{"id":607533,"date":"2025-03-19T03:43:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=607533"},"modified":"2025-03-19T04:35:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T11:35:15","slug":"ncaa-womens-championships-preview-virginia-heavily-favored-for-fifth-consecutive-crown-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-womens-championships-preview-virginia-heavily-favored-for-fifth-consecutive-crown-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Women\u2019s Championships Preview: Virginia Heavily Favored For Fifth Consecutive Crown (Predictions)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>NCAA Women\u2019s Championships Preview: Virginia Heavily Favored For Fifth Consecutive Crown<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Head coach <strong>Todd DeSorbo<\/strong> and his University of Virginia swimmers will be trying to repeat what they\u2019ve accomplished at the NCAA Division I\u00a0 Women\u2019s Championships for the last four years. And all signs say they\u2019ll be claiming their fifth consecutive national title.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The University of Virginia has captured four consecutive national titles in women\u2019s swimming and diving, and none of those victories have been particularly competitive. The Cavaliers, led by Coach <strong>Todd DeSorbo<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>This year, we expect another dominant performance, with Virginia returning its two biggest contributors plus key supporting cast members. A pair of sisters \u2014 <strong>Gretchen<\/strong> and<strong> Alex Walsh <\/strong>\u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of Olympians, Stanford\u2019s <strong>Torri Huske<\/strong> returns to college swimming after a redshirt year spent preparing for an Olympics in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/how-torri-huske-rebounded-from-disappointments-to-win-gold-become-multi-event-star-for-u-s-in-paris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">she won gold in the 100-meter butterfly<\/a>, while a pair of individual bronze medalists from Paris, <strong>Emma Weyant<\/strong> and <strong>Mona McSharry<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/sports\/swimming-women\/d1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meet Information<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/results\/pdf\/2025-ncaa-division-i-womens-official-psych-sheet-ncaa-college-2025-02-27.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Psych Sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Here\u2019s a look at Swimming World\u2019s Top 10:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>1. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 1st (527.5 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Todd DeSorbo<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_581781\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-581781\" data-attachment-id=\"581781\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/gretchen-walsh-76\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;gretchen-walsh-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1711150164&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;gretchen-walsh-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"gretchen-walsh-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;6\/15\/24 &#038; 12\/28\/24 &#038; 1\/24\/25&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-581781 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"gretchen-walsh-\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/gretchen-walsh-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2089-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-581781\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Virginia&#8217;s Gretchen Walsh &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The clear-cut top performer is Virginia senior <strong>Gretchen Walsh<\/strong>, who has earned six individual national titles during her amazing college career while playing a key role in 12 relay wins. Walsh is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/female-ncaa-swim-of-the-year-gretchen-walsh-reaches-47-second-territory-in-100-fly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the fastest swimmer ever in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke<\/a>, having previously won national titles in all of those events. Expect another run of all-time bests from Walsh at this year\u2019s meet. Her older sister, <strong>Alex Walsh<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia adds <strong>Katie Grimes<\/strong>, 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. <strong>Claire Curzan<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia loses key swimmers <strong>Jasmine Nocentini<\/strong>, last year\u2019s national champion in the 100 breast, and Ella Nelson, but the team\u2019s returners include six further 2024 A-finalists: mid-distance freestyler <strong>Aimee Canny<\/strong>, distance swimmer <strong>Cavan Gormsen<\/strong>, butterflyer <strong>Tess Howley<\/strong>, sprinter <strong>Maxine Parker<\/strong> and diver <strong>Lizzy Kaye<\/strong>, plus 2024 B-finalist <strong>Emma Weber<\/strong> (breaststroke), who is coming off a breakout summer in which she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 breaststroke.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Virginia adds impact freshmen <strong>Anna Moesch<\/strong> (sprint free) and <strong>Leah Hayes<\/strong> (IM), both of whom project for immediate top-eight finishes and relay contributions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>2. TEXAS LONGHORNS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 2nd (441 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Carol Capitani<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_582055\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-582055\" data-attachment-id=\"582055\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/emma-sticklen-29\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;emma-sticklen-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1711239992&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;234&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;emma-sticklen-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"emma-sticklen-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;10\/22\/24&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-582055 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"emma-sticklen-\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/emma-sticklen-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-3673-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-582055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Texas&#8217; Emma Sticklen &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Longhorns have a veteran group of five fifth-year swimmers. <strong>Emma Sticklen<\/strong> will round out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/underwater-kicking-champ-and-big-personality-emma-sticklen-starting-strong-in-fifth-year-at-texas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">her impressive college career<\/a>, gunning for a third consecutive national title in the 200 butterfly, while the versatile <strong>Olivia Bray<\/strong>, a three-event scorer at her previous four national championship meets, and sprinters <strong>Grace Cooper <\/strong>and <strong>Ava Longi<\/strong> will also complete their careers. Texas also adds <strong>Abby Arens<\/strong> following a successful four-year career at NC State, who should help with relay contributions and NCAA B-final appearances.<\/p>\n<p>A few key contributors depart the Texas roster: <strong>Kelly Pash<\/strong> exhausted her college eligibility after five years as the team\u2019s do-everything swimmer, as did Olympic-medal-winning distance swimmer, <strong>Erica Sullivan<\/strong>. Breaststrokers <strong>Anna Elendt<\/strong> and <strong>Lydia Jacoby<\/strong> also ended their NCAA careers.<\/p>\n<p>However, Texas will expect its sophomore class to take steps forward this season: <strong>Erin Gemmell<\/strong> qualified for the U.S. Olympic team and won silver in the 800 free relay, while <strong>Campbell Stoll<\/strong>, <strong>Angie Coe<\/strong>, <strong>Berit Berglund<\/strong> and <strong>Emma Kern<\/strong> will try to build off their NCAA consolation-final performances last year. In diving, Texas loses <strong>Jordan Skilken<\/strong> and <strong>Bridget O\u2019Neil<\/strong>, but <strong>Hailey Hernandez<\/strong> returns for her senior season after second- and third-place finishes on the national level last year.<\/p>\n<p>Texas will also get a freshman boost, with World Junior Championships medalist <strong>Piper Enge<\/strong> taking over as the team\u2019s top breaststroker, while <strong>Jillian Cox<\/strong> is already one of the country\u2019s top distance swimmers after narrowly missing the U.S. Olympic team in both the 400 and 800 free. <strong>Kate Hurst<\/strong> and <strong>Lillie Nesty<\/strong> could also contribute.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>3. STANFORD CARDINAL<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 5th (250 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Greg Meehan<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_605087\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-605087\" data-attachment-id=\"605087\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/acc-championships-day-3-torri-huske-clocks-48-52-100-fly-katie-grimes-adds-medley-win\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Jaylynn Nash&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Sanford during the 2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championship in Greensboro, N.C.Wednesday February 19th, 2025 (Photo by Jaylynn Nash\\\/ACC)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1740005804&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Jaylynn Nash\\\/ACC&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;560&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;25600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Jaylynn Nash\/ACC&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-605087 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-450x300.jpg\" alt=\"torri huske\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-1350x900.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/torri-huske-acc-championships-2025-2-533x355.jpg 533w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-605087\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stanford&#8217;s Torri Huske &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Jaylynn Nash\/ACC<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Cardinal will be delighted to have <strong>Torri Huske<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/in-return-to-college-swimming-torri-huske-seeking-individual-national-title-while-leading-stanford\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">back in the fold<\/a>, 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 <strong>Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, every scoring swimmer from last year\u2019s NCAAs returns in 2025, with senior distance specialist <strong>Aurora Roghair<\/strong> 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 <strong>Lucy Bell<\/strong> placed top-four in both IM events last season, with sophomore <strong>Caroline Bricker<\/strong> joining her in the elite 400 IM ranks \u2014 and both project to make even larger impacts this year, with Bell making unexpected inroads in the breaststroke events as well.<\/p>\n<p>Other returning A-finalists include freestyler <strong>Kayla Wilson<\/strong>, butterflyer <strong>Lillie Nordmann<\/strong> and sprinter <strong>Gigi Johnson<\/strong>, while 2024 consols finishers <strong>Amy Tang<\/strong> and <strong>Charlotte Hook<\/strong> also come back.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>4. FLORIDA GATORS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 3rd (364 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Anthony Nesty<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_581768\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-581768\" data-attachment-id=\"581768\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/bella-sims-36\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;bella-sims-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1711151076&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;335&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;10000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;bella-sims-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"bella-sims-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;2\/26\/25&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-581768 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"bella-sims-\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bella-sims-2024-Wm-NCAA-SD-2165-Edit-2.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-581768\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Florida&#8217;s Bella Sims &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Bella Sims<\/strong>, who won national titles in the 200 and 500 free last year at her first NCAA Championships \u2014 while also finishing third in the 200 back and pacing Florida to a win in the 800 free relay \u2014 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).<\/p>\n<p>Although Sims had a disappointing summer season, missing out on qualifying for her second Olympics, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/the-real-bella-sims-stands-up-and-shines-at-sec-championships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">she will contend again for multiple individual crowns at NCAAs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Isabel Ivey<\/strong> was a key performer in Florida\u2019s run last year, finishing second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 free, so her departure hurts, but Florida brings back <strong>Emma Weyant<\/strong> after finishing second in the 500 free and 400 IM last year as well as <strong>Zoe Dixon<\/strong> after placing top-eight in both medley events.<\/p>\n<p>Florida\u2019s other key returners include A-finalists <strong>Camyla Monroy<\/strong> (diving), <strong>Olivia Peoples<\/strong> (butterfly) and <strong>Catie Choate<\/strong> (backstroke) plus B-finalist <strong>JoJo Ramey<\/strong> (backstroke) and key relay contributor <strong>Micayla Cronk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>New this year is breaststroker <strong>Anita Bottazzo<\/strong>, a native of Italy who has spent most of the season near the top of the rankings in the 100-yard event, while <strong>Michaela Mattes<\/strong> should make her NCAAs debut after a strong junior career that included Junior Pan Pacs medals in the distance events.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>5. TENNESSEE LADY VOLUNTEERS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 4th (277 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Matt Kredich<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_588282\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-588282\" data-attachment-id=\"588282\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/josephine-fuller-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;josephine-fuller-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718674102&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;300&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;5000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;josephine-fuller-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"josephine-fuller-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;2\/1\/25&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-588282 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"josephine fuller\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/josephine-fuller-2024-Olympic-Trials-3314-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-588282\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tennessee&#8217;s Josephine Fuller &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The key swimmer on the roster will be <strong>Josephine Fuller<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Camille Spink<\/strong> 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\u2019s meet.<\/p>\n<p>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 <strong>Mona McSharry<\/strong>, the national runner-up in both distances last year and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-preview-a-van-national-parks-and-a-deserved-break-how-mona-mcsharry-balanced-life-after-paris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter breast<\/a>, joined by impressive freshman <strong>McKenzie Siroky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ella Jansen<\/strong>, another freshman who was an Olympian for Canada, should contribute across the board right away, while 2024 consolation finalists <strong>Brooklyn Douthwright<\/strong> and <strong>Sara Stotler<\/strong> return for their senior seasons.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>6. INDIANA HOOSIERS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 7th (206 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Ray Looze<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_581536\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-581536\" data-attachment-id=\"581536\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/anna-peplowski-riding-momentum-from-worlds-and-ncaas-targeting-200-free-at-trials\/anna-peplowski-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;anna-peplowski-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1711063298&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;4000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;anna-peplowski-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anna-peplowski-\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-581536 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"anna-peplowski-indiana-big-ten\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/anna-peplowski-2020-Wm-NCAA-SD-0953-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-581536\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Indiana&#8217;s Anna Peplowski &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Hoosiers have a shot at cracking the top-five in the final season for <strong>Anna Peplowski<\/strong>. Last season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/indianas-anna-peplowski-chasing-historic-barrier-in-200-free-at-ncaas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the senior<\/a> 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\u2019s team, and she\u2019ll be joined by two other seniors who finished top-eight individually at last season\u2019s NCAA Championships: backstroker <strong>Kacey McKenna<\/strong> and distance swimmer <strong>Ching Hwee Gan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Sprinter <strong>Ashley Turak<\/strong> has exhausted her eligibility, but <strong>Kristina Paegle<\/strong> returns after she was a B-finalist in both sprint freestyle events last year while handling significant relay duties alongside Peplowski.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Miranda Grana<\/strong> has posted backstroke swims to throw herself into contention to earn second swims at the national level, while backstroker <strong>Brearna Crawford<\/strong> and distance specialist <strong>Mariah Denigan<\/strong> will look to contribute in their senior seasons.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>7. CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 11th (153 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Dave Durden<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_588162\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-588162\" data-attachment-id=\"588162\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-womens-championships-preview-virginia-heavily-favored-for-fifth-consecutive-crown-predictions\/isabelle-stadden-53\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;isabelle-stadden-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718643842&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;2500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;isabelle-stadden-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"isabelle-stadden-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;6\/20\/24&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-588162 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"isabelle-stadden-olympic-trials-cal-acc\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/isabelle-stadden-2024-Olympic-Trials-3080-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-588162\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal&#8217;s Isabelle Stadden &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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 <strong>Claire Weinstein<\/strong>, but this year\u2019s team has a group of swimmers in their final seasons looking for an emphatic finish.<\/p>\n<p>At the front of the pack is <strong>Isabelle Stadden<\/strong>, who has finished as high as second in the backstroke events during her career. <strong>Mia Kragh<\/strong> returns after taking eighth in the 100 fly last season, and <strong>Leah Polonsky<\/strong> has been a consistent B-final performer in the IM events during her career.<\/p>\n<p>The big addition to this year\u2019s group is <strong>Mary-Ambre Moluh<\/strong>, who broke <strong>Natalie Coughlin\u2019s <\/strong>school record in the 100 back that lasted 23 years. Moluh should score in sprint freestyle while instantly becoming Cal\u2019s most valuable relay swimmer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>8. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 6th (212 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Arthur Albiero<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Cardinals always seem to excel at the NCAA Championships, and despite some big names lost to graduation, the team\u2019s sprint depth will be a valuable asset in March.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Christiana Regenauer<\/strong> is gone after a productive five-year career, but <strong>Gabi Albiero<\/strong>, daughter of head coach, <strong>Arthur Albiero<\/strong>, and younger sister of multi-time All-America swimmer, <strong>Nick Albiero<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Louisville also returns <strong>Julia Dennis<\/strong>, who placed fifth in the 50 free last year, while <strong>Ella Welch<\/strong> and <strong>Lucy Mehraban<\/strong> figure to take on bigger roles this year \u2014 and perhaps score individually \u2014 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 <strong>Paige Hetrick<\/strong> and IMer <strong>Fernanda Celidonio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>9. NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: Tie\/9th (162 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Braden Holloway<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_588177\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-588177\" data-attachment-id=\"588177\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-womens-championships-preview-virginia-heavily-favored-for-fifth-consecutive-crown-predictions\/kennedy-noble-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,750\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-1MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;kennedy-noble-&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718643732&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Peter H. Bick&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;220&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;kennedy-noble-&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"kennedy-noble-\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;7-20-25 &#038; 1\/30\/26&lt;br \/&gt;\nkennedy-noble-&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-588177 size-medium-small\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-450x338.jpg\" alt=\"kennedy-noble-\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-450x338.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kennedy-noble-2024-Olympic-Trials-3063-Edit.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-588177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NC State&#8217;s Kennedy Noble &#8212; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>NC State will be hard pressed to stay in the top-10 after <strong>Katharine Berkoff<\/strong>, a multi-time national champion and Olympic medalist, used up her college eligibility, and versatile veteran <strong>Abby Arens<\/strong> opted to swim her fifth year of eligibility at Texas. The team has only two individual scorers returning from last season, although it\u2019s worth noting that one is <strong>Kennedy Noble<\/strong>, who placed second in the 100 back, third in the 200 back and ninth in the 200 IM in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>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. <strong>Leah Shackley<\/strong> is a former National High School Swimmer of the Year who qualified for the 100 back final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, while <strong>Erika Pelaez<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<p>NC State could have three A-finalists in both backstroke events between the two freshmen and Noble. Meanwhile, <strong>Emma Hastings<\/strong> returns after a 13th-place finish in the 1650 free, while sprinter <strong>Tyler Driscoll<\/strong> could make an impact.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>10. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Last Year: 12th (147.5 points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach: Matt Bowe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines took a huge step forward at last year\u2019s NCAAs in Year 1 under <strong>Matt Bowe <\/strong>\u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>The team\u2019s only individual A-finalist last season was <strong>Brady Kendall<\/strong>, who placed eighth in the 50 free, but her combination with <strong>Stephanie Balduccini<\/strong>, <strong>Claire Newman<\/strong> and <strong>Lindsay Flynn<\/strong> resulted in a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay and a fifth-place result in the 200 free relay.<\/p>\n<p>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 <strong>Rebecca Diaconsecu<\/strong> will also be an impact swimmer in freestyle after qualifying for the Olympic semifinals of the 200-meter free.<\/p>\n<p>Freestyler <strong>Katie Crom<\/strong> and butterflyer <strong>Hannah Bellard<\/strong> both return after B-final appearances at the 2024 NCAAs.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>OTHERS TO WATCH<\/h2>\n<p><strong>USC<\/strong> (last year: 8th, 200 points) is typically in the mix for a strong finish, and this year\u2019s team has freestyler <strong>Minna Abraham<\/strong> and breaststroker <strong>Kaitlyn Dobler<\/strong> as the central swimmers, while <strong>Caroline Famous<\/strong> and <strong>Claire Tuggle<\/strong> were national B-final swimmers a year ago.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OHIO STATE<\/strong> (tie\/9th, 162) could be in a tough spot this year, with only <strong>Amy Fulmer<\/strong> and <strong>Nyah Funderburke<\/strong> back among the Buckeyes\u2019 individual scorers from last year. <strong>WISCONSIN<\/strong> (15th, 95) Olympian <strong>Phoebe Bacon<\/strong> returns for a fifth year supported by freestylers <strong>Abby Carlson<\/strong> and <strong>Paige McKenna<\/strong>, and <strong>GEORGIA<\/strong> (13th, 116) will be led by defending 1650 freestyle national champion <strong>Abby McCulloh<\/strong> plus fellow distance swimmers <strong>Rachel Stege<\/strong> and <strong>Dune Coetzee<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>We also cannot rule out a run from <strong>NORTH CAROLINA<\/strong> (17th, 77) with multi-time national champion diver <strong>Aranza V\u00e1zquez Monta\u00f1o<\/strong> joined by breaststroker <strong>Skyler Smith<\/strong> and backstroker <strong>Greer Pattison<\/strong>, both in the midst of career years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NCAA Women\u2019s 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\u2019ve accomplished at<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":581589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,6],"tags":[135676,135683,52974,113975,126572,60521,65096,32,58437,65122,127681,51270,132191,327,177,366,60126,74161,543],"class_list":["post-607533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-college","tag-2025-ncaa-division-i-womens-swimming-championship","tag-2025-ncaa-womens-championships","tag-alex-walsh","tag-anna-peplowski","tag-bella-sims","tag-claire-curzan","tag-emma-sticklen","tag-florida","tag-gretchen-walsh","tag-josephine-fuller","tag-katie-grimes","tag-mona-mcsharry","tag-ncaa-division-i-womens-championships","tag-stanford","tag-tennessee","tag-texas","tag-todd-desorbo","tag-torri-huske","tag-virginia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - 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