Whitworth has been selected as the preseason favorite to win its fourth consecutive Northwest Conference (NWC) Men’s Swimming Championship, according to the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.
The Pirates received eight first-place votes and 64 points to lead the nine-team poll. Whitworth captured its third straight conference title in 2026, continuing its run atop the NWC.
Puget Sound earned one first-place vote and 56 points to rank second in the preseason poll. Whitman followed in third with 48 points, while Linfield (42 points) and Pacific Lutheran (37 points) rounded out the top five. Lewis & Clark (25 points), Willamette (24 points), George Fox (20 points) and Pacific (8 points) completed the rankings.
Whitworth returns to the pool looking to extend its championship streak, while the conference’s other programs aim to challenge the Pirates for the title. At the 2026 championship, Whitworth’s Austin Elwyn was named NWC Men’s Swimmer of the Meet, while Puget Sound’s Anderson Bennett earned Rookie of the Meet honors.
The 2027 NWC Swimming Championships are scheduled for February 10-14 at the Idaho Central Aquatic Center in Boise, Idaho.
The preseason poll was voted on by NWC head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own institutions.
2026-27 NWC Men’s Swimming Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Rank |
Institution |
Points |
| 1 |
Whitworth (8) |
64 |
| 2 |
Puget Sound (1) |
56 |
| 3 |
Whitman |
48 |
| 4 |
Linfield |
42 |
| 5 |
Pacific Lutheran |
37 |
| 6 |
Lewis & Clark |
25 |
| 7 |
Willamette |
24 |
| 8 |
George Fox |
20 |
| 9 |
Pacific |
8 |
First-place votes are indicated in parentheses.