INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ursinus women's swimming first-year Caelan Ladd secured All-America status at the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on Wednesday, hosted at the IU Natatorium in conjunction with the Indiana Sports Corporation.
 
Ladd earned Second Team All-America honors in the 500-yard freestyle, breaking the Ursinus school record and finishing 14th with a time of 4:56.23. During the morning preliminary session, Ladd first broke Melissa Leonard's previous school record of 4:57.95 with a time of 4:57.56 to advance to the consolation final.
 
In the evening session, Ladd lowered the school record again with a time of 4:56.23 to place 14th overall and sixth in the consolation final. She becomes the Bears' first All-American since Sophie Lear in 2022, who earned second-team honors in the 50-yard freestyle.
 
Ladd returns to the pool Thursday morning to compete in the 400-yard individual medley, where she is seeded 11th with a time of 4:23.77. Thursday's events include the 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 400-yard individual medley and 200-yard freestyle relay.

To watch the NCAA coverage of the Division III Swimming Championships, click here.