Virginia has once more claimed a sixth straight NCAA championship in women’s aquatic sports.
The Cavaliers have established the most extended run of national titles in the history of Division I women’s swimming. Virginia punctuated their performance by setting a new NCAA benchmark in the 400-meter freestyle relay during the final event, surpassing their previous record from the ACC championships just a month prior.
The Hoos displayed exceptional superiority throughout the week, and head coach Todd DeSorbo has cultivated one of the most formidable powerhouses in the annals of women’s swimming.
Virginia triumphed in all five relay events, secured numerous individual championships, and completely outclassed their competitors through outstanding team depth. The Cavaliers appear poised to maintain their momentum, with a wealth of skilled athletes expected to return for the 2027 season.
Stanford and Texas vied intensely until the conclusion, with the Cardinal overtaking the Longhorns on the last day to claim the national second-place position. Stanford secured crucial victories in the 200 IM and 100 freestyle, ultimately surpassing Texas by a margin of four points.
Despite a relay disqualification on Wednesday evening, California persisted in their efforts throughout the week, achieving a top-four placement. The Golden Bears narrowly edged out Tennessee by 1.5 points, while the Lady Vols secured fifth place, 5.5 points ahead of Michigan.
The concluding evening of championship races proceeded as follows:
Lucy Bell Concludes Her Senior NCAA Performance with Another Championship
Veteran swimmer Lucy Bell extended her impressive performance by winning the 200 individual medley, clocking in at 1:52.09. Bell played a key role in guiding the Cardinal to surpass Texas on the competition’s ultimate day.
Freshman Teagan O’Dell from California secured the second position, closely followed by her fellow team member Mia West, who claimed third. These two Golden Bears contributed to Cal’s ascent into the top four standings.
Anastasia Gorbenko, a sophomore from Louisville, secured fourth place, with Texas sophomore Campbell Chase finishing immediately after in fifth.
Virginia had two competitors reach the championship final, with Aimee Canny earning sixth and Leah Hayes taking seventh. UCLA senior Rosie Murphy completed the group in eighth place.
Torri Huske Achieves a Triple Victory, Outperforms Moesch in 100 Freestyle
Veteran Stanford swimmer and triple Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske surged to yet another NCAA championship, clinching the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.17. In a highly anticipated event, Huske triumphed over the competitive lineup, establishing a new pool record.
Two Cavaliers followed, with Anna Moesch securing second in 45.54 and Sara Curtis taking third in 45.77. Indiana’s freshman Liberty Clark placed fourth with 46.11, narrowly surpassing Camille Spink (Tennessee) who finished fifth at 46.28.
Mary-Ambre Moluh (California) claimed sixth place with 46.30, succeeded by Cadence Vincent (Alabama) in seventh.
Julia Dennis (Louisville) concluded in eighth position.
Stoll Secures 200 Butterfly Championship
Campbell Stoll of Texas earned the 200 butterfly championship, completing the race in 1:50.26 and fending off a competitive group in the closing moments. The competition was fierce, but Stoll reached the finish line ahead of Indiana freshman Alex Shackell and Michigan junior Hannah Bellard. Stoll narrowly beat Shackell by under two-tenths of a second with her final stroke.
Tess Howley of Virginia achieved fourth place with a time of 1:51.69, succeeded by Stanford’s Caroline Bricker, who earned fifth.
Tennessee accumulated vital points in this event, with two Lady Vols participating in the championship final. Sophomores Emily Brown and Ella Jansen secured sixth and seventh places, respectively. Lilou Ressencourt of Cal completed the roster of the top eight competitors.
Claire Curzan Dominates NCAA Backstroke Championships
Virginia’s junior Claire Curzan achieved a remarkable backstroke double victory, claiming the 200 backstroke this evening with a time of 1:46.10. Curzan concluded her week by setting a new meet record, just one-hundredth of a second short of her personal NCAA record.
Maggie Wanezek from Wisconsin secured second place with 1:47.73, and Erika Pelaez of NC State earned third in 1:49.08.
Claire Jansen (Pittsburgh) finished fourth, followed by Michigan’s Bella Sims who moved into fifth. Teagan O’Dell completed her second event of Saturday by finishing sixth, while Pelaez’s fellow team member Leah Shackley took seventh. Miranda Grana from Indiana rounded out the championship heat.
Stanford Freshman Ellie Cole Triumphs in Platform Diving, Setting a Meet Record
First-year student Ellie Cole from Stanford achieved a meet-record performance, securing the platform diving title with a score of 399.80.
American Olympian Daryn Wright earned the silver medal, representing Purdue. Kayleigh Clark of Florida State followed, taking third place.
Viviana Del Angel from Minnesota secured fourth place, with Bayleigh Cranford of Texas finishing fifth.
Sofia Knight (North Carolina), Mia Prusiecki (Ohio State), and Camyla Monroy (Florida) completed the list of the top eight contenders.
Virginia Achieves Relay Clean Sweep with NCAA Record
Virginia concluded the competition with an emphatic display, capturing the 400 freestyle relay title in a new NCAA record time of 3:05.26.
The quartet of Madi Mintenko, Curzan, Moesch, and Curtis once again surpassed the historical fastest time, culminating the meet with an additional NCAA championship. Moesch delivered a remarkable 45.61 split, propelling the Cavaliers to establish a new record.
Stanford secured second place, with Texas claiming third in 3:07.02. California’s fourth-place achievement was instrumental in the Golden Bears’ top-four standing, while Indiana finished fifth in a closely fought final.
