UW Junior Tara Joyce has the last swim Saturday for the Wyoming Cowgirls at the 2026 NCAA swimming and diving championships.

“Tara has set the standard in goal setting, establishing a plan for success and a high level of achievement that is a direct reflection of the season she had,” coach Dave Denniston said, adding, “I appreciate that she has shown not only our varsity swimmers but Wyoming swimmers across the state what can be accomplished by someone from Wyoming with a strong drive and executable plan.”

In the final event, Joyce, a Cody High School grad, swam to 50th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.96, a top three program time for the school record holder.

“Tara inspires her teammates and coaches in a way that makes everyone around her better, just by doing ‘Tara things’,” Denniston said.

Joyce joins sophomore Macey Hansen as the only Cowgirls to swim in multiple events at an NCAA Championships in the past 10 years and joins a short list of eight women to ever do so for Wyoming swimming.

“We are so excited for her senior year, where she will do even bigger things in the pool than she’s already accomplished,” said Denniston.