5 Races to Watch: NCAA Women’s Championship Edition
After five months of swimming’s elite battling it out, we’ve almost arrived at the big moment: The NCAA Women’s Championships. The right to a title will again run through Charlottesville, as the Virginia Cavaliers look to claim their fifth consecutive NCAA title. But challengers like the Texas Longhorns should be ready for the challenge, making for a thrilling meet. As we approach the championship competition, we’re counting down the top five races to watch for.
5. 50 Freestyle
Naturally, this list will find itself regularly featuring college swimming’s biggest force at the moment: Gretchen Walsh. And why wouldn’t it? Walsh has been a walking record-setter since she stepped foot in Charlottesville, a spectacle every time she enters the pool. The 50 free is likely the event in which Walsh is most heavily favored. She is seeded first by almost a second and will be racing the clock.
Four competitors from last year’s field return, however, as Louisville’s Julia Dennis and Gabi Albiero, Michigan’s Brady Kendall, alongside Walsh’s teammate, Maxine Parker, should be prime contenders for the podium. The chase behind Walsh should be exciting, even if the sprinter dominates.
4. 200 Freestyle
Last year’s 200 freestyle was a classic. Florida’s Bella Sims out-touched Anna Peplowski to win the event by just .07. Peplowski now enters the championship as the favorite, seeded a half-second ahead of the field, one that does not include Sims, as she has altered her program for 2025.
Behind Peplowski, Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini and USC’s Minna Abraham are seeded at sub-1:42. Both were able to beat out Peplowski at the Big Ten Championships, making them strong contenders to challenge the senior. Virginia’s Aimee Canny and Tennessee’s Camille Spink return from last year’s A final as well, and should not be counted out.
Can Peplowski finish on top this year?
3. 100 Backstroke
Last year’s 100 backstroke didn’t quite live up to its billing at the top, with North Carolina State’s Katharine Berkoff pulling away from the field to win easily. But the race for third became thrilling, as N.C. State’s Kennedy Noble, Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller and Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon all finished within .03 of each other. Bacon, Fuller, and silver medalist Isabelle Stadden of Cal all return this year, with even more competition than ever.
Florida’s Sims has opted to compete in the event, along with Virginia’s Claire Curzan and Cal freshman Mary-Ambre Molluh. Curzan has a world title in the 100 backstroke to her credit and a victory from the UVA star could be in the cards.
2. 200 Butterfly
While Gretchen Walsh has made quite a name for herself in the swimming ranks, her sister Alex is equally accomplished. The older Walsh sister holds the record in this event from ACC championships a year ago, a spectacular 1:49.16. Walsh will return to the event at NCAAs for the first time since her sophomore year, but the competition is set to be stiff.
Defending champ Emma Sticklen of Texas returns, just .01 off Walsh’s record from a year ago, alongside a stout field of 1:51s that includes A Finalist Tess Howley of UVA from last year.
1. 100 Butterfly
There’s nothing better than an Olympic rematch, and that’s what we’ll see when Gretchen Walsh and Stanford’s Torri Huske duel. Huske edged her American teammate in the 100 fly at the Olympic Games, bringing home the gold medal. Walsh and Huske will now have the opportunity to batle it out again (both in the 100 fly and the 100 free), this time on opposite sides with championship points for Virginia and Stanford on the line. Can Walsh avenge her loss? Will Huske pull off another victory?
