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In their first full recruiting cycle with the recruiting supergroup of Durden, Marsh, and Huger on deck, the Cal women have struck gold in the women’s class of 2025.
Teagan O’Dell, the #2-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2025, has announced her verbal commitment to the Golden Bears. This now gives the Cal women the top three recruits in the class, along previously-announced #1 Alex Shackell and #3 Claire Weinstein.
O’Dell attends Santa Margarita Catholic High School and trains with the Mission Viejo Nadadores. She previously also trained with Irvine Novaquatics and Chino Hills Aquatics.
O’Dell is the 2023 World Junior Champion in the 200 meter backstroke (2:08.09) and the 2023 US Junior National Champion in the 100 meter backstroke (1:00.50).
She is also the defending California State Champion in the 100 yard backstroke (50.96) and 200 IM (1:53.38). She won those same titles as a sophomore in 2022 as well, as part of Santa Margarita’s 3rd-and-4th consecutive team titles.
Her time in the 200 IM at the 2023 meet was also a National Independent School Record in the event.
Best Times in SCY/LCM:
| Event | SCY | LCM |
| 50 free | 22.4 | 26.03 |
| 100 free | 48.47 | 55.58 |
| 200 free | 1:43.94 | 2:00.84 |
| 500 free (400m) | 4:39.29 | 4:17.67 |
| 100 back | 50.96 | 59.51 |
| 200 back | 1:51.00 | 2:08.09 |
| 100 breast | 59.73 | 1:11.06 |
| 200 breast | 2:10.69 | — |
| 100 fly | 52.21 | 1:01.58 |
| 200 fly | 1:57.51 | 2:17.37 |
| 200 IM | 1:53.38 | 2:12.53 |
| 400 IM | 4:06.99 | 4:46.73 |
O’Dell has an Alex-Walsh-like versatility that makes her incredibly valuable for the rebuilding Bears. Her best time in the 100 back and her best time in the 100 back and 200 IM each would have placed her 6th at last year’s NCAA Championship meet.
Besides Shackell, Weinstein, and now O’Dell, Cal is building a massive class that by itself could live the Golden Bears back into the top 5 in the NCAA. They also have verbal commitments from #13 Elle Scott (1:00.19 breaststroker), Best of the Rest sprinter Gracyn Aquino (22.6/50.3 freestyles); Best of the Rest distance freestyler Ella Cosgrove (16:30 miler), and Best of the Rest IM’er Alexa McDevitt (2:01 IMer, 1:46.7 freestyler).
The Cal women finished 11th at last year’s NCAA Championship meet in the first year of the newly-combined program after long-time head coach Teri McKeever was fired amid an abuse investigation. That was the team’s lowest NCAA Championship finish since placing 17th in the 1996-1996 season.
By the time O’Dell arrives in Berkeley, the Golden Bears will be in the ACC – home to the three-time defending NCAA Champion Virginia Cavaliers.
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Not surprised by her choice since she’s a California resident and the whole rebuilding Cal movement, but it seems a bit odd for the top 100 back/200 IM swimmer in that class to not choose the school whose coach is currently training the current American Record and NCAA record swimmers in both of those events. (UVA/Desorbo)
I mean Lasco is the American (but not NCAA) record holder on the men’ side as well, and of course Durden/Cal have produced many good backstrokers over the years
Key words: “current” and “both…events”
I was hoping she would be a Sun Devil, as I swam with her mom at ASU, but I get it. Darn… Not even an option.
The ASU women seriously lack in talent as compared to the teams she visited. Their men’s team is phenomenal, and their women’s team is making recruiting progress, but they have a ways to go if they want to start getting recruits like Teagan.
there’s like what, 2 girls outside of this class that have broken 1:44 in the 200 free as sophomores? Katie Ledecky @ 1:42.96 and Izzy Ivey @ 1:43.64 are the only ones that I know for sure have done it, and I believe I have gone through all the other obvious candidates and none of them have done it
Bella
I think grimes too (but her pb isn’t from winter juniors but a random fall meet as long as swim cloud isn’t lying), but it’s them, the sandpipers and ledecky
per swimcloud, Bella hit a PB of 1:44.21 sophomore year and Grimes had a 1:44.43 by end of sophomore year (swimcloud showing a 1:43.23 but all other sources include swimswam lead me to believe that’s false).
Madi Mintenko is one I was forgetting, but I think outside of the four in ‘25, I’m fairly confident the only two are Ivey and Ledecky.
When you count all of high school:
Knutson went 1:42.8 jr year, 1:42.6 sr year
Franklin went 1:43.1 jr year, 1:41.8 sr year
Manuel went 1:43.0 sr year
Baker went 1:43.6 jr year, no PB sr year
Ledecky went 1:42.9 soph year, 1:42.0 jr year, 1:41.5 sr year
Ivey went… Read more »
Stat man comes through again!
auburn men’s/women’s team marsh era looking like cal men’s/women’s team 👀
Does anyone have any insight of where Katie Grimes is going? Congrats Teagan!
No idea, but the Sandpiper gals all seem to be going their separate ways to some of the top programs (bummer!). Sims at Florida, Weinstein at Cal, Sullivan at Texas, … just missing UVA at this point. This is very expert level analysis. Just kidding. In all seriousness, is it possible she just goes pro? Don’t think we really see that happen, especially at the women’s side. Haven’t really followed it much, but any indication from her could be possibility or just taking a gap year and not committing (not sure how this bit works)?
Is Katie a junior right now?
Shes a senior
Grimes is probably gonna go pro tbh
This is so rad
surely this makes them the best recruiting class of all time? this is insane
Probably in the modern era of ranked recruits. Cal 2015 was insane (Weitzel, Baker McLaughlin) but they missed the biggest fish in that class (Ledecky)
Some of the 90s Stanford classes were probably better for their time. For a period every top high schooler went there without question and from 92 to 98 they won 6 out of 7 national titles.
Come to think of it, McLaughlin compares pretty well to Shackell, and Baker compares very well to O’Dell. Weinstein is insane, but Weitzeil being a pure sprinter might actually give her an edge. Very similar classes.
And then there was Bilquist, who I suppose never really had the international career of the others in her class but was an absolute SC beast. To me, that’s what set that 2015 class apart at least at the top-end. It sucks that they never won NCAAs (those Stanford squads were just too good and too deep). Hopefully, this class will win at least one.
Indiana with Spitz & Hall probably tops them all.
Congratulations Teagan! Very exciting