NCAA Champion Reilly Tiltmann of Virginia has announced her medical retirement from competitive swimming. Tiltmann graduated high school early and arrived at Virginia in spring 2021, making NCAAs in all four seasons.
Making an instant impact upon her arrival, Tiltmann was 2nd in the 100 back, 5th in the 200 back, and 9th in the 100 fly at 2021 ACCs. She went on to qualify for 2021 NCAAs, finishing 5th in the 200 back and 9th in the 100 back to help Virginia to the NCAA title. She also swam backstroke on the 400 medley relay that finished 2nd.
In her first full season with the team, Tiltmann won her first individual ACC title, capturing the 200 back in a 1:50.49. She also was 3rd in the 100 back and 4th in the 200 free. She made the NCAA ‘A’ final of both backstroke events and helped Virginia to an NCAA title in the 400 free relay swimming alongside Gretchen Walsh, Alex Walsh, and Kate Douglass.
As a junior, Tiltmann captured another NCAA relay title, swimming alongside Aimee Canny, Alex Walsh, and Ella Nelson as the team won the 800 free relay. She also made the 2023 NCAA ‘A’ final of the 200 backstroke.
This past season, Tiltmann captured the 200 backstroke ACC title, was 3rd in the 100 back, and 6th in the 200 free. She made the NCAA ‘B’ final of both backstroke events and swam on Virginia’s 800 free relay that finished 4th.
Her season best in the 100 back this year came in January as she swam a 52.13 and her 200 back season best came at midseason as she swam a 1:54.28. Her best times stand at a 50.42 and 1:49.63.
Tiltmann also represented the US at the international level as she won silver in the 200 backstroke at the Pan Am Games in fall 2023 after finishing 6th in the 200 back at 2023 US Summer Nationals.
Although the Virginia women are heavily favored to win their fifth NCAA title in a row, the loss of Tiltmann will sting as she was the team’s only backstroke finalist at last year’s NCAAs and also was on at least one NCAA relay in all four seasons.
NCAA invites will be sent out in a month and Tiltmann’s retirement likely brings the team’s NCAA roster down by one. Last year, the Cavaliers had 19 swimmers invites, one more than the roster cap of 18. The team also dropped another swimmer to make room for a diver to have 17 swimmers and one diver at the meet. Out of the 18 swimmers originally invited last year, only three (Abby Harter, Jasmine Nocentini, and Ella Nelson) graduated.
1) Tiltmann had a phenomenal career and was kind of an unsung hero swimming in the shadows of uva superstars. The list of :50.4 / 1:49 backstrokers is exceedingly short. Also a 1:43 freestyler. She swam 4x NCAA and had 4 natty rings. Her instant impact in 2021 when she was still essentially a HS senior was memorable.
2) Her recent performances seemed to be tailing off a bit – and when she writes “her career ending a bit earlier than expected”…. I’m left to assume she wasn’t going to make ACC and/or ncaa championship team – so she decided to call it a (great) career.
Congrats – much to be proud of.
yeah she regressed a little the last couple years but its still kinda wild (and speaks to how loaded the team is) that she potentially might not have made their conference or ncaa team, especially given how she adds a lot of depth in the events uva is relatively weaker in!
i wonder which other big names might not make their ncaa team… hartman? christopherson? keating?
Diver: Kay
Swimmers:
Sprint Free
1. Walsh
2. Moesch
3. Parker
Distance Free
4. Grimes
5. Gormsen
6. Canny
Backstroke
7. Curzan
8. Wilson
Individual Medley
9. Walsh
10. Hayes
Breaststroke
11. Weber
12. Skirboll
Butterfly
13. Howley
4 slots between Bathurst, Novelline, Knapp, Schalow, Morris, Christopherson, Hartman, Redman, Keating
Best wishes to you, Reilly! ⚔️
I feel like she must have gotten injured if she isn’t even planning to compete this weekend at Cavalier Invite
It’s kind of surprising for a senior to retire weeks before the conference meet, no? Even if she’s not having the best season, wouldn’t most people want to finish it off with their teammates?
Not if they’re injured and just can’t get the training in to be where they want and need to be. My swimmer is in the same boat. I hope Reilly’s teammates are more supportive than my swimmers are.
the first sentence in this article calls reilly’s a “medical” retirement.
I think I remember a post race interview after her 2024 acc championship 200 back?
she was filled with joy and pride!
great career!