2025 Big 12 Championships
- February 25 – March 1, 2025
- Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center — Federal Way, Wash.
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Start Times: prelims – 10 am PT/finals – 6 pm PT
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Livestream: ESPN+
- Live Results
With the NCAA Swimming and Diving championship season upon us, athletes around the country are preparing to put their best foot forward in effort to stand atop the podium. 2025 is the first year we see conference realignment take full effect, and these conference championship meets are now harder and more competitive than ever. The addition of Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah this year is sure to bolster the level of competition in the Big 12. Diving is already notoriously difficult to predict, but the hope is that this article will give viewers a few key standouts to look out for and a good idea of what to expect this week.
Women’s 1 Meter Picks
- Anna Kwong – TCU
- Shiyun Lai – Kansas
- Holly Waxman – Utah
- Brooke Earley – Arizona
- Kathryn Grant – Utah
- Michelle McLeod – Houston
- Zara Joy Ayazi – Arizona
- Emma Herrera – TCU
Other Contenders: Callie Eaglestone (Utah), Josie Graves (Houston), Hedda Grelz (Houston), Lize Van Leeuwen (Kansas)
In this one-meter event, I expect TCU’s Anna Kwong and Kansas’ Shiyun Lai to be the two main frontrunners competing for the title. Despite the fact that Kwong has a US national title to her name, the TCU senior has never won a Big 12 conference title. While she can be inconsistent at times, I would still say that Kwong is the favorite here over Lai because her difficulty is so much higher than everyone else in the field. She can afford to make a few mistakes in her list and still come out on top. The Utah Utes also have three potential A finalists in this event, so they should rack up some significant points here.
Women’s 3 Meter Picks
- Anna Kwong – TCU
- Shiyun Lai – Kansas
- Brooke Earley – Arizona
- Michelle McLeod – Houston
- Holly Waxman – Utah
- Alexia Jackson – BYU
- Callie Eagleston – Utah
- Hedda Grelz – Houston
Other Contenders: Zara Joy Ayazi (Arizona), Kathryn Grant (Utah), Emma Herrera (TCU), Lize Van Leeuwen (Kansas)
The choice to put Anna Kwong over Shiyun Lai on the three-meter was a much tougher decision than predicting Kwong to win the one meter. Lai of Kansas is the reigning champion and is overall the more clean and aesthetic diver. However, Kwong once again wins in the difficulty category, and her consistency on this event is improving as well. If those two happen to falter in the final, though, expect any of Earley, McLeod, or Waxman to potentially make a run.
Women’s Platform Picks
- Michelle McLeod – Houston
- Anna Kwong – TCU
- Caroline Roelen – Houston
- Holly Waxman – Utah
- Kathryn Grant – Utah
- Alexia Jackson – BYU
- Langely Petersen – Cincinnati
- Kayden Hayes – Arizona State
Other Contenders: Zara Joy Ayazi (Arizona), Lauren Cey (TCU), Leah Fletcher (TCU), Abigail Sullivan (West Virginia)
The platform event is the most wide-open women’s event of these championships. McLeod is the highest-ranking returner from this event last year, winning the bronze in 2024. She is also an NCAA qualifier on the platform, so she has proven herself on this event beyond the conference level. McLeod’s past results combined with her decently high difficulty is what ultimately pushed me to predict her as the champion. Anna Kwong is not necessarily a platform diver, so she competes from the lower platforms. I still expect to see a strong showing from her because her list still has a lot of difficulty. Because of the parity of this field, any of the finalists have a true shot at winning it all if they can capitalize in the right moments.
