SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers what the top story is heading into the upcoming college campaign:
Question: What is the biggest storyline of the 2025-26 NCAA season?
RESULTS
- How will UVA men fare with elite recruiting class? – 49.2%
- Virginia women enter post-Walsh era – 28.1%
- Texas men looking dominant in Bowman’s second season – 10.3%
- Huske leads strong Stanford group – can they challenge UVA? – 9.7%
- Other – 2.7%
Two of the best male recruits in recent memory, Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson, are headed to the University of Virginia this fall, highlighting a stacked incoming class for the Cavaliers that sits #1 in SwimSwam’s rankings.
While the Cavalier women’s team has been a dominant force in the NCAA since 2020, winning five straight national titles and six consecutive ACC Championships, the men have lagged behind.
In 2025, the men’s team placed 8th at the ACC Championships and 32nd at NCAAs, both their lowest in a decade (with the former being partially due to the addition of Cal and Stanford to the conference).
However, the incoming recruiting class brings plenty of optimism, with Heilman already owning an Olympic medal and a relay world title, and Williamson being a six-time World Junior champion.
In our latest poll, we asked SwimSwam readers what the top storyline is heading into the 2025-26 season, and nearly half of the votes (49.2%) went to the Virginia men’s team and how they perform with the massive shot in the arm they’re getting with this freshman class.
On paper, Heilman will be in the mix for a top-three finish in the 100 and 200 fly at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, while Williamson could realistically win the national title in the 200 free and be an ‘A’ finalist in the 200 IM.
The recruiting class also includes ranked recruits Thomas Mercer, Nathan Szobota, Blake Amlicke, Noah Powers and Grant Murphy, plus South African World Championship finalist and World Junior Record holder Chris Smith.
How these additions bolster Virginia not only individually, but in the relays, should be significant and help them climb the NCAA standings. Last season, they only mustered 14 relay points at NCAAs, placing 13th in the 800 free, 15th in the 400 medley and 15th in the 400 free while being disqualified in the 200 free relay (their final time would’ve placed 15th, but without the early takeoff, likely would’ve been bumped out of the top 16) and not fielding a team in the 200 medley relay.
Collecting the second-most votes in the poll was the storyline about the Virginia women’s team, which, for the first time since 2019-20, doesn’t have a Walsh sister on its roster. It’s also been seven years since they didn’t have one of Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh and Gretchen Walsh on their squad.
With that, they enter a new era, as Douglass and the Walsh sisters were the superstars of the Cavaliers during their dominant run of success at NCAAs from 2021 until last season, when the Walshs combined for 114 individual points and both swam on the maximum four relays.
The vast majority of people still have Virginia penciled in as the favorites for NCAAs this season, as they bring back a talented cast of swimmers led by Claire Curzan, Katie Grimes and Anna Moesch, plus they welcome an impressive recruiting class that includes European standouts Sara Curtis and Lana Pudar.
However, how the new-look team performs without the Walshs, and if Stanford poses a threat to their national title streak, is certainly something everyone will be watching this season. Strictly looking at individual returning points from the 2025 NCAAs, the Cavaliers are bringing back 215, and the Cardinal have 197.
The Stanford women’s storyline had its own option in the poll, which 9.7% voted for, while the Texas men’s projected dominance earned 10.3%.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which “50” barrier is going down this fall on the World Cup circuit?
Loading ...
ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
I’m picking the secret 4th option: Lani is taking the 800 under 7:57
What about Washington and Lee?
I’ll always be a UVA fan, and I’m super excited to see how this season goes. I think something that isn’t necessarily reflected in the “returning points” is the relays – Gretchen & Alex were incredibly helpful in their dominance across multiple relays, and it’ll be interesting to see how they can reload.
Is Chris smith joining the cavalier team. Didn’t see him on the roster
South African high school ends in December, so most South Africans begin in January.
Last I heard that was the case for Chris.