Tanko Pursues NCAA Time at Mizzou Qualifier

Husker sprint specialist Beatrix Tanko will appear in the Mizzou Last Chance meet and join competitors from across the region who are working to improve their times in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. 

Tanko will compete in the 50 free and swim in a time trial for the 100 fly on Sunday, March 1, with prelims starting at 10 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m. (CT). The events will be held at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. 

She has set three school records in her junior season in the 50 and 100 free and the 100 fly. At the Hawkeye Invite, her personal best time of 22.17 in the 50 free moved her from the sixth-fastest time to the fastest in NU history books. 

Capturing a podium position of sixth-place in the 100 fly at the conference championships, Tanko beat her own school record with a 51.75 in the finals. She will swim in the time trials at Mizzou to try to further improve on her time. 

Setting a new personal best in the 100 free at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., Tanko cut 0.19 of a second from her record-setting swim from earlier in the season at the Hawkeye Invite. 

Two-time All-American Gena Jorgenson automatically qualified for the NCAA’s through her event-winning swim in the 1,650 free, where she clocked a personal best time of 15:45.36 at the 2026 Big Ten Championships. Tanko hopes to join her with her improved times from this weekend.