2025 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championship
- March 11-15, 2025
- IU Natatorium — Indianapolis, IN
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Defending Champions:
- Women: Nova Southeastern (2x)
- Men: University of Tampa (1x)
- Women’s Psych Sheets
- Men’s Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Recaps:
University of Tampa sophomore Jacob Hamlin continued his tear through the NCAA Division II record books this season with a 4:14.62 in the 500 free on Friday evening. That crushes the old NCAA Record of 4:16.15 that UIndy’s Cedric Buessing set at the GLVC Championships in February.
Coming into the season, the record had stood at 4:17.09 since 2016 when Queens’ Dion Dreesens won the NCAA D2 title. Hamlin first broke it with a 4:16.84 mid-season, Buessing got it at conference, and now Hamlin put the final touch of the season on it, knocking another second-and-a-half off the mark.
Buessing didn’t swim the event on Friday; he swam well to finish 2nd behind Hamlin in the 1000 on Wednesday, but reportedly got sick before the 400 IM on Thursday and declared a false start in prelims of the 500 free on Friday.
Splits Comparison:
| Jacob Hamlin | Cedric Buessing | Jacob Hamlin | Dion Dreesens | |
| New NCAA D2 Record | Old D2 Record | Mid-Season D2 Record | 2016 D2 Record | |
| 100y | 48.11 | 48.38 | 48.38 | 47.86 |
| 200y | 51.30 | 51.93 | 51.77 | 51.71 |
| 300y | 51.62 | 52.46 | 52.61 | 52.48 |
| 400y | 52.22 | 52.43 | 53.36 | 52.7 |
| 500y | 51.37 | 50.95 | 50.72 | 52.34 |
| Total Time | 4:14.62 | 4:16.15 | 4:16.84 | 4:17.09 |
Hamlin improved across many phases of the race – every 100 yard split aside from the last one was faster than mid-season – the third and fourth splits are the ones that made the difference.
Hamlin had a good freshman season for Tampa, swimming best times in the 500 and 1000 frees, but his sophomore season has really punched the gas. Besides winning the 1000 free in a D2 record earlier this week, he also ranged down to a 1:33.38 to win the 200 free in a tight battle against McKendree freshman Volodymyr Gavrysh.
He still has the 1650 free remaining for Saturday. He is the top seed in that race by more than 16 seconds, and while he did add time in that event at NCAAs last year, given his current form, he appears well-positioned to avoid adding time this year. He broke the NCAA D2 Record in that race mid-season as well.
Watch the end of his race here:
Another swim, another #NCAAD2 Record for Jacob Hamlin from @tampaspartans!
Hamlin swam a 4:14.62 in the Men’s 500 yard Freestyle. #MakeItYours | #D2MSD pic.twitter.com/r5UXAn73Zk
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) March 15, 2025
Kid is a sophmore and just swam the 35th fastest time in the country and he’d be right on the bubble for making D1 nationals. Dude has a lot of upside the next few years and he stays motivated he could be very competitive with the guys and take this record down further to a place where it may not be touched for years potentially!
Jacob is having a great year. It is well deserved!