The Midseason Reinforcements Are Arriving: Who’s Joining the NCAA Ranks in January 2026
This piece is a collaborative report from Anya Pelshaw and Anne Lepesant.
As the calendar year turns, several NCAA teams are poised to welcome fresh faces for the spring season. Like every year, spring arrivals can reshape NCAA standings. Here are the standout newcomers slated for spring 2026.
If any names are missing, please drop a comment with links to data so we can verify and update.
Alabama
Tessa Giele
Giele has represented the Netherlands on the international stage multiple times, including at the 2024 SCM World Championships where she earned a silver medal in the 100 fly, finishing behind Gretchen Walsh. Based on her converted 100 fly times, she would have placed third behind Walsh and Torri Huske at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Auburn
Maksim Trotsenko
Trotsenko, a Russian athlete, joins Auburn with a best converted 100 breaststroke time just shy of the NCAA scoring threshold in 2025, which would have already put him into the SEC A final in that event.
Florida
Koen de Groot
Like Trotsenko, de Groot brings sprint breaststroke prowess to the college scene. His converted times suggest he would have been near NCAA scoring at 2025 nationals and, in fact, would have reached the SEC A final at the conference meet.
Georgia
Kris Mihaylov
Mihaylov will arrive from South Africa, adding versatility to Georgia’s freestyle rotation. He is expected to impact relay workloads.
Indiana
Alex Shackell
Shackell did not swim for the Hoosiers this fall but most recently competed at the US Open. She already demonstrates NCAA A final potential in multiple events, notably the 100 fly and 200 fly.
Kentucky
Tomer Shuster
Shuster represents Israel at the international level and specializes mainly in backstroke. His best converted 100 back time would place him fourth for Kentucky this season.
Louisville
Anastasia Gorbenko
Gorbenko, a world-class competitor, is set to energize Louisville’s roster. Her versatility should translate into immediate scoring, assuming a smooth transition to short-course yards.
Tennessee
Mizuki Hirai
Hirai holds the World Junior Record in long course 100 fly and already shows NCAA A final potential in the 100 butterfly. Tennessee has never broken the sub-52 barrier in the 100 fly this season, making Hirai a major boost for medley relays.
Lucio Flavio
Brazil’s 2025 World Junior silver medalist brings sprint fly strength to Tennessee. A converted 100 fly time of 45.38 would be a team-leading mark this season.
Texas
Alexey Glivinskiy
Evan Bailey
Ksawery Masiuk
Texas is set to welcome three additions this spring. Ksawery Masiuk, originally slated for arrival last year, will join in January 2026 and is anticipated to strengthen the backstroke group alongside Hubert Kos and Will Modglin. Ireland’s Evan Bailey will contribute to the sprint/mid-distance free lineup, with his best converted times potentially impacting relays. The third newcomer, Alexey Glivinskiy from Israel, will bolster sprint/mid-distance free events as well.
Virginia
Nina Jazy
Jazy initially signed with Michigan but will join Virginia this spring. She provides a valuable addition to the Cavaliers’ sprint free corps, complementing swimmers like Anna Moesch and Sara Curtis.
In This Story
Alex Shackell
Gretchen Walsh
Hubert Kos
Sara Curtis
Torri Huske
About Anya Pelshaw
Anya Pelshaw has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as a writer and social media coordinator. She covered the 2022–2025 Women’s NCAA Championships and has attended major events such as the US Summer Nationals and the European Championships.
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