Last week—but before the Caspar Corbeau announcement—we released our post-invites NCAA Division I power rankings. So, it seemed fitting to check in with the Division I mid-major power rankings that we did in October at the beginning of the 2024-25 NCAA season.
For those unfamiliar with the Division I power rankings, the exercise balances a CSCAA-style dual meet ranking and a prediction for the NCAA Championships finish order. Things work differently in the mid-major power rankings. Instead of trying to balance the two different ranking styles, we’re trying to predict what the top 10 would look like at a hypothetical mid-major-only championship meet with top 16 scoring.
When we first ranked these teams, not all had raced their first meet of the season. A fair amount of educated guesswork goes into rankings when not all teams have had a meet yet. But now, these programs have all been to a midseason invitational, and multiple data points are available about how new additions fit in with the team. Add in the fact that it’s been a fast start to the season, and it’s safe to say there’s been plenty of upheaval since October.
Women’s Power Rankings
- Princeton University (—)
- The University of Akron (+4)
- San Diego State University (-1)
- Harvard University (-1)
- University of Nevada (+)
- Southern Illinois University (+)
- Liberty University (+)
- University of Pennsylvania (+)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (-5)
- Tulane University (+)
One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is Princeton’s grip on the top of the women’s power rankings.
The Tigers maintained their top spot in the rankings with a strong showing at the Big Al Invitational that they hosted after Thanksgiving. They’ve got at least one swimmer ranked in the mid-major top 10 this season for the 50 and 100 freestyle, which is a strength that carries over to their relays, as they are top three among mid-major programs this season in the three freestyle relays—and they own the top time in the 800 freestyle relay. Last year, they were the only mid-major team to send relays to NCAAs.
But the team’s biggest strength so far this season is the IM group. Eleanor Sun and Dakota Tucker are 1-2 among mid-major programs in the 400 IM so far after season-bests of 4:08.37 and 4:09.68. Plus, Meg Wheeler and Heidi Smithwick also rank in the top 10. Sun owns the fastest 200 IM time as well (1:57.10), with Tucker and Sabrina Johnston in the top 10 as well at 5th (1:58.28) and 8th (1:59.20).
Akron’s relays have helped them fly up the rankings, moving up four spots from October. The team swept the first two days of the 2024 Zippy Invite, including an astounding 1-2-3-4-5-6 finish in the 50 freestyle. Again, the relays are crucial for Akron’s rise up the standings; they are in the top three for mid-major programs in each, powered by strong efforts from Maddy Gatrall, Abby Daniel, Adrianna Szwabinska, and Rebecca Reid.
Their efforts are enough to move them ahead of San Diego State and Harvard University for the time being, though we certainly haven’t seen either reach their maximum potential so far this season.
Nevada, Southern Illinois, Liberty, Penn, and Tulane have all moved into our top 10 rankings since October. Southern Illinois has gotten a boost from Olivia Herron’s breakout this season as she’s set multiple Missouri Valley Conference and SIU school records in the breaststroke and IM events already this season. Herron’s dramatic drops this season give SIU a strong 1-2 punch in Herron and backstroker Celia Pulido, who enjoyed a breakout season of her own last year.
The University of Pennsylvania women have maintained their strength in the distance events even with the graduation of NCAA scorer Anna Kalandadze. Anna Moehn has been excellent for the Quakers, even cracking the all-time mid-major top 10 in the 1650 freestyle. But it’s not just Moehn contributing. Freshman Kayla Fu has energized the sprint free/fly group she’s broken the 100 fly school record multiple times this season, and Katya Eruslanova has also broken the 200/400 IM record. Both sit inside the top five this season in their primary events (Fu in the 100 fly, Eruslanova in the 400 IM).
It was a tough call on the last two spots in this ranking; other teams that we considered for the top 10 were Hawaii, Army, Florida International, Yale, Brown, and Rice. Rice and Yale were both ranked in our October edition, while Brown and FIU were honorable mentions then, too. Cal Baptist’s sprint freestyle star Sofia Maksimova has had a solid start to the season; she sits atop the mid-major season rankings in the 50 freestyle and second in the 100 freestyle, though the Cal Baptist women are still trying to get involved in the top 10 fight.
Men’s Power Rankings
- Princeton University (+1)
- Yale University (+5)
- U.S Army West Point (+1)
- Harvard University (-3)
- California Baptist University (+)
- University of Hawaii (—)
- Brown University (+)
- U.S. Naval Academy (-4)
- George Washington University (+)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (-5)
The Princeton men’s season has been highlighted by Mitchell Schott’s incredible fall, but it’s a full team effort that’s powered them into the top spot in the men’s rankings. Patrick Dinu, Christopher Zhang, Logan Noguchi, Brett Feyerick, and more have contributed to the Tigers’ successes so far this season. In October, it felt like a coin flip for the top spot between Harvard and Princeton, but the Tigers’ performance this fall took away any doubt for the mid-season edition of these rankings.
The Tigers are far from the only mid-major men’s program off to a hot start this season, as Yale and Army have both come out swinging, which is reflected in both teams moving up the rankings to second and third, respectively. Yale’s gotten a big boost from the return of Noah Millard after an Olympic redshirt. Millard made his name known in the 500 freestyle during the 2022-23 season, but he’s expanded his range this season, posting all-time mid-major top times in the 200 and 1650 freestyle. He ranks first in the mid-majors in the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyle this season.
Freshman Nicholas Finch has added his name to the all-time top 10 in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, giving Yale another prong of attack for these hypothetical championships but also the 2025 Ivy League Championships. And while we’re talking about freshmen already among the top 10 swimmers in the mid-majors, Johnny Crush has added his name to the rankings in the 100/200 backstroke. Crush has lived up to the expectations that followed him to the West Point campus this season, but he’s not the only reason Army has moved up the rankings.
Kohen Rankin, Daniel Verdolaga, Riley Groves, and Wes Tate are some of the other Army swimmers who have had a heavy impact this term, which was highlighted by winning every event at the Star Meet as they reclaimed bragging rights from rival Navy. It’s safe to say the book is far from closed on that rivalry this season, though. The Midshipmen have played their cards closer to the chest so far—it’s why they’ve slipped in the rankings—but they’ll surely be at their best for the postseason as they look to preserve their conference championship streak.
UNLV has also slipped, but as with Navy, that’s more a product of other teams exceeding expectations to begin the season. UNLV has found success as well; for example, Daniel Nicusan took down a five-year-old program record in the 200 IM.
California Baptist, Brown, and George Washington are all ranked for the first time this season, replacing Queens (NC), Columbia, and Denver. Cornell, UC Santa Barbara, and Oakland were the other schools that were in the mix for a spot in the top 10 rankings this time around.
Starting to think Ives are not mid-majors anymore.
Where’s the 12-1 Bonnies?
Amazing to see the Tigers have had such a hot start to the season in the pool! Not to mention the fact that wall street is just straining at the leash to get their hands on some of these Tigers! For instance, we have Mitchell Schott who is just setting the Manila file folder market ABLAZE… By the way if you haven’t already; BUY BUY BUY Manila file folder call options. Then we have the likes of Ler Hong and Arthur Balva who are planting the seeds for future triumphant riches in the Pokemon cards scene! Then don’t count Mita Caple who, let me tell you, is one to watch in the primate resell industry. These boys are on fire… Read more »
Are we able to see the individual and relay rankings or even a scored version of the meet? You mention a top 16 without the major conferences-That sounds great and would be fun to see what the scores would be after the mid season invites.