Relay Program Record Comes Down on Day Two of American Championship

Thursday, February 19

Greensboro, N.C.

Prelims - 10:30 a.m. / Finals - 6 p.m.

James Madison University

Day Two

Relay Program Record Comes Down on Day Two of American Championship

2/19/2026 9:17:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

GREENSBORO, N.C. – James Madison swimming & diving won the gold medal in the 200 Free Relay and set the program record on day two of the 2026 American Championship on Thursday inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

It was a come-from-behind victory for the Dukes, as they were in fifth place after the first 150 yards. A 21.88 split across the final leg of the race from senior Jamie Cornwell though powered JMU to the gold.

JMU has earned 439 points and sit in sixth place, with Rice leading the nine-team field with 769 points.

Prelims

Four Dukes advanced to the finals of the 400 IM, with sophomore Maddy Coombs finishing eighth with a time of 4:20.77. Senior Riley Nugent (18^th, 4:29.72) and freshmen Tiffany Folcomer (20^th, 4:30.66) and Claire Francis (22^nd, 4:30.92) all qualified for the C Final.
Senior Ann Chappell Ellington finished 17^th in the 100 Fly with a time of 55.57. Freshman Emory Hill finished 21^st (56.00) and sophomore Alli Straub finished 22^nd (56.16) to join her in the finals.
The Dukes placed a swimmer in each of the evening's final heats in the 200 Free, with sophomore Madison Wimmer finishing fifth with a time of 1:48.94. Senior Alex Volk swam a time of 1:51.39 to finish 16^th, while freshman Emma Durham finished 22^nd with a time of 1:51.85.
On the 1-meter board, redshirt junior Natalie Jones placed 10^th in prelims with a score of 244.75 to advance to the finals. Senior Maddie O'Mera also finished 22^nd with a score of 228.90.

Finals

To begin the night, the team of Volk, Hill, Wimmer and Cornwell won the gold in the 200 Free Relay with a time of 1:30.22.
In the 400 IM A Final, Coombs finished sixth with a time of 4:20.76. Folcomer won the C Final with a time of 4:25.14, with Nugent (4:27.10) and Francis (4:31.34) finishing fifth and seventh in the heat.
Hill finished third in the C Final of the 100 Fly, swimming a time of 55.61. Ellington finished right behind her with a time of 55.66, while Straub claimed seventh with a time of 56.15.
For the finals of the 200 Free, Wimmer swam a time of 1:48.60 to finish sixth. In the B Final, Volk swam a time of 1:51.99 and Durham swam a time of 1:52.48 in the C Final.
Finishing third in the consolation final of the 1-meter board was Jones with a score of 259.30.
To finish the night, the team of freshman Maria Costa, junior Riley Bridgman, Ellington and Cornwell finished fourth in the 400 Medley Relay with a time of 3:39.96.

Meet Notes

It is the fourth consecutive conference championship that has seen the Dukes set the program's 200 Free Relay and seniors Jamie Cornwell and Alex Volk have been a part of all four of those relays.
The 400 Medley Relay time of 3:39.96 claims the third fastest time in the program history.

Up Next
Day three of the American Championship continues for the Dukes tomorrow, Feb. 20 at 10:30 p.m. for swim prelims. Diving prelims begin at 11 a.m. with the consolation final set for 5 p.m. The rest of the events' finals will start at 6 p.m. The third day of the championship consists of five events: 100 Back, 100 Breast, 200 Fly, 3-meter board and 800 Free Relay.