NCAA Women’s Championships Preview: Virginia Heavily Favored For Fifth Consecutive Crown
Head coach Todd DeSorbo and his University of Virginia swimmers will be trying to repeat what they’ve accomplished at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships for the last four years. And all signs say they’ll be claiming their fifth consecutive national title.
The University of Virginia has captured four consecutive national titles in women’s swimming and diving, and none of those victories have been particularly competitive. The Cavaliers, led by Coach Todd DeSorbo, beat the field by at least 127 points in the first three of their wins before winning the 2024 meet by a relatively narrow margin of 86.5 points.
This year, we expect another dominant performance, with Virginia returning its two biggest contributors plus key supporting cast members. A pair of sisters — Gretchen and Alex Walsh — who won three individual national crowns apiece last year are back for their final campaigns, and two other Olympic medalists are added to the roster.
Speaking of Olympians, Stanford’s Torri Huske returns to college swimming after a redshirt year spent preparing for an Olympics in which she won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, while a pair of individual bronze medalists from Paris, Emma Weyant and Mona McSharry, are both back for their final NCAA Championships. Meanwhile, Texas has been the runner-up at the last three national championship meets, and a strong group of fifth-year swimmers hope to go out with a bang.
Here’s a look at Swimming World’s Top 10:
1. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Last Year: 1st (527.5 points)
Coach: Todd DeSorbo
Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The clear-cut top performer is Virginia senior Gretchen Walsh, who has earned six individual national titles during her amazing college career while playing a key role in 12 relay wins. Walsh is the fastest swimmer ever in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, having previously won national titles in all of those events. Expect another run of all-time bests from Walsh at this year’s meet. Her older sister, Alex Walsh, returns for a fifth year, having captured eight individual crowns, including three last year in both individual medley events plus the 200 breaststroke. Alex will take on a largely new slate of events this year, adding in the 100 breast and 200 fly while dropping the 400 IM and 200 breast.
Virginia adds Katie Grimes, a two-time Olympian who won silver in Paris in the 400 IM, and she will be the favorite in the yards equivalent of that event along with the distance freestyle races. Claire Curzan joins the Virginia roster for the first time, and in her first midseason invitational as a Cavalier, she swam the fastest time ever in the 200 backstroke, an event in which she previously won a national title while representing Stanford in 2023.
Virginia loses key swimmers Jasmine Nocentini, last year’s national champion in the 100 breast, and Ella Nelson, but the team’s returners include six further 2024 A-finalists: mid-distance freestyler Aimee Canny, distance swimmer Cavan Gormsen, butterflyer Tess Howley, sprinter Maxine Parker and diver Lizzy Kaye, plus 2024 B-finalist Emma Weber (breaststroke), who is coming off a breakout summer in which she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 breaststroke.
Finally, Virginia adds impact freshmen Anna Moesch (sprint free) and Leah Hayes (IM), both of whom project for immediate top-eight finishes and relay contributions.
2. TEXAS LONGHORNS
Last Year: 2nd (441 points)
Coach: Carol Capitani
Texas’ Emma Sticklen — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The Longhorns have a veteran group of five fifth-year swimmers. Emma Sticklen will round out her impressive college career, gunning for a third consecutive national title in the 200 butterfly, while the versatile Olivia Bray, a three-event scorer at her previous four national championship meets, and sprinters Grace Cooper and Ava Longi will also complete their careers. Texas also adds Abby Arens following a successful four-year career at NC State, who should help with relay contributions and NCAA B-final appearances.
A few key contributors depart the Texas roster: Kelly Pash exhausted her college eligibility after five years as the team’s do-everything swimmer, as did Olympic-medal-winning distance swimmer, Erica Sullivan. Breaststrokers Anna Elendt and Lydia Jacoby also ended their NCAA careers.
However, Texas will expect its sophomore class to take steps forward this season: Erin Gemmell qualified for the U.S. Olympic team and won silver in the 800 free relay, while Campbell Stoll, Angie Coe, Berit Berglund and Emma Kern will try to build off their NCAA consolation-final performances last year. In diving, Texas loses Jordan Skilken and Bridget O’Neil, but Hailey Hernandez returns for her senior season after second- and third-place finishes on the national level last year.
Texas will also get a freshman boost, with World Junior Championships medalist Piper Enge taking over as the team’s top breaststroker, while Jillian Cox is already one of the country’s top distance swimmers after narrowly missing the U.S. Olympic team in both the 400 and 800 free. Kate Hurst and Lillie Nesty could also contribute.
3. STANFORD CARDINAL
Last Year: 5th (250 points)
Coach: Greg Meehan
Stanford’s Torri Huske — Photo Courtesy: Jaylynn Nash/ACC
The Cardinal will be delighted to have Torri Huske back in the fold, with the two-time Olympian almost certain to repeat the trio of individual top-three performances she captured in her last NCAAs in 2023. Huske cannot keep pace with Gretchen Walsh in the short-course format, but look for big points in the 200 IM, an event in which she ranks third all-time, as well as the 100 fly and 100 free.
Meanwhile, every scoring swimmer from last year’s NCAAs returns in 2025, with senior distance specialist Aurora Roghair leading the way. Roghair placed second in the 1650 free and fourth in the 500 in 2024, and she has continued her upward trajectory this season. Junior Lucy Bell placed top-four in both IM events last season, with sophomore Caroline Bricker joining her in the elite 400 IM ranks — and both project to make even larger impacts this year, with Bell making unexpected inroads in the breaststroke events as well.
Other returning A-finalists include freestyler Kayla Wilson, butterflyer Lillie Nordmann and sprinter Gigi Johnson, while 2024 consols finishers Amy Tang and Charlotte Hook also come back.
4. FLORIDA GATORS
Last Year: 3rd (364 points)
Coach: Anthony Nesty
Florida’s Bella Sims — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Bella Sims, who won national titles in the 200 and 500 free last year at her first NCAA Championships — while also finishing third in the 200 back and pacing Florida to a win in the 800 free relay — helped the Gators make a huge jump in the team standings from ninth (179 points) in 2023 to third in 2024 with more than twice as many points (364).
Although Sims had a disappointing summer season, missing out on qualifying for her second Olympics, she will contend again for multiple individual crowns at NCAAs.
Isabel Ivey was a key performer in Florida’s run last year, finishing second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 free, so her departure hurts, but Florida brings back Emma Weyant after finishing second in the 500 free and 400 IM last year as well as Zoe Dixon after placing top-eight in both medley events.
Florida’s other key returners include A-finalists Camyla Monroy (diving), Olivia Peoples (butterfly) and Catie Choate (backstroke) plus B-finalist JoJo Ramey (backstroke) and key relay contributor Micayla Cronk.
New this year is breaststroker Anita Bottazzo, a native of Italy who has spent most of the season near the top of the rankings in the 100-yard event, while Michaela Mattes should make her NCAAs debut after a strong junior career that included Junior Pan Pacs medals in the distance events.
5. TENNESSEE LADY VOLUNTEERS
Last Year: 4th (277 points)
Coach: Matt Kredich
Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Last season, the Lady Vols achieved their potential at the national championship meet, and a similar feat this year could result in a return to the top-five with the vast majority of their point-scoring swimmers back this year.
The key swimmer on the roster will be Josephine Fuller, a senior who placed third in the 200 IM and fifth in both backstroke events in 2024. Fuller will have stronger competition this time with swimmers such as Huske and Curzan back in the college ranks, but similarly strong performances could yield 40 individual points.
Meanwhile, Camille Spink has impressed in her sophomore year after making the A-final of the 200 free and placing 10th in the 100 free at last year’s meet.
Tennessee also brings back the swimmers responsible for 19 of 20 relay legs at the NCAAs, and all the Lady Vol teams finished sixth or higher, topped by a third-place result in the 400 medley relay. The team might also have the best breaststroke group in the country with Mona McSharry, the national runner-up in both distances last year and the Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter breast, joined by impressive freshman McKenzie Siroky.
Ella Jansen, another freshman who was an Olympian for Canada, should contribute across the board right away, while 2024 consolation finalists Brooklyn Douthwright and Sara Stotler return for their senior seasons.
6. INDIANA HOOSIERS
Last Year: 7th (206 points)
Coach: Ray Looze
Indiana’s Anna Peplowski — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The Hoosiers have a shot at cracking the top-five in the final season for Anna Peplowski. Last season, the senior was the national runner-up in the 200 free and finished third in the 500 last year before qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team and earning silver in the 800 free relay in Paris. Peplowski will be the primary scorer for this year’s team, and she’ll be joined by two other seniors who finished top-eight individually at last season’s NCAA Championships: backstroker Kacey McKenna and distance swimmer Ching Hwee Gan.
Sprinter Ashley Turak has exhausted her eligibility, but Kristina Paegle returns after she was a B-finalist in both sprint freestyle events last year while handling significant relay duties alongside Peplowski.
Meanwhile, Miranda Grana has posted backstroke swims to throw herself into contention to earn second swims at the national level, while backstroker Brearna Crawford and distance specialist Mariah Denigan will look to contribute in their senior seasons.
7. CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
Last Year: 11th (153 points)
Coach: Dave Durden
Cal’s Isabelle Stadden — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The Cal women have yet to reach the top-10 in their first two seasons with Durden in charge of a combined program, missing by just 15 points in 2023 before falling nine points short of 10th-place NC State last year. Cal has big-name recruits entering the program next fall, led by Olympic medalist Claire Weinstein, but this year’s team has a group of swimmers in their final seasons looking for an emphatic finish.
At the front of the pack is Isabelle Stadden, who has finished as high as second in the backstroke events during her career. Mia Kragh returns after taking eighth in the 100 fly last season, and Leah Polonsky has been a consistent B-final performer in the IM events during her career.
The big addition to this year’s group is Mary-Ambre Moluh, who broke Natalie Coughlin’s school record in the 100 back that lasted 23 years. Moluh should score in sprint freestyle while instantly becoming Cal’s most valuable relay swimmer.
8. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Last Year: 6th (212 points)
Coach: Arthur Albiero
The Cardinals always seem to excel at the NCAA Championships, and despite some big names lost to graduation, the team’s sprint depth will be a valuable asset in March.
Christiana Regenauer is gone after a productive five-year career, but Gabi Albiero, daughter of head coach, Arthur Albiero, and younger sister of multi-time All-America swimmer, Nick Albiero, is back for her fifth season. Gabi placed sixth in the 50 free, eighth in the 100 free and 10th in the 100 fly last year.
Louisville also returns Julia Dennis, who placed fifth in the 50 free last year, while Ella Welch and Lucy Mehraban figure to take on bigger roles this year — and perhaps score individually — after racing with one top-three-finishing relay apiece last year. Two other swimmers return after earning B-final points in 2024: freestyle and backstroke specialist Paige Hetrick and IMer Fernanda Celidonio.
9. NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK
Last Year: Tie/9th (162 points)
Coach: Braden Holloway
NC State’s Kennedy Noble — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
NC State will be hard pressed to stay in the top-10 after Katharine Berkoff, a multi-time national champion and Olympic medalist, used up her college eligibility, and versatile veteran Abby Arens opted to swim her fifth year of eligibility at Texas. The team has only two individual scorers returning from last season, although it’s worth noting that one is Kennedy Noble, who placed second in the 100 back, third in the 200 back and ninth in the 200 IM in 2024.
If the Wolfpack expects to remain in the top-10, the answer will come from a pair of elite freshmen who will contend for individual top-three finishes. Leah Shackley is a former National High School Swimmer of the Year who qualified for the 100 back final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, while Erika Pelaez was a semifinalist at the selection meet. Both are decorated international swimmers on the junior level, and both have lived up to the hype in a variety of events in their first years.
NC State could have three A-finalists in both backstroke events between the two freshmen and Noble. Meanwhile, Emma Hastings returns after a 13th-place finish in the 1650 free, while sprinter Tyler Driscoll could make an impact.
10. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Last Year: 12th (147.5 points)
Coach: Matt Bowe
The Wolverines took a huge step forward at last year’s NCAAs in Year 1 under Matt Bowe — from 23rd to 12th. Another jump is in the cards in 2025 with four individual scorers returning to the NCAA Championships plus every swimmer from a trio of top-eight-finishing freestyle relays.
The team’s only individual A-finalist last season was Brady Kendall, who placed eighth in the 50 free, but her combination with Stephanie Balduccini, Claire Newman and Lindsay Flynn resulted in a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay and a fifth-place result in the 200 free relay.
Balduccini was ninth in the 100 free last year and 11th over 200 yards, but she is tracking for a higher-impact performance this year. Freshman Rebecca Diaconsecu will also be an impact swimmer in freestyle after qualifying for the Olympic semifinals of the 200-meter free.
Freestyler Katie Crom and butterflyer Hannah Bellard both return after B-final appearances at the 2024 NCAAs.
OTHERS TO WATCH
USC (last year: 8th, 200 points) is typically in the mix for a strong finish, and this year’s team has freestyler Minna Abraham and breaststroker Kaitlyn Dobler as the central swimmers, while Caroline Famous and Claire Tuggle were national B-final swimmers a year ago.
OHIO STATE (tie/9th, 162) could be in a tough spot this year, with only Amy Fulmer and Nyah Funderburke back among the Buckeyes’ individual scorers from last year. WISCONSIN (15th, 95) Olympian Phoebe Bacon returns for a fifth year supported by freestylers Abby Carlson and Paige McKenna, and GEORGIA (13th, 116) will be led by defending 1650 freestyle national champion Abby McCulloh plus fellow distance swimmers Rachel Stege and Dune Coetzee.
We also cannot rule out a run from NORTH CAROLINA (17th, 77) with multi-time national champion diver Aranza Vázquez Montaño joined by breaststroker Skyler Smith and backstroker Greer Pattison, both in the midst of career years.
