INDIANAPOLIS –
Addi Wood of the 20th-ranked Salisbury University women's swimming team achieved the program's greatest accomplishment to date by finishing as national runner-up in the 1,650-yard freestyle on the fourth and final day of the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships, held on Saturday at the IU Natatorium.
Wood (Jr. – Virginia Beach, Va.) earned the silver medal in swimming's longest event in a time of 16:46.50, over eight seconds better than the mark that won her a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title in the event last month. Her time placed her well ahead of third-place finisher Madeline Dunn of Tufts (16:52.42) and behind only gold medalist Molly Haag of Kenyon (16:37.04).
In the process, Wood becomes the first individual First-Team All-American in Sea Gull history, the first Salisbury woman to make an All-America First Team, and SU's highest-ever finisher at nationals.
"We knew Addi was going to be special when we found her in the transfer portal, but she's proven to be tenfold what we initially expected," said Sea Gull head coach
Nate Parsley before the start of the championship meet. "What makes her stand out is her consistency; whether it's a great day or a tough one, she shows up and delivers. She's a real force in the distance events and more than earned her chance to race among the stars in the mile final."
Fueled by Wood's 17 points from the 1650 free, the Sea Gulls finished the championship meet with 24 points, placing 22nd of 44 teams to make the national rolls and improving 13 slots from last season's 35th-place standing.
In the morning's prelims,
Maddie Powell (2:22.06) registered a 31st-place finish in the 200 breaststroke, while
Rowan O'Donoghue (52.42) took 55th in the 100 free. The 400 free relay saw
Rachel Rickabaugh,
Lily Griffin,
Alexa Hilty, and O'Donoghue place 24th with a mark of 3:31.13.
Salisbury in total earned three All-America titles through the four days of competition, with O'Donoghue adding Second-Team turns in the 500 free and 200 free to Wood's silver in the mile.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 207 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
