Race Video: Highlights From The 2025 Women’s NCAA DI Championships

2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

If you’re already missing yards swimming, we’ve got the solution for you here with all the highlights from the 2025 Women’s NCAA Division I Championships. Relive all the records from a fast weekend in Federal Way, where the Virginia women claimed their fifth NCAA Championship in a row, further cementing their hold over the NCAA and their place as one of the top programs in NCAA history.

In addition to all the record-breaking swims, we’ve also added in some of the closest races like the women’s 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. While these didn’t result in any new national records, they were some of the most thrilling races to watch during the weekend.

Day 1

200 Medley Relay

Courtesy: NCAA Championships 

• NCAA Record: 1:31.51 — Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass) (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:31.51 — Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass) (2023)
• American Record: 1:31.51 — Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass) (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:31.51 — Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass) (2023)
• 2024 Champion: Virginia (G. Walsh, Nocentini, Novelline, Parker) — 1:31.58

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Virginia (Curzan, Walsh, Walsh, Parker) — 1:31.10 (NCAA record)
2. Stanford (Parkhe, Thomas, Johnson, Huske) — 1:33.00
3. Louisville (Karl, Larsen, Albiero, Dennis) — 1:33.41
4. California (Stadden, Polonsky, Stone, Moluh) — 1:33.54
5. Florida (Sims, Bottazzo, Peoples, Cronk) — 1:33.92
6. NC State (Pelaez,Brouwer, Shackley, Nel) /Texas (Sticklen, Enge, Arens, Cooper) — 1:34.00
7. (tie)
8. ASU (Sheehan, Adame, Ullmann, Bentz) — 1:34.54

The Virginia women began their quest for a fifth-straight NCAA Championship with an NCAA record. After leaving Gretchen Walsh off this relay at the ACC Championships in favor of the 800 freestyle relay, Walsh gave the Cavaliers a 20.88 butterfly split. She combined with Curzan’s 23.17 lead-off, Alex Walsh‘s 25.62 breaststroke split, and Maxine Parker‘s 21.43 anchor to break the NCAA record the team set two years ago with a 1:31.10.

Day 2

200 IM

Courtesy: NCAA Championships 

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• American Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• 2024 Champion: Alex Walsh, Virginia — 1:49.20

Top 8 Finishers

1. Torri Huske (Stanford) — 1:49.67
2. Alex Walsh (Virginia ) — 1:50.14
3. Lea Polonsky (California) — 1:51.51
4. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) — 1:51.98
5. Caroline Bricker (Stanford) — 1:52.01
6. Lucy Bell (Stanford) — 1:52.47
7. Emma Sticklen (Texas) — 1:52.54
8. Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) — 1:55.77

Torri Huske won the hotly anticipated 200 IM showdown between her and Alex Walsh. Huske, the 100-meter butterfly Olympic champion, led after the opening 50 yards. She was briefly second after the backstroke leg but regained control on the breaststroke leg and did not look back. She charged to the win in 1:49.67, becoming the third woman to break 1:50 as she won her first individual NCAA crown.

Walsh, the defending champion, finished comfortably in second with a 1:50.14, over a second ahead of third-place Lea Polonsky.

200 Freestyle Relay

Courtesy: NCAA Championships 

• NCAA Record: 1:23.63 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:24.05 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• American Record: 1:23.87 — Virginia (Douglass, G. Walsh, Cuomo, A. Walsh) (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:23.63 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• 2024 Champion: Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) — 1:24.05

Top 8:

1. Virginia (Walsh, Curzan, Parker, Moesch) — 1:24.45
2. Louisville (Larsen, Dennis, Albiero, Welch) — 1:25.04
3. Stanford (Huske, Thomas, Johnson, Tang) — 1:25.69
4. Michigan (Kendall, Newman, Balduccini, Flynn) — 1:26.04
5. Indiana (Peplowski, Dewitt, McKenna, Paegle) — 1:26.68
6. NC State (Christianson, Nel, Pelaez, Shackley) — 1:26.82
7. California (Moluh, West, Stadden, Stone) — 1:26.96
8. Texas (Cooper, Sticklen, Arens, Longi) — 1:27.00

Gretchen Walsh missed her NCAA record during her individual 50 freestyle though she still won by a significant margin. She got another shot at the mark leading off Virginia’s 200 freestyle relay and tied the record with a 20.37 lead-off. Huske gave the Stanford women a big start, ripping a 20.92. She becomes the fifth woman to break 21 seconds in the event history with the swim.

Virginia maintained its lead throughout the race and took home the win in 1:24.45 ahead of Louisville’s 1:25.04. The Cardinal stayed strong after Huske’s lead-off with a 1:25.69 for third.

Day 3

100 Butterfly

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 47.21 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• Championship Record: 47.21 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• American Record: 47.21 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 47.21 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• 2024 Champion: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia — 47.42

Top 8:

1. Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 46.97
2. Torri Huske (Stanford) – 48.90
3. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 49.27
4. Miranda Grana (Indiana) – 50.01
5. Gabi Albiero (Louisville) – 50.69
6. Abby Arens (Texas) – 50.90
7. Ella Welch (Louisville) – 50.93
8. Olivia Peoples (Florida) – 51.09

The women’s 100 butterfly was one of the most anticipated races of the meet. Not because of the intense race brewing like the 2023 NCAA Championships but because everyone wanted to see how fast Walsh could go. She delivered, blasting a 46.97 to become the first woman under the 47-second barrier.

Walsh has pushed this event to new heights over the last 18 months; she’s still the only woman to break 48-seconds in this race.

Her Olympic teammate Huske finished second with a 48.90, adding a second-place trophy to her collection after winning the 200 IM the previous night. SEC Champion Emma Sticklen touched third in 49.27 as there were gaps between the top five swimmers.

200 Freestyle

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10 — Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• Championship Record: 1:39.10 — Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• American Record: 1:39.10 — Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:39.10 — Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• 2024 Champion: Bella Sims, Florida — 1:40.90

TOP 8 FINISHERS:

1. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 1:40.50
2. Minna Abraham (USC) – 1:40.56
3. Stephanie Balduccini (Michigan) – 1:40.89
4. Lea Polonsky (California) – 1:41.85
5. Anna Moesch (Virginia) – 1:42.39
6. Kayla Wilson (Stanford) – 1:43.29
7. Erin Gemmell (Texas) – 1:43.52
8. Brooklyn Douthwright (Tennessee) – 1:44.03

The 200 freestyle was one of the closest races we saw at the NCAA Championships. In a rematch between the top three finishers at the Big Ten Championships it was Anna Peplowski who got her hand on the wall first ahead of USC’s Minna Abraham and Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini.

Peplowski hit the wall in 1:40.50, a lifetime best and Big Ten record. This is her first individual NCAA title and the Hoosier women’s first since Lilly King. In second, six-hundredths behind Peplowksi, Abraham was also under the former Big Ten mark, setting a USC program record.

100 Backstroke

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Championship Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• American Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• 2024 Champion: Katharine Berkoff, NC State — 48.55

Top 8:

1. Claire Curzan (Virginia) – 49.11
2. Bella Sims (Florida) – 49.12
3. Mirana Grana (Indiana) – 49.62
4. Celia Pulido (Southern Illinois) – 49.77
5. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 50.00
6. Leah Shackley (NC State) – 50.06
7. Mary-Ambre Moluh (California) – 50.13
8. Carmen Weiler Sastre (Virginia Tech) – 50.75

A thrilling race between Claire Curzan and Bella Sims was decided on the touch. Sims flipped at the 27-yard mark with a .13 second lead but Curzan charged over the last 10 yards and managed to get her hand on the wall first in 49.11, a hundredth ahead of Sims. Curzan’s time marks a new lifetime best for her, while Sims’ 49.12 was slightly off the 48.97 she posted leading off Florida’s 400 medley relay at the SEC Championships.

After taking fourth in the 100 butterfly to begin the session, Indiana’s Miranda Grana placed third in the 100 backstroke, successfully completing her double.

400 Medley Relay

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 3:19.58 – Virginia (Curzan, Walsh, Walsh, Moesch), 2025
• Championship Record: 3:21.01 – Virginia (Walsh, Nocentini, Walsh, Parker), 2024
• American Record: 3:19.58 – Virginia (Curzan, Walsh, Walsh, Moesch), 2025
• U.S. Open Record: 3:19.58 – Virginia (Curzan, Walsh, Walsh, Moesch), 2025
• 2024 Champion: Virginia (Walsh, Nocentini, Walsh, Parker) – 3:21.01

Top 8:

1. Virginia (Curzan, Walsh, Walsh, Moesch) – 3:20.20 (Meet Record)
2. Tennessee (Fuller, McSharry, Stotler, Spink) – 3:24.99
3. Florida (Sims, Bottazzo Peoples, Cronk) – 3:25.18
4. Indiana (DeWitt, Crawford, Grana, Paegle) – 3:25.83
5. Texas (Bray, Enge, Sticklen, Nesty) – 3:26.11
6. Stanford (Parkhe, Thomas, Huske, Nordmann) – 3:26.34
7. USC (Famous, Dobler, Sasseville, Abraham) – 3:26.82
8. Louisville (Murray, Cheatwood, Welch, Dennis) – 3:27.76

The Virginia women missed the blistering 3:19.58 NCAA and American record they swam at the ACC Championships but still destroyed their championship record from last season with a 3:20.20. They won the race easily, touching more than 4.5 seconds ahead of second-place Tennessee.

Day 4

200 Backstroke

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 1:46.87 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2025)
• Championship Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
• American Record: 1:46.87 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:46.87 – Claire Curzan, Virginia (2025)
• 2024 Champion: Phoebe Bacon, Wisconsin – 1:48.23

Top 8:

1. Claire Curzan (Virginia) – 1:46.82 (NCAA Record)
2. Bella Sims (Florida) – 1:47.11
3. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 1:47.60
4. Leah Shackley (NC State) – 1:48.52
5. Carmen Weiler Sastre (Virginia Tech) – 1:49.22
6. Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) – 1:49.73
7. Erika Pelaez (NC State) – 1:49.81
8. Isabelle Stadden (California) – 1:51.41

Curzan came out on top again in a backstroke rematch against Sims. She swam an NCAA record 1:46.82, cutting five-hundredths off the record she set at the Tennessee Invitational in November. With that swim, Curzan swept the individual backstroke races at these championships after taking the 2023-24 season off from collegiate racing. Curzan previously won this title in 2023.

Sims ripped a lifetime best 1:47.11, dropping from the lifetime best she swam at the SEC Championships and becoming the second-fastest performer in event history. Two-time champion Phoebe Bacon swim a 1:47.60 lifetime best for third in her final individual collegiate race.

100 Freestyle

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 44.83 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Championship Record: 44.83 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• American Record: 44.83 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 44.83 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• 2024 Champion: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 44.83

Top 8:

1. Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 44.71 (NCAA Record)
2. Torri Huske (Stanford) – 46.01
3. Camille Spink (Tennessee) – 46.68
4. Anna Moesch (Virginia) – 46.94
5. Minna Abraham (USC) – 46.95
6. Stephanie Balduccini (Michigan) – 47.08
7. Lindsay Flynn (Michigan) – 47.21
8. Julia Dennis (Louisville) – 47.41

Walsh broke her NCAA record to win her ninth individual NCAA title. She clocked 44.71, cracking the 44.83 she put up at the 2024 NCAA Championships. She was out in a blistering 21.23, then held on for a 23.48 over the final 50 yards.

Huske took second behind Walsh again. This time, she swam a lifetime best 46.01, nearly getting under the 46-second barrier as she clipped her former lifetime best of 46.09, swum at February’s ACC Championships. Tennessee’s Spink rounded out the top three finishers with a 46.68, slightly off the 46.25 best she swam at the SEC Championships.

200 Butterfly

Courtesy: NCAA Championships

• NCAA Record: 1:49.16 – Alex Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:49.90 – Emma Sticklen, Texas (2025)
• American Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.33 – Regan Smith (2023)
• 2024 Champion: Emma Sticklen, Texas – 1:50.99

Top 8:

1. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:49.11 (NCAA Record)
2. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 1:49.88
3. Caroline Bricker (Stanford) – 1:51.55
4. Tess Howley (Virginia) – 1:51.79
5. Hannah Bellard (Michigan) – 1:51.89
6. Lillie Nordmann (Stanford) – 1:52.10
7. Campbell Stoll (Texas) – 1:52.29
8. Greta Pelzek (South Carolina) – 1:53.93

Emma Sticklen got the job done again, winning the women’s 200 butterfly NCAA title for the third year in a row. Sticklen attacked the race from the start and it was a battle for her on the final 50, leaving the question of if NCAA record holder Walsh would run her down open until Sticklen hit the wall.

The Longhorn took down the NCAA record with a 1:49.11 in her final individual collegiate swim after narrowly missing it at the SEC Championships.