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The NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships return to Atlanta after a tumultuous two years where an NCAA Championships was canceled, followed by last year’s meet without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This meet will hopefully bring a certain amount of normalcy back to the competition, which is March 16-19 at Georgia Tech.
Virginia won its first national championship last year, holding off NC State in a rise of the ACC among national powers.
The Cavaliers will look to repeat with a loaded team, but will find a tougher road with the improvements of so many powerful teams, including Stanford. In fact, it could be the most epic two-team showdown in decades.
Here are Swimming World’s Top 10 teams heading into the meet.
1 Virginia
Last year: 1st
The Virginia Cavaliers surged into one of the most dominating NCAA champions in history. The Cavaliers had stars, epic races and stellar relays, claiming their first national title in school history.
Alex Walsh won the NCAA title in the 200 IM and finished fifth in the 200 free and 200 breaststroke, and she also was part of the winning 400 and 800 freestyle relays. This year, Walsh will be competing in the 400 IM and 200 fly in addition to the 200 IM, and she will enter with legitimate national-title hopes in all three.
Kate Douglass won the 50 freestyle and was runner-up in the 100 free and 100 butterfly in 2021, but she will compete in the 200 breast this season instead of the 100 free, and she will be the national-title favorite. Douglass is perhaps the most versatile swimmer in the country, and the combination of Douglass and freshman Gretchen Walsh, Alex’s younger sister, gives Virginia elite talent leading all four sprint relays that will be favored to win national titles. Virginia set American and NCAA records in the 200 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relays last month at the ACC Championships.
Virginia has key returners in Maddie Donohoe in the distance events and Ella Nelson in the 200 breaststroke and IM events. Alexis Wenger is one of the premier breaststrokers in the nation. Of course, the Cavaliers lost Olympian Paige Madden to graduation. Madden won three events last year to lead the way for Virginia. But Virginia also adds freshman Emma Weyant, who made the Olympic team in the 400 IM and captured an Olympic silver medal.
With Virginia and Stanford reloading with some of the top freshmen in NCAA history, this could be the best showdown in recent memory.
2 Stanford
Last year: 9th
After winning three consecutive NCAA titles from 2017-19, the Stanford Cardinal missed out on a chance to have an epic dual with Virginia in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, a few key swimmers graduated, and Stanford dropped to ninth as Virginia took home the title. Now, Greg Meehan’s Cardinal are reloaded.
Stanford has added Olympic freshmen Regan Smith and Torri Huske to the squad. Smith will be the top seed at NCAAs in three events, the 100 back, 200 back and 200 fly, while Huske enters ranked first in the 100 fly, second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 free. In addition, Canadian two-time Olympian Taylor Ruck returns after taking an Olympic training redshirt, and she should contribute key individual points in the 200 free, 100 back and 200 back.
The boost of the trio could be the biggest of any wave of three swimmers in one year. All three have the potential to win at least one individual event, if not more. They also completely transform the Stanford relays, and the Cardinal will be favorites for a national title in the 800 free relay and strong contenders in the other events.
Brooke Forde, who has won NCAA titles in the 500 free and 400 IM, returns for a fifth year, while the Cardinal return key swimmers Anya Goeders, sisters Lillie and Lucie Nordmann, Allie Raab, Morgan Tankersley and diver Carolina Sculti.
3 Texas
Last Year: 3rd
The Texas women put together an impressive performance with an underclassmen-led team to finish third last year.
Olivia Bray was runner-up in the 200 butterfly, while teammate Kelly Pash tied for fourth and Emma Sticklen was seventh. That butterfly depth will provide a needed punch for the Longhorns this year, and Bray and Pash will be the leaders for Texas as potential three-event scorers and the key legs on relays.
Sophomore breaststroker Anna Elendt has been a breakout performer this season, and she enters as a top-four seed in both the 100 and 200-yard races. Evie Pfeifer was runner-up in the 500 freestyle last year, and she returns for a fifth year, and backstroker Julia Cook is another returning individual scorer. Divers Paola Pineda, Jordan Skilken and Janie Boyle all scored last year in at least one event, and all three return.
The loss of Grace Ariola, who retired for medical reasons, definitely is a blow points-wise.
But of course, the addition of Olympic silver medalist and distance specialist Erica Sullivan could be the difference between third and fourth with the points she could put together in the distance events.
4 NC State
Last Year: 2nd
The Wolfpack finished their highest ever last year as runner-ups, making the first time the ACC had the top two spots. And while Virginia lit up the scoreboard with top times in the country and relay records at the ACC Championships, NC State hung in with the Cavaliers until the last day behind impressive depth.
Katharine Berkoff has been the leader for NC State for the past two seasons. In 2021, she won the 100 backstroke national title and helpedthe Wolfpack win the 400 medley relay in an NCAA record-time of 3:24.59 and also the 200 medley relay. She also finished fifth in the 200 backstroke and eighth in the 50 free, although Berkoff will swim the 100 free instead of the 200 back this year. Meanwhile, Sophie Hansson won the breaststroke events and will be a threat to repeat.
Senior Kylee Alons will be another Wolfpack swimmer who could score some big points and be a factor, especially on relays. She was part of both NCAA-title-winning medley relays last year, and she also took fourth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free.
Julia Poole and Kate Moore are returning NCAA scorers who took the fifth year of eligibility. Emma Muzzy and Andrea Podmanikova are also returning scorers.
5 Alabama
Last year: 5th
The Alabama women were perhaps the surprise team of the NCAA Championships last year. The crowning moment was winning the 400 freestyle relay title as they rolled to fifth place overall, and Morgan Scott, Kalia Antoniou and Cora Dupre all return from that national-title-winning relay.
Meanwhile, Rhyan White, who made the Olympics in both backstroke events, finished second in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, and helped the medley relays earn All-American honors.
The Tide isn’t going anywhere, either, under coach Margo Geer. White is back and continues to build on a strong performance in Tokyo, and nearly all the points they scored last year at NCAAs are coming back.
6 Michigan
Last year: 6th
The Wolverines have put together a run of strong performances at the championships the past few years, returning to a top-five team on a regular basis. Last year, Mike Bottom’s team was sixth and could finish there again. Of course with a couple of strong performances that aren’t expected, Michigan could be a surprise team again at NCAAs.
Right now, the Wolverines are led by their “Butterfly U” duo of Maggie Mac Neil and Olivia Carter. Mac Neil won the NCAA title in the 100 butterfly and Carter won the 200 butterfly last year, a rare feat for teammates. Mac Neil is coming off of a stellar Olympic Games in which she won the gold medal in the 100 butterfly, and she also became a short-course world record holder in 2021. She was the Swimmer of the Meet at last year’s NCAAs after out-dueling Virginia’s Kate Douglass in two of their three individual showdowns, including a record-breaking performance in the 100 butterfly. Carter has been strong as well and could repeat in the 200 butterfly.
But the Wolverines need more than the butterflyers to put together big races at NCAAs. Kathryn Ackerman took seventh in the 400 IM last year at NCAAs but is poised for a big breakout as a sophomore in the grueling race. Victoria Kwan, Letitia Sim and Kaitlyn Sims could all be scorers for the Wolverines, who will need their help to return to a top-five team.
7 Cal
Last year: 4th
The Cal Bears are not in their usual place of being NCAA title contenders, but the Teri McKeever-led Golden Bears are still not a team to take for granted in a big meet. Isabel Ivey returns and the senior could be a title contender in multiple individual events.
Ivey will also anchor several relays for Cal. Meanwhile, Isabelle Stadden will be a contender in the backstroke events after putting together a strong season, and freshman Leah Polonsky could make an immediate impact in the IM events.
Robin Neumann, Alicia Wilson and Ema Rajic have all been Olympians and will play big parts in the Cal relays. Ayla Spitz and Rachel Klinker could also be big if they can score in the distance and fly events, respectively. If they can put together equally strong individual events, the Golden Bears will do even better than expected.
8 Tennessee
Last year: 10th
Irish star Mona McSharry gives the Volunteers as huge presence heading into the NCAA Championships. The Olympic finalist was a top-four finisher in both breaststroke events last season after being named the SEC Freshman of the Year last year, and she should have an even bigger impact on the team this season.
The Irish connection runs deep with the Volunteers add Ellen Walshe, another Tokyo Olympian from Ireland. Walshe will be a top-four seed in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 100 fly at her first NCAAs, and she will combine with McSharry to provide a strong middle portion for the Vols’ medley relays.
Tennessee freshman Julia Mrozinski was the surprise winner of the 500 free at the SEC Championships, and she is a potential A-finalist in both that event and the 200 free, while Kristen Stege returns hoping to score big points in the distance races. Junior AJ Kutsch (50 free) and freshman Brooklyn Douthwright (200 free) also enter as top-eight seeds.
If Tennessee can use its depth to put together some strong relays, it could be a big finish for the Vols.
9 USC
Last year: 22nd
The USC Trojans had a tough reality check at the NCAA Championships last year, taking 22nd. A couple of years ago, led by Louise Hansson, the Trojans looked poised to become a perennial top-10 and even top-five team, but have not been able to keep up that pace.
The Trojans are now led by interim head coach Lea Loveless Maurer after former head coach Jeremy Kipp was placed on administrative leave and resigned in early March. But despite the rocky season, senior Laticia Transom has made huge strides, and she enters NCAAs seeded fourth in the 200 free and fifth in the 100 free after huge efforts at the Pac-12 Championships. Kailyn Dobler, the runnerup last season in the 100 breast, is a contender for another top-three finish this season, and she will provide a huge leg on both medley relays.
USC has an added boost this season with graduate transfer Calypso Sheridan, a projected scorer in the 200 IM and 200 breast. The Australian was an All-American in multiple events at Northwestern as an undergrad. Meanwhile, Anicka Delgado, could provide another boost. She did not compete at NCAAs last year while focusing on training for the Olympics. She was 25th in the 50 free and 31st in the 100 free in Tokyo, competing for Ecuador. Freestyle and breaststroker Isabelle Odgers should also provide a boost.
10. Georgia
Last year: 8th
Though not the powerhouse they have been in the past, the Bulldogs have some big pieces on this year’s team that could push them into the top 10 under coach Jack Bauerle. Senior Dakota Luther is a title contender in the 200 butterfly and provides a boost to the medley relays.
Zoie Hartman has A-final capabilities in the 200 IM and both breaststroke events, while freshman distance swimmer Abby McCulloh has been a revelation in the distance races. Meanwhile, breaststroker Danielle Della Torre and sprinter Gabi Fa’amausili returned for a fifth year because of the NCAA’s extra year granted to those affected by the pandemic.
Sophomore sprinter Maxine Parker and freshman Dune Coetzee of South Africa will also be key pieces for the Bulldogs.
Others to watch
There is, as always, a good chance other teams crack into the top 10 with a strong performance at the NCAA Championships.
Ohio State is loaded with depth and finished seventh last year. Another strong performance, especially in the relays, could easily see the Buckeyes land in the same area.
Louisville could also make some waves with a similar team to Ohio State, while Indiana, Florida and Kentucky could also have some breakout performances lead to a big meet.
Wisconsin also has Phoebe Bacon, who will score a ton of points individually, and help the Badger relays. A little help from a couple other key swimmers and it could be a breakout year for the Badgers.
