The 2026 Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) State Swimming and Diving Championships concluded after three days at the Devaney Center Natatorium, drawing a crowd of 1,100 spectators. The event featured both team and individual achievements, with Creighton Prep and Omaha Marian capturing the boys’ and girls’ team titles respectively.
Creighton Prep secured its 25th state championship in boys swimming, finishing with 314.5 points—39.5 ahead of Omaha Westside. Notably, this marks the Junior Jays’ 20th consecutive season finishing either first or second at the state meet. Despite not having any individual or relay wins, Creighton Prep’s depth allowed them to consistently score points throughout consolation and championship rounds.
“They got a great team vibe going. And our senior leadership has kind of molded a really, really good team right from the start this year, and they have, they had belief right from the beginning that they could become the best team in the state,” said Prep coach Tom Beck. “And they just kept building and building and building.
“It created that performance yesterday (in prelims). And then we just took a deep breath and stayed relaxed. And all right, this is, this is step four. This is part four.”
Omaha Westside finished as runner-up with 275 points after winning two events and placing second in two others. Millard North placed third with 194 points while Fremont was fourth at 176.
On the girls’ side, Omaha Marian won its second straight title by narrowly defeating Lincoln East 322-319. The outcome was decided during the final leg of the last event—the 400 freestyle relay—when Marian’s Meredith Peyton overtook Lincoln East’s lead to secure victory for her team.
“I think it’s just what we’ve been practicing all year long — they’ve got to learn to compete. They’ve got to learn to race. And meets like this, especially on Championship Saturday, it goes back and forth regardless,” said Marian coach B.J. Christensen.
“And they just have to understand, to stay the course and trust all the training that they’ve done. We had a great day today. We kept fighting. And the girls did it.”
Peyton finished her high school career with three gold medals—including anchoring Marian’s winning relay—and set a new state record in the 100 butterfly at 53.73 seconds.
“The atmosphere is insane in here,” Peyton said. “That is really what drives me here, just being able to swim for my team. When you’re not swimming for yourself you’re swimming for your team, and that really pushes me.”
Fremont junior Elliot Vech made history by winning both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events—marking Fremont’s first individual swimming victories at state since 1973—and helped his school win its first-ever boys’ relay gold outside Omaha or Lincoln metro areas in over nine decades of competition alongside teammates Zayne Keslar, Dominic Morrison, and Jacob Hanson.
“Coming from Fremont, we’re kind of on the outskirts and have to work a little harder,” Vech said. “So it’s nice being from a smaller school and being able to go against the bigger schools and come out on top.
“I’m super proud. This is the best boys team we’ve ever had. It was really fun.”
Lincoln East’s Eje Kim was named male athlete of the meet after setting a meet record in the 100 backstroke (48.32), winning gold in both that event and in the 100 butterfly (47.95), as well as leading off East’s victorious medley relay.
Carter Hiley of Omaha Central delivered an upset win over top-seeded Matt Brailita of Millard North in the boys’ individual medley with a time of 1:49.99.
Millard North sophomore Leah Inman earned female athlete of the meet honors by breaking records in both distance events: she won the girls’ 200 freestyle with a meet-record time (1:48.33) and captured gold in the grueling 500 free by nearly nine seconds.
Freshman Millie Knudson from Brownell Talbot/Concordia/Mercy/Roncalli set another state record by winning girls’ 50 free in 22.63 seconds—a margin considered large for such a short race—and also claimed victory in the girls’ 100 free (50.17).
In diving events held earlier during championships week, Lincoln High’s Colin Farr repeated as boys champion with an overall score of 505.95 points; his brother Owen Farr placed second with Papillion-La Vista/Papillion-La Vista South’s Nik Klein taking third place.
For girls diving, Omaha Marian sophomore Leila Steinhoff clinched first place with Millard West’s Celia Hodge finishing second.
