INDIANAPOLIS – Sophomore Nina Schwab made history on Thursday, becoming the first diver in Carleton College history to be crowned a national champion after winning the 1-meter competition at the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships.
This is the 11th national title for Carleton Women's Swim & Dive and the first by a Knight since 2005 (see chart below).
Schwab was in second place after posting a score of 437.60 during the preliminary round improved on that during the finals and finished with a score of 465.65, good for a 20.35-point margin of victory.
"To watch Nina achieve a national title was inspiring," said Carleton diving coach Gabe Korteum. "Knowing her challenges with injuries and missed training throughout the season, her mental toughness enabled her to have a great performance tonight."
Schwab started the day with her to lowest degrees of difficulty and sat 24th out of the 29 competitors after the first two rounds of prelims. She vaulted up the board after posting the top score of Round 3, tallying 41.25 points on her 5233D (Back 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free) to move into third place, a position she still held after the fourth round.
She dropped down to 12th place after the fifth round and ended the voluntary dives with a combined score of 164.90.
Schwab scored at least 40 points on each of her six optional dives, starting with 49.20 points on her 403B (Inward 1 1/2 Somersault Pike). That was the top score of the round and moved her up into fourth place.
She was still inside the top five after Round 8 before turning in a phenomenal 303B (Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault Pike) in Round 9 to earn 54.00 points. It was the third time that she had the top score of a round and moved her into second place overall.
Schwab collected 41.60 points in Round 10 for her 5333D (Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free) and added 46.00 points in the final round on her 203B (Back 1 1/2 Somersault Pike).
By finishing in the top-8 during the prelims, Schwab guaranteed herself First Team All-America status for the third time in her career (see chart below).
"In prelims, Nina was good; but in the finals, she was excellent," said Korteum. "She managed the pressure well, enabling her to focus setting up beautiful hurdles which resulted in some of the highest scoring dives in the finals."
Schwab began the 8-diver finals with a carryover score of 164.90, which put her in sixth place. She would go on to score at least 44 points on each of her final six dives, including four dives that resulted in the top score of the round.
She started the evening session with a 403B (Inward 1 1/2 Somersault Pike) and moved into fifth place after earning 41.60 points, tied for the best score of the round.
Schwab's next dive—105B (Forward 2 1/2 Somersault Pike)—resulted in 57.20 points, the top score by any diver in the finals and moved her to within 0.70 points of the leader.
She followed that up with 52.00 points on her 5134D (Forward 1 1/2 Somersault 2 Twist Free). Once again, that was the top score of the round, and it moved Schwab 0.90 points ahead of Emory's Ariana Kahn with three rounds to go.
Round 9 proved to be the difference maker. Kahn over-rotated on her dive and scored only 18 points, while Schwab tallied 49.20 points on her 303B (Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault Pike) to take a nearly 13-point lead over Makenna Mincey of Baldwin Wallace University.
Schwab turned in the top score of round 10, earning 50.70 points for her 5333D (Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free) to build a 23.60-point lead on Mincey, who had beaten Schwab on the 1-meter board at the Regional meet.
Her final dive—203B (Back 1 1/2 Somersault Pike)—resulted in 44.85 points and sealed the national title.
Up Next for the Knights
Before competing in the 3-meter competition on Saturday, March 21, Schwab will root for Carleton's Hans Anderson, who will take part in the men's 1-meter diving competition on Friday.
Nina Schwab's Dive-by-Dive Scores
Prelims
| Dive |
Number |
Description |
Net Score |
DD |
Score |
Round Place |
| 1 |
401B |
Inward Dive Pike |
18.00 |
1.50 |
27.00 |
26 |
| 2 |
201B |
Back Dive Pike |
19.50 |
1.60 |
31.20 |
13 |
| 3 |
5233D |
Back 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free |
16.50 |
2.50 |
41.25 |
1 |
| 4 |
103B |
Forward 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
21.50 |
1.70 |
36.55 |
2 |
| 5 |
301B |
Reverse Dive Pike |
17.00 |
1.70 |
28.90 |
28 |
| 6 |
403B |
Inward 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
20.50 |
2.40 |
49.20 |
1 |
| 7 |
105B |
Forward 2 1/2 Somersault Pike |
16.00 |
2.60 |
41.60 |
14 |
| 8 |
5134D |
Forward 1 1/2 Somersault 2 Twist Free |
15.50 |
2.60 |
40.30 |
16 |
| 9 |
303B |
Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
22.50 |
2.40 |
54.00 |
1 |
| 10 |
5333D |
Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free |
16.00 |
2.60 |
41.60 |
10 |
| 11 |
203B |
Back 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
20.00 |
2.30 |
46.00 |
5 |
| Totals |
|
|
203.00 |
23.90 |
437.60 |
|
Finals
| Dive |
Number |
Description |
Net Score |
DD |
Score |
Round Place |
|
|
Carry Over from Previous Round |
0.00 |
0.00 |
164.90 |
0 |
| 6 |
403B |
Inward 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
19.50 |
2.40 |
46.80 |
1 |
| 7 |
105B |
Forward 2 1/2 Somersault Pike |
22.00 |
2.60 |
57.20 |
1 |
| 8 |
5134D |
Forward 1 1/2 Somersault 2 Twist Free |
20.00 |
2.60 |
52.00 |
1 |
| 9 |
303B |
Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
20.50 |
2.40 |
49.20 |
2 |
| 10 |
5333D |
Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault 1 1/2 Twist Free |
19.50 |
2.60 |
50.70 |
1 |
| 11 |
203B |
Back 1 1/2 Somersault Pike |
19.50 |
2.30 |
44.85 |
5 |
| Totals |
|
|
121.00 |
14.90 |
465.65 |
|
Carleton Women's Swim & Dive National Champions
1995 -- Lydia Neilsen (100 breast)
2002 -- Marie Marsman (50 free)
2002 -- Marie Marsman (100 free)
2002 -- Marie Marsman (200 free)
2003 -- Marie Marsman (100 free)
2003 -- Marie Marsman (200 free)
2005 -- Marie Marsman (50 free)
2005 -- Marie Marsman (100 free)
2005 -- Marie Marsman, Andrea Barbera, Jenny Grover, Jen Gratz (200 FR)
2005 -- Emily Mondloh, Andrea Barbera, Jenny Grover, Marie Marsman (400 FR)
2026 -- Nina Schwab (1-meter diving)
Nina Schwab at the NCAA Championships
2025 -- 3rd place in 1m diving (First Team All-America)
2025 -- 4th place in 3m diving (First Team All-America)
2026 -- 1st place in 1m diving (First Team All-America)