At Long Last, Katie Grimes, #1 Recruit in the Class of 2024, Makes Her College Decision

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Katie Grimes, the biggest recruiting chip on the table this fall after a deferred decision on college swimming, has chosen to join the dynasty at the University of Virginia for her collegiate swimming career. She will join the Cavaliers in their hunt for a 5th consecutive NCAA title for the spring semester this season, which makes the already-favored Cavalier women a near-lock to win in March.

After much thought and consideration, I am more than excited to announce my commitment to University of Virginia!! Thank you to all of the coaches for your patience with me during this process. I am extremely grateful for my family, friends, and faith for guiding me to this point. Huge thank you to my team, Sandpipers, and Coach Ron for everything. I also want to give thanks to the team and staff at UVA and Coach Todd for all the support. 🧡💙

Posing with a late 1969 Virginia-orange Corvette Stingray in the Nevada desert, Grimes teased with a mostly-obscured University of Virginia shirt and a caption of “Hoo’s ready,” referencing the nickname for Virginia’s student body and athletic teams. This seems to be a subtle teaser for the proper announcement that’s expected on Thursday morning.

Grimes, 18, is the #1 recruit in the class of 2024, but didn’t make a college decision before the Olympic Games in Paris. She was reportedly still making campus visits earlier this semester before finally landing on the Cavaliers.

The two-time Olympian will join her Team USA teammates Alex WalshGretchen WalshEmma Weber, and post-grad Kate Douglass in Charlottesville. Grimes was the youngest member of the 2020 US Olympic Team at 15, placing 4th in the 800 free.

In Paris, she won silver in the 400 IM and was 10th in the 1500 free. She also swam the open water 10km race, finishing 15th.

While she comes from a Sandpipers of Nevada program that is focused on long course and international competition, she had the top times in the class of 2024 in six different events: the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free, 1650 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

One of the most versatile American juniors in history, virtually every event is a plausible contribution for her at Virginia – save for maybe the breaststrokes. But even there, turning talented non-breaststrokers into breaststrokers is a calling card for the Virginia women.

Best Times in Yards/Meters:

SCY LCM
50 free 23.42 26.92
100 free 49.66 56.53
200 free 1:42.90 1:57.19
400/500 free 4:28.27 4:05.18
800/1000 free 9:22.11 (split) 8:17.05
1500/1650 free 15:26.17 15:44.89
100 back 52.89 1:01.39
200 back 1:50.56 2:07.72
100 breast 1:04.86 1:15.36
200 breast 2:14.87 2:41.16
100 fly 52.63 59.85
200 fly 1:52.28 2:08.70
200 IM 1:55.33 2:12.66
400 IM 3:57.02 4:31.41

Her best times in the 500 and 1650 frees, two events where the NCAA field has been relatively-week the last few seasons, would have won last year’s titles; her 400 IM would have been 2nd behind only her future teammate Alex Walsh.

 

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Grimes is worth conservatively 50 points to a team that won last year’s NCAA title by 86.5 points last season. The Cavaliers lost 92 points from that team via the graduations of Jasmine Nocentini and Ella Nelson, plus another 13 from Abby Harter, but otherwise return mostly in-tact. They also add Claire Curzan as a transfer, another former #1 recruit, plus World Championship medalist Leah Hayes, and a pile of other top-flight newcomers.

If there was any doubt about the Cavaliers’ ability to win another title this season (and with #2 Texas facing losses from last season, there wasn’t much), this commitment all-but-wipes that away.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

For the University of Virginia, it’s 600 team points or bust.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

It looks like the weakest event for the University of Virginia will be the women’s 100 BR or women’s 200 FR for the 2024-2025 NCAA Season.

It’s time for Gormsen, Parker, Tiltmann to pick up the slack in the women’s 200 FR.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

Katie Grimes could win the 500 FR (Grimes vs Sims), 1650 FR, 400 IM (Grimes vs Walsh) during her freshman season at the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

The women’s 400 IM:

University of Virginia women’s swimming
Walsh, Alex
Grimes, Katie
Hayes, Leah

My God!

I guess Ella Nelson won’t be missed in the aforementioned event.

To think, Emma Weyant left the University of Virginia.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

Suck it Texas!

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

Call the engraver NOW!

2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Champions

Post grad swimmer
1 month ago

Do the men at UVA feel like outcasts? Do they get any attention when every single person in the other locker room is an Olympian?

Vaswammer
1 month ago

Someone asked somewhere in here where a split-squad would finish. Basked on last year’s NCAAs, and assuming swimmers hit their PBs (some do, some don’t), this is what a version of the split squad would have done. Add Lizzy Kaye to 1-A, and they beat Texas.

Texas 441
UVA Squad A 437.5
Florida 364
UVA Squad B 311
Tennessee 277

Squad A
60 A Walsh 200 IM (20) 400 IM (20) 200 breast (20)
33 Canny 500 free (11) 200 free (15) 200 breast (7)
16 Gormsen 500 free (12) 200 free (0) 1650 free (4)
34 Tiltmann 200 free (5) 100 back (16) 200 back (13)
17 Weber 100… Read more »

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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