LANCASTER, Pa. – Defending champion Johns Hopkins has been selected as the favorite to repeat in the 2026-27 Centennial Conference Men's Swimming Preseason Poll. The Blue Jays collected all seven possible first-place votes and 49 points in a vote among conference head coaches. 

Gettysburg and Swarthmore tied for second place in the poll with 40 points apiece. The Bullets received the remaining first-place vote. Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall were deadlocked in fourth place with 26 points each, followed by Ursinus (23), Washington College (13) and McDaniel (7). 

The 2026-27 campaign begins this Saturday, Oct. 24 with CC meets hosted by F&M and Gettysburg. The CC Championship meet will take place Feb. 18-21 at F&M, while the NCAA Championships are slated for March 17-20 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C. 

2026-27 Centennial Conference Men's Swimming Preseason Poll

2026-27 Schedule | 2026 Championship Results | 2026 All-Centennial Team | History & Records | All-Time Top 10

Johns Hopkins wasted no time making its mark on Centennial Conference men's swimming last winter, totaling 940.5 points to capture the conference title in convincing fashion in the program's first appearance at the CC championship meet. Gettysburg finished in second place for the fourth straight season with 726 points while Swarthmore took third with 675 points. 

The Blue Jays went on to place ninth at the NCAA championship with 123 points, the highest-ever finish for a CC men's squad at the national meet. Swarthmore finished 20th while Gettysburg placed 26th. 

JHU freshman Kai Henrikson-Brandt was named Most Outstanding Performer of the CC championship after contributing 57 points to the Blue Jays total, with two gold-medal finishes and a silver. Henrikson-Brandt went on to be named CC Rookie of the Year and earned All-America honors in both the 400 medley relay and the 100 backstroke. Henrikson-Brandt is one of 10 returning All-Americans to the conference this year, including seven from Hopkins. Other returning Blue Jays who earned All-America status in 2026 include Michael Ivanov, Alessandro Pereira, Aden Li, Jonathan Wang, Josiah March and Ken Ning. 

Gettysburg's Evan Graham is the reigning CC Swimmer of the Year after setting new conference records in the 200 backstroke, 200 IM and 400 IM and securing a trio of All-America medals in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 400 IM. 

The Swarthmore duo of Danny Castle and Levi Tipton are also back as All-Americans, with both having earned multiple national honors each of the past two seasons. 

In addition to Graham's trio of conference records that he set last year, Henrikson-Brandt (100 backstroke), and March (500 free) also own conference records entering the 2026-27 campaign. An astounding 13 championship meet records were established last season, including individual records from Graham (400 IM), Henrikson-Brandt (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke), Castle (200 freestyle), March (500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle) and Pereira (1650 freestyle). 

A total of 25 returners from five different teams have received All-CC honors at least once in their careers. See below for the full list. 

Returning All-Americans (10)

Evan Graham, Gettysburg, Jr. (2026-400 IM, 100 back, 200 back)

Kai Henrikson-Brandt, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026-400 MR, 100 back)
Michael Ivanov, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026-400 MR, 200 MR)
Alessandro Pereira, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026-400 IM)
Aden Li, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026-200 MR, 100 back)
Jonathan Wang, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026-200 MR)
Josiah March, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026-800 FR)
Ken Ning, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026-800 FR)

Danny Castle, Swarthmore, Sr. (2026-200 FR, 200 MR, 400 FR | 2025-200 FR, 400 FR)
Levi Tipton, Swarthmore, Jr. (2026-200 FR, 200 MR, 400 FR | 2025-200 FR, 400 FR)

Returning All-Centennial (25)

Samson Qu, Dickinson, Jr. (2026 First Team-100 free)

Evan Graham, Gettysburg, Jr. (2026 Swimmer OTY | 2026 First Team-400 IM | 2026 Second Team-800 FR, 400 MR, 100 back, 200 back, 400 FR | 2025 Rookie OTY | 2025 First Team-800 FR, 400 IM, 100 back | 2025 Second Team-200 MR, 200 back)
Connor Mangan, Gettysburg, Jr. (2026 Second Team-800 FR, 200 IM, 200 back | 2026 Honorable Mention-200 fly | 2025 First Team-800 FR, 200 back | 2025 Second Team-200 IM, 400 MR)
Connor Booth, Gettysburg, Sr. (2026 Second Team-800 FR, 400 MR | 2025 First Team-800 FR | 2025 Honorable Mention-200 free)
Ethan Keiner, Gettysburg, Jr. (2026 Second Team-50 free, 400 MR, 100 free, 400 FR | 2025 Second Team-200 MR, 400 MR | 2025 Honorable Mention-50 free)
Toby Winston, Gettysburg, So. (2026 Second Team-800 FR, 400 FR | 2026 Honorable Mention-100 free)
Sam Nelson, Gettysburg, Sr. (2025 Second Team-500 free, 1650 free | 2024 First Team-1650 free)
Edward Kim, Gettysburg, Sr. (2025 First Team-800 FR | 2024 Second Team-100 back)
Connor Tiffin, Gettysburg, Jr. (2025 Honorable Mention-400 IM)

Kai Henrikson-Brandt, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026 Rookie OTY | 2026 First Team-100 back, 200 back | 2026 Second Team-100 fly)
Michael Ivanov, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026 First Team-200 MR, 400 MR, 100 breast | 2026 Second Team-200 FR | 2026 Honorable Mention-50 free)
Aden Li, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026 First Team-200 MR, 400 MR | 2026 Second Team-200 FR | 2026 Honorable Mention-100 back)
Josiah March, Johns Hopkins, Jr. (2026 First Team-800 FR, 500 free | 2026 Honorable Mention-200 free, 1650 free)
Ken Ning, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026 First Team-800 FR | 2026 Honorable Mention-500 free)
Alessandro Pereira, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026 First Team-1650 free | 2026 Second Team-500 free | 2026 Honorable Mention-400 IM)
Jack Cornish, Johns Hopkins, So. (2026 Second Team-1650 free)
Larkin Helman, Johns Hopkins (2026 Second Team-200 breast)
Justin Ely, Johns Hopkins (2026 Honorable Mention-100 breast)

Danny Castle, Swarthmore, Sr. (2026 First Team-200 FR, 200 free, 400 FR | 2026 Second Team-200 MR | 2025 First Team-200 MR, 200 IM, 200 FR, 200 free, 100 free, 400 FR | 2025 Second Team-800 FR | 2024 First Team-200 MR, 400 MR, 400 FR | 2024 Second Team-800 FR, 200 IM, 200 free, 100 free)
Levi Tipton, Swarthmore, Jr. (2026 First Team-200 FR, 400 FR | 2025 First Team-400 MR, 200 FR, 400 FR | 2025 Honorable Mention-100 fly)
Dylan Herink, Swarthmore, Sr. (2026 Second Team-100 breast | 2025 Honorable Mention-200 IM | 2024 First Team-400 IM, 200 back)
Mateo Smith, Swarthmore, Sr. (2026 Second Team-200 fly | 2025 Second Team-200 fly)
Sean Neirynck, Swarthmore, So. (2026 First Team-400 FR)
Matvey Ivanov, Swarthmore, Sr. (2025 First Team-200 MR)

Nate Rawa, Washington College, Sr. (2026 Honorable Mention-50 free | 2025 Honorable Mention-100 back)