Swims That Flew Under the Radar at the NCAA Women’s Championships
The NCAA Women’s Championships were electric. The Virginia Cavaliers picked up their fifth straight team title on Saturday night, prevailing by more than 100 points. Alongside the historically fast swims that highlighted the four-day meet, there were multiple performances that created history for respective teams, but weren’t as flashy as NCAA records.
Here’s a look at some marks that flew under the radar.
Wednesday
With just two relays on the first night, the evening provided a small insight into how some of the top teams in the country were going to perform for the rest of the meet. Virginia picked up the win in the 200 medley relay with a new NCAA, U.S. Open, and American Record in a 1:31.10.
Slotting in at seventh overall in the medley relay were theArizona State Sun Devils, who continued what has been a stellar season under Herbie Behm. Miriam Sheehan (23.92), Iza Adame (26.65), Julia Ullmann (22.71) and Caroline Bentz (21.26) combined for a 1:34.54. At the start of the season, the team record sat at 1:36.40. At their conference meet, the same quartet threw down a 1:35.69, meaning ASU improved nearly a full second between Big 12s and NCAAs. For Behm, the improvement has come from more than just the work in the pool:
“So proud of these ladies!,” he noted. “This result is a testament to how they work together each day and the culture they have created at ASU. I think it’s the start of what this program can do but no better leaders than these four!”
Michigan took a surprise fifth place in the 800 freestyle relay, dropping more than a second and a half from its seed. Leading off with the fastest split of the field was sophomore Stephanie Balduccini at a 1:41.29. Balduccini had actually been faster at the Big Ten Champs, swimming a 1:41.16 there to rank 16th all-time.
In 2024, she swam third on this relay, splitting a 1:42.38 with the team finishing in eighth. Individually, she finished 10th in the 200 freestyle at a 1:43.00. By the time the 200 freestyle was over in 2025, Balduccini was third in the sole event, behind a swim of 1:40.89, and had shed two-plus seconds from her personal best.
Thursday
In the 200 individual medley, Southern Illinois junior Olivia Herron made some noise in the early heats. The rapidly improving Saluki took .75 off of her best time for a 1:56.46 finish.
The finals session was largely a battle among the top schools, but Pitt’s Sophie Yendell quietly made history for her team. Pitt qualified all five women’s relays this year for the first time in program history. Not content with that alone, Yendell pulled off program history again. Her fifth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (21.66) is the highest individual placing in Pitt women’s swimming history.
Friday
The second full day of competition saw a surge of mid-majors and lesser known programs make noise.
In the 100 butterfly, the aforementioned Yendell pulled off a 50.83 for an 11th-place finish. Meanwhile, Akron’s Abby Daniel finished 15th with Miami (FL)’s Giulia Carvalho rounding out the field in 16th.
Lesser known swimming schools showed up again in the 400 individual medley. Princeton placed two in the consolation final with Eleanor Sun (4:05.73) and Dakota Tucker (4:08.96) finishing 12th and 16th. In the women’s 100 breaststroke, Cincinnati’s Joleigh Crye put up a 58.11 for fourth. Fellow junior Mackenzie Miller put up 12 points for BYU with a 58.39 effort for seventh place.
Celia Pulido made history for Southern Illinois in 2024, pulling off consolation final appearances in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes. This year, Pulido upgraded to fourth in the country and a huge new best time. After breaking 50.00 in prelims for the first time, the senior put up a 49.77 in finals for a career high finish.
Saturday
After finishing seventh in the 100 breaststroke, Miller showed up in prelims of the 200. Dropping four tenths from her lifetime best, she earned the top seed for the final at 2:06.12. In the final, Miller became the highest finisher in BYU history with a second-place 2:05.03, yet another lifetime best. Within the same finals heat, Washington State’s Emily Lundgren earned All-American status for the first time, finishing sixth (2:06.18).
Indiana’s Ching Gan secured a top three-finish in the 1650 freestyle for the third straight year, a remarkable show of consistency. Her time of 15:42.40 was a massive personal best and a program record. Gena Jorgenson of Nebraska made an NCAA podium in sixth by virtue of a five-second lifetime best of 15:49.99. Notably Jorgenson swam out of the morning heats.
Former NCAP (Nation’s Capital) swimmers were on fire! Camille Spink, Eleanor Sun, Phoebe Bacon, Erin Gemmell, and Caroline Bentz looking good!