Vlachou set a new school record in the 100 Butterfly at 52.15. Meanwhile, Hazlehurst earned the third-fastest 400 IM in Rutgers history at 4:13.88.
Then comes Sturgill, who reached the eighth-highest score all-time for Rutgers in the 3M dive at 337.73. And lastly, Hoffman posted the sixth-best score in school history for the 1M dive at 310.65. These achievements signal that Rutgers swimming and diving are not just competitive; they are rewriting the record books.
Momentum is firmly in Rutgers’ favor as the Big Ten Championships continue. Preliminaries resume Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Especially with the Scarlet Knights looking to build on their top-8 finishes in the 100 Back, 200 Breast, 500 Free, 50 Free, and 3-Meter Dive.
With multiple swimmers and divers peaking at the perfect time, the waves created in the early sessions of the championship are likely to turn into a tidal swell of success by the final whistle. Rutgers has made it clear that they are not just participants. They are podium contenders!
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.