NCAA ‘A’ finalist Gabi Albiero will return to Louisville for her COVID-19 fifth year, she announced via Instagram today. Albiero will work towards her MBA.
Albiero has been a huge part of Louisville’s success during the last four years, scoring individually at all NCAAs. She scored in the 50 free (14th) and 100 free (15th) as a freshman at NCAAs, swimming on four relays as well. Her five individual points helped the team to a 13th place finish.
She made huge strides as a sophomore, making two NCAA ‘A’ finals, finishing 5th in the 100 free in a personal best 47.32. She also was 6th in the 100 fly in a best time of a 50.88 and 9th in the 50 free in a 21.69, also a best time. She scored 35.5 individual points and swam on four relays to help the team to 6th place finish.
Returning to NCAAs as a junior, she made the ‘A’ final in all three of her individual events. She finished 3rd in the 50 free in a 21.30, 4th in the 100 free in a 46.80, and 5th in the 100 fly in a 50.15. Her 50 and 100 free times sit as her personal bests. She led the team in scoring for the 2nd year in a row with 44.5 individual points as the team was 4th overall, tying the team’s highest finish in program history. She notably helped the team’s 200 and 400 free relays to 3rd place finishes.
This past season, she made the NCAA ‘A’ final of the 50 and 100 freestyles. She was 6th in the 50 in a 21.67 and 8th in the 100 in a 47.37. She also finished 10th in the 100 fly in a 51.10. She scored 31 individual points and swam on four relays to help the team to a 6th place finish. The team’s 200 free relay which included Albiero finished 2nd, touching only behind Virginia.
The return of Albiero is huge for the program as they look to continue to stay one of the top teams in the NCAA. The team lost its top scorer from 2024 NCAAs, Christiana Regenauer as she just finished her 5th year. Regenauer swam on the same four relays as Albiero so the team will have at least one spot to fill but Albiero’s return means there will not be even more gaps.
Albiero is not the only 5th year returning for this fall as Paige Hetrick and Tristen Ulett have already announced they are returning.
Gabi is the daughter of Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero. Arthur was hired in 2003, leading the team to the top of the Big East and now to be one of the top programs in the ACC and NCAA.
Really curious to see if she continues swimming after her 5th year. I assume she’s able to join the Brazilian national team like her brother if she wanted to.
She made the US Pan Am team last year, so she would have to go through the eligibility change stuff.