Claire Curzan, Anna Moesch take Virginia ladies’s swimming into uncharted territory

When University of Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo jumped into the diving pool on the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta to have a good time its sixth straight NCAA title, it felt extra particular than the earlier 5. In turning into the primary ladies’s swimming and diving program to attain such a feat, it was the primary with out generational abilities Kate Douglass and the Walsh sisters, who dedicated to this system earlier than the streak even began. The capability to always reload on expertise and keep on high is unprecedented.

“The first one, obviously, was fantastic,” DeSorbo told reporters Saturday night. “It’s the first time you ever win. And I think the second one is really cool because you start a streak. But this one is, to me, the most meaningful, just because we tried to take the approach that it’s a blank slate this year, that we haven’t won any. We’re starting all over and just start a new streak in a little bit of a different way where depth really will carry us through.”

Greatness in any sport is difficult to maintain, as noted last year when the team won its fifth straight. Two faculties, each coached by the late Richard Quick, have gained 5 nationwide titles in a row – Texas (1984 – 1988) and Stanford (1992 – 1996). Texas’ streak led to 1989 when Quick took the Stanford job, whereas Quick’s second five-year profitable streak with the Cardinal was led to 1997 by the person who changed him at Texas, fellow Hall of Famer Mark Schubert whereas on the University of Southern California.

The spectacular half in Virginia’s six-year run: all six groups have gained by 70 or extra factors, with the 2026 group scoring greater than the earlier 5 with 589, regardless of not having a famous person fairly like Douglass or Gretchen Walsh. Another spectacular factoid: Virginia would have nonetheless gained the 2026 group title with out its 200 relay factors, turning into the fourth college  to win all 5 relays on the identical NCAA meet.

“To me, this one’s the most meaningful, because one, it’s historic, right? Nobody’s ever done it, and not to mention they did it in historic fashion,” DeSorbo advised reporters Saturday evening. “I know other teams have scored more overall, but it’s been a long time. But for us, you know, as good as our teams have been in the past, and as good of athletes that we had in the past, it’s really impressive that we scored more points than we’ve ever scored.”

Whatever superlative you need to use, this Virginia group matches it. Junior Claire Curzan led the group with wins within the 100 and 200 backstroke, each in meet data, whereas sophomore rising star Anna Moesch gained the 200 freestyle within the third quickest efficiency in historical past. Both are set to return in 2027.

“Going into the year, there was a lot of discourse about, ‘Virginia is good, but can they continue to be this dominant?” Curzan mentioned. “And I think this year, by and above, we’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, including our own. And the Walsh’s are awesome. They’re the best duo in NCAA history, potentially even long-course history. To think that this team collectively can achieve even more than that, I think it’s really, really special. We’ve worked so hard this year, we knew that there was a target on our back, and to kind of see that dream realized is awesome.”

Freshman phenom Sara Curtis additionally completed runner-up within the 50 freestyle and was a member of 4 of the 5 profitable relay groups. Olympians Katie Grimes, Aimee Canny, and Emma Weber every picked up All-America standing as nicely.

Virginia closed the meet with the one NCAA document of the championships with a 3:05.26 within the 400 freestyle relay with the group of Curzan, Moesch, and Curtiss, together with freshman Madi Mintenko.

With Canny and Weber swimming of their ultimate NCAA championships, the group will reload subsequent 12 months with World Junior champions Jana Pavalic and Smilte Plytnykaite.

Virginia isn’t exhibiting indicators of slowing down, and despite the fact that Stanford gained extra particular person occasions with Torri Huske profitable three and Lucy Bell profitable two, and despite the fact that California is quietly constructing a powerhouse with freshmen Claire Weinstein and Teagan O’Dell, Virginia remains to be the usual of excellence, and goes to be so long as DeSorbo is in cost.

“I don’t really have a lot to do with it anymore, which is fantastic,” DeSorbo mentioned of the profitable tradition that began in 2020. “The team just brings them in. Every year, the seniors don’t want to be that senior class that doesn’t win it. The freshmen don’t want to be that freshman class that’s the first one. And so it just kind of builds and builds and builds. And I think, particularly the first-years, the reason they came was to be a part of that. They’re excited about it. They want that. They’re excited about having that pressure and that expectation and perform well with that.”

With its sixth straight win on Saturday evening in the identical facility that hosted swimming on the 1996 Olympics, Virginia ladies’s swimming became just the sixth program in all sports to win six straight NCAA titles.

When DeSorbo began in Charlottesville within the fall of 2017, the group had by no means been greater than fifth. Now in 2026, the group sits third all-time in ladies’s swimming and diving with essentially the most nationwide championships, with an opportunity to match Texas’ seven all-time titles subsequent season.

The aforementioned Huske was the swimmer of the championships by advantage of profitable all three of her particular person occasions, turning into the second quickest performer within the 50 and 100 freestyle, along with profitable her first ever 100 butterfly in her ultimate NCAAs.

Much of the conversations across the meet centered across the new format which eradicated the comfort finals, much to the chagrin of the fans and swimmers in attendance, along with a brand new occasion lineup that shuffled round most of the occasions to be on completely different days than years previous.

This 12 months additionally marked the primary time since 2007 that no particular person NCAA document was damaged on the ladies’s championships, regardless of valiant efforts from Huske, Curzan, and Moesch. The racing delivered as all the time, nonetheless.

Claire Weinstein gained her first profession title within the 500 freestyle, and went toe to toe with fellow World Championship group member Jillian Cox within the 1650.

 

Weinstein’s former membership teammate Bella Sims gained the 400 IM in her first 12 months on the University of Michigan, her third profession particular person title in a 3rd completely different occasion, whereas former World Junior champ Eneli Jefimova made her NCAA debut for NC State in profitable the 100 breaststroke.

Campbell Stoll gained her first profession title within the 200 butterfly for the University of Texas.

Virginia gained the meet with 589 factors, forward of Stanford (380.5) for its second straight high two end and its twenty fourth total. Texas was third with 376.5 whereas California was fourth at 303.

The males’s meet will proceed this week in Atlanta, with the 1650, and the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays starting Wednesday morning. Bob Bowman’s University of Texas group is the favourite to win again to again titles over the likes of Arizona State, Florida, and Indiana.