Michigan Embraces Underdog Role With Bella Sims, Letitia Sim, Stephanie Balduccini Leading the Charge

Stephanie Balduccini, left, Bella Sims and Letitia Sim. Photo Courtesy: Bella Sims via Instagram

When Bella Sims joined the University of Michigan swim team, she knew she was putting a Sims with a Sim.

Letitia Sim, one of the leaders of the Wolverines, welcomed Sims.

Now their parents joke that they are related – and maybe they are.

“My mom’s maiden name is Sim and she married a Sims. We always joke that we are related,” Bella Sims told Swimming World. “But we have that connection. We actually read each other’s minds and know what the other is thinking.”

Bella Sims. Photo Courtesy: Michigan Photography

It is a connection that has helped make Michigan a team-trophy contender at this week’s NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta.

“I always say I am the Sim to her Sims. It is like the back-to-breast relay connection,” Letitia Sim said. “There is a special connection there. We have to be in sync with each other.”

But they aren’t exactly the same.

“I am not a chatty person at practice, but Bella is the opposite,” Sim said. “I don’t know where she gets all of this oxygen because we are breathing the same air.”

That light, joking manner of speaking and acting is the dynamic in Ann Arbor, especially when you add Stephanie Balduccini to the mix.

The trio has put together several TikToks and videos on Instagram showcasing their fun and goofiness.

Photo Courtesy: Bella Sims via Instagram

It creates a pressure-off environment where the Wolverines, ranked No. 4 heading into NCAAs, have thrived.

And it is not just the top group of Olympians like Sims, Sim and Balduccini – it is the entire team.

“We don’t really speak about our Olympic experiences (unless someone asks),” Balduccini said. “I was raised in a place where it was, ‘here are the Olympians and here is everyone else’ and I don’t agree with that. Having the Olympics doesn’t change how we are treated and how we treat others.
It is something we pride ourselves in but it doesn’t define us.”

Having swimming not define her is something Sims has worked through and the new dynamic after transferring from Florida to Michigan has given her a new outlook – one of fun.

“”The whole team is not afraid to be themselves, which is great. We mesh so well. Being able to separate our lives outside of swimming has been really big,” Sims said. “I haven’t had fun at an NCAAs. It is always super nerve-wracking, and a lot of that is my own expectations. This year, I am really trying to have fun as my main goal.”

Not terribly difficult with Sim and Balduccini cracking jokes and sharing looks.

“We all knew who Bella was coming in,” Balduccini said. “It has been great. You get to see someone who works really hard but has fun doing it. It spreads to others, which is the most important part. The biggest thing for her is proving things to herself.”

Stephanie Balduccini. Photo Courtesy: Michigan Photography

The Wolverines have plenty to prove at NCAAs. While Virginia and Stanford are getting most of the attention, the Wolverines are happy with their place heading into the meet.

“I prefer being the underdog as a team,” Balduccini said.

The trio, along with Brady Kendall has the No. 2 seed in the 400 medley relay as well as the 800 free relay, and the fourth-ranked 400 free relay, which feature Sims and Balduccini. Sims and Sim are part of the fifth-seeded 200 medley relay and Balduccini is part of the fourth-seeded 200 free relay.

Individually, Sims is the top seed in the 400 IM (3:58.02), second seed in the 100 backstroke (49.12) and 12th seed in the 200 back (1:51.26).

Meanwhile, Sim is the fourth seed in the 200 breaststroke (2:05.24), eighth seed in the 100 breaststroke (57.90) and 15th seed in the 200 IM (1:54.35).

Balduccini is the No. 6 seed in the 200 free (1:41.40) and 12th seed in the 100 free (46.98).

They aren’t alone in the top group in the country. Teammate Hannah Bellard is the top seed in the 200 butterfly (1:50.34), an event that the Wolverines have done well in historically. She is also seeded in the top eight in the 500 free and 400 IM. Brady Kendall is the third seed in the 50 free and ninth in the 100 fly. Lexi Greenhawt is in the top 16 in the 50 free and 100 back.

Letitia Sim. Photo Courtesy: Michigan Photography

“The dynamic of our team is extremely different than when I started,” Sim said. “I came in as a freshman and I was pretty much raised by Maggie Mac Neil and Olivia Carter. They were strong, fiery, competitive and didn’t take any B.S. They knew what was good for them and that made them so successful. I think there is a different shift in dynamics and our team is more closely knit, all of it, not just the top training group. We can talk about anything and everything in the locker room now and everyone feeds off each other’s energy.”

All of that energy led the Wolverines to the Big Ten Championship.

“I thought Big Tens was electric. We talked every other week all year about goals and a Big Ten Championship ring was one of those, and it brought us close together,” Sims said.

“Big Tens proved all the work was worth it when we all got to stand there on the podium,” Balduccini said.

Now, the Wolverines are hoping another podium is in their near future.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments