Alabama's Dominance Continues as Dutch Newcomers Giele and Niewold Shine
The Alabama Crimson Tide continued their winning streak, sweeping Texas A&M in a rescheduled meet held at College Station, Texas, on January 23, 2026. The meet was originally scheduled but postponed due to a winter storm. The women's and men's teams showcased their prowess, with Dutch newcomers Tessa Giele and Sean Niewold making significant contributions.
Women's Meet Recap
Alabama's women's team secured victory by winning both relays and several individual events. Tessa Giele, a standout performer, claimed two individual event wins, showcasing her versatility and talent. The team's strong start was evident in the 200 medley relay, where they set the top time with a composition of Emily Jones, Jada Scott, Gaby Van Brunt, and Charlotte Rosendale, finishing in 1:35.19.
Giele's butterfly prowess was on full display during the Bama 'B' relay, where she recorded the fastest split in the field with a time of 22.68, contributing to the team's third-place finish. The team's dominance continued with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, where they outperformed Texas A&M by two seconds, finishing in 3:14.41.
Giele's individual triumphs included a 50-yard freestyle win in 21.91, a significant improvement from her previous time of 22.21 against Georgia Tech. She also claimed the 100-yard butterfly title in 51.16, a remarkable improvement from her first meet's 52.19. These achievements propelled her to 13th place in the country for the season in the 100-yard butterfly event.
Cadence Vincent, another Alabama standout, dominated the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events. In the 100-yard freestyle, she clocked 48.23, narrowly beating Gaby Van Brunt's 48.69. Vincent's prowess extended to the 200-yard freestyle, where she set a new personal best of 1:45.74, finishing just ahead of Ella McQuinn from Texas A&M.
Alabama's success continued with victories in the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyle events, courtesy of Mackenzie Brandt, who set new personal bests of 4:45.79 and 9:48.46, respectively. Additionally, Emily Jones and Jada Scott claimed the 200-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke titles, further solidifying Alabama's dominance.
Texas A&M's standout performers included Kaitlyn Owens, who set a new personal best in the 100-yard backstroke, tying for 14th place in the nation with a time of 51.06. Hannah O'Leary and Ava Whitaker also made their mark, with O'Leary winning the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:10.73, and Whitaker claiming the 200-yard butterfly title with a top time of 1:55.28.
Men's Recap
The Alabama men's team demonstrated their resilience, securing a close victory over Texas A&M. The meet saw a balanced distribution of wins between individual events and relays. Sean Niewold, a recent addition to the team, made a significant impact, supporting his teammates throughout the meet.
Niewold's versatility was on full display, as he won the 50-yard and 100-yard butterfly events, touching the wall in 19.13 and 45.71, respectively. His performance was a notable improvement from his previous times of 19.52 and 43.77 in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events.
Leonardo Alcantara, another Alabama standout, claimed multiple individual titles. He dominated the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events, finishing ahead of his competitors. In the 1000-yard freestyle, Alcantara set a new personal best, finishing with the only time under 9:00.
Tommy Hagar and Noah Saylor also contributed to Alabama's success, winning the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events, respectively. Hagar's 100-yard backstroke time of 46.78 was just 0.01 seconds faster than Cole Witmer's 47.01, while Saylor's 100-yard breaststroke victory was a close affair, finishing 0.1 seconds ahead of Logan Brown from Texas A&M.
Texas A&M's standout performer was Munzy Kabbara, who won two events, the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley, with top times of 1:43.27 and 1:44.07, respectively. Kabbara's performance was a significant improvement from his previous time of 1:44.13 in November.
The Aggies also secured victories in the 200-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle events, with Logan Brown and Ben Scholl claiming the titles, respectively. The meet concluded with Texas A&M winning both diving events, showcasing their strength in this discipline.
Up Next
Texas A&M will host Texas on January 30, 2026, in their final dual meet of the season. Alabama, meanwhile, will host Auburn for their final dual meet on the same day, marking the end of their competitive journey in the 2026 season.
