The 2026 ACC Men's 500 Freestyle 'A' Final is set to be a thrilling event, with a fresh and young lineup. Seven freshmen will take to the pool, alongside just one returning swimmer from the 2025 Championships. This marks a significant shift from last year's final, where only one freshman qualified. The returning swimmer, Cal's Eduardo Olivera de Moraes, is making his debut at the ACC Championships after transferring to the program from Michigan. The field is stacked with talent, and the race promises to be a close one.
The top seed is Cal freshman Ryan Erisman, who clocked a lifetime best time of 4:11.17 this morning, an impressive improvement from his 4:12.78 at the Minnesota Invite in December. Erisman will be joined by three other Cal Golden Bears in the championship final: Olivera de Moraes, Nathan Wiffen, and Norvin Clontz. The youngest competitor in the heat is Max Carlsen from NC State, who is just 18 years old and a freshman. The oldest is Patrick Branon from Notre Dame, who is 20, and Oscar Isberg from Louisville, who is 21.
The 2025 Championship final saw Stanford's Henry McFadden finish third with a time of 4:12.33. As a junior in 2026, McFadden narrowly missed the final, placing 9th with a time of 4:16.91. He will now compete in the consolation final. Lance Norris from NC State also missed the top 8 by a small margin, finishing 11th with a time of 4:17.26, after placing 6th in 2025. The race is set to be a close and exciting one, with a mix of experienced and young talent.
