NCAA Swimming: Nine Impactful Under-the-Radar Returners

Nine Under-the-Radar Returners Who Could Impact NCAA Women’s Swimming This Season

A big swath of expertise has departed from school swimming. Sisters Alex and Gretchen Walsh are accomplished on the University of Virginia after main the Cavaliers to a fifth consecutive crew title. Emma Sticklen concluded her Texas profession after profitable a 3rd straight nationwide championship within the 200 butterfly, whereas Olympic and 200 freestyle champion Anna Peplowski wrapped up her time at Indiana.

Emma Weyant and Phoebe Bacon are each two-time Olympians who ran out of school eligibility, and Tennessee’s Mona McSharry was the Olympic bronze medalist within the 100-meter breaststroke. Further top-three particular person finishers from final season’s NCAA Championships to maneuver on embrace Stanford distance standout Aurora Roghair, versatile Cal swimmer Lea Polonsky and Peplowski’s Indiana teammates Ching Gan and Brearna Crawford.

Those adjustments imply there are vital openings for opportunistic swimmers to take the subsequent steps of their profession over the subsequent 5 months. It isn’t any secret that Virginia is effectively positioned for one more title with versatile star Claire Curzan returning and swimmers like Anna Moesch, Katie Grimes, Leah Hayes and Tess Howley positioned to tackle stronger roles. Stanford has the trio of Torri Huske, Caroline Bricker and Lucy Bell whereas Texas is constructing round Jillian Cox and Erin Gemmell. Cal provides star freestyler Claire Weinstein to its roster whereas NC State’s Leah Shackley is more likely to construct off her five-gold-medal efficiency on the World University Games.

But it’s not simply the established favorites sitting in place. Plenty extra swimmers might use their 2024-25 outcomes as expertise as they search to carry their respective squads following one other 12 months’s price of expertise. And this listing shouldn’t be complete, with expertise from all around the nation poised for robust years on the convention and nationwide stage.

Miranda Grana & Kristina Paegle, Indiana

Following a formidable fourth-place end finally 12 months’s NCAA Championships, the Indiana girls have a rebuilding effort in entrance of them with so many high-profile losses. But Grana and Paegle symbolize a superb start line.

Grana, a local of Mexico who beforehand swam for Texas A&M, completed fourth within the 100 fly and third within the 100 backstroke finally season’s NCAA meet, getting below the 50-second barrier in backstroke and simply lacking at 50.01 in butterfly. She additionally gained the 200 again B-final in 1:48.73, giving her the fifth-best time of the competitors. Without Gretchen Walsh and Sticklen in butterfly and Bacon in backstroke, Grana might end even larger this time.

Paegle was a B-finalist in each dash freestyle occasions final 12 months, and he or she might exceed or match these finishes (tenth and twelfth) in her senior season. Paegle additionally steps into an excellent bigger relay position; particularly, a medley relay with Mya DeWitt on again, Grana on fly and Paegle anchoring has robust potential.

Ella Jansen, Tennessee

Ella Jansen — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The Lady Vols have enormous holes to fill with McSharry, Josephine Fuller and Sara Stotler all graduating off final season’s fifth-place crew, however Camille Spink returns to carry down the freestyle occasions whereas McKenzie Siroky might take one other step in breaststroke. Jansen, a Paris Olympian for Canada, ought to be part of them in scoring large factors on the nationwide stage after she gained a pair of B-finals on the 2025 NCAA Championships.

As a freshman, Jansen clocked 4:34.62 within the 500 free on the NCAA Championships, which might have positioned sixth within the remaining. That race graduated 4 A-finalists (Roghair, Peplowski, Gan and Rachel Stege). Her 400 IM mark of 4:02.53 was additionally the sixth-best of the meet, and an enormous impediment is out of that occasion with Weyant’s commencement.

Julia Dennis & Ella Welch, Louisville

Here is one other pair of Louisville sprinters prepared for large senior seasons within the post-Gabi Albiero period. Dennis is the second-fastest returning swimmer within the 50 free, with no Gretchen Walsh looming anymore, and he or she additionally positioned eighth within the 100 free finally season’s nationwide meet. She has already begun the season in robust type primarily based on her swims on the SMU Classic. Welch, in the meantime, is one in every of solely three 100 fly A-finalists from 2025 again within the school ranks this 12 months, becoming a member of Huske and Grana.

Stephanie Balduccini & Hannah Bellard, Michigan

While the Wolverines stated goodbye to Lindsay Flynn, a sprinter central to her crew’s success the previous 4 seasons, the crew now provides Olympian and multi-time NCAA champion Bella Sims to associate with senior sprinter Brady Kendall and this stunning duo from final season.

Balduccini made an infinite leap from 2024 to 2025, from eleventh to 3rd within the 200 free, and her time of 1:40.89 places her within the title combine this 12 months. She additionally positioned sixth within the 100 free finally 12 months’s meet. Bellard, in the meantime, swam a time of 1:51.89 for a stunning fifth-place end within the 200 fly. With Sticklen and Alex Walsh gone, Howley and Bricker would be the large nationwide favorites this season, however Bellard needs to be thought-about within the combine.

Sienna Angove & Mila Nikanarov, Ohio State

Ohio State is the one crew famous right here that didn’t end top-10 at last season’s national meet, however the reigning Big Ten champions have a pair swimmers rapidly encroaching on the nationwide standings primarily based on their performances as freshmen. Angove is a Canadian IMer who gained the Big Ten title within the 400 IM final season earlier than reaching the nationwide remaining within the occasion. Entering 2025-26, she is the one returning swimmer from that warmth who doesn’t attend Stanford or Virginia.

Nikanarov, in the meantime, is coming off an exceptional season within the distance occasions. She positioned sixth within the 500 free and seventh within the 1650 final 12 months, however a lot has modified within the panorama of these races. Yes, Weinstein is coming into the image, however 4 skilled milers graduated, which means that Cox and Gena Jorgensen (Nebraska) are the one swimmers who beat Nikanarov final 12 months and are set to race once more this March.