It’s the end of October and while there are still plenty of dual meets on the NCAA calendar, the midseason invitationals are beginning to appear on the horizon. Historically, these invites have been the first point of the college season that we’ve seen swimmers suit up, go fast, and try to hit an NCAA qualification time.
But the NCAA is changing, and swimmers aren’t waiting for midseason invites or conference championships to throw down fast times. Many teams have been suiting up for dual meets, and we’ve seen plenty of fast swims in the first six weeks of the 2024-25 season. In that spirit, here’s a look at who has already earned Division I NCAA ‘A’ cuts this season.
Once a swimmer earns an ‘A’ cut in an event, they are automatically qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championships. Relays that earn an ‘A’ cut automatically qualify as well, and the school can also swim any relay where they have a ‘B’ cut. Relays qualify to the team, meaning they don’t need to bring the same four swimmers that earned the original cut to NCAAs.
Women
Individual
Four women have combined for seven NCAA ‘A’ cuts in individual events. Gretchen Walsh, Claire Curzan, and Emma Sticklen have each earned two cuts. Conversions from short-course meters to yards count for NCAA qualification, so Walsh and Curzan’s times from Virginia’s short-course meters dual with Florida are eligible. Walsh’s incredible performance at that meet (world record, four American records) results in two NCAA ‘A’ cuts as her 50 freestyle converts to a 20.93 and her 100 back to 49.73. Meanwhile, back in the NCAA after a year off due to eligibility rules, Curzan earned two ‘A’ cuts in her Virginia debut, the 200 back (1:49.64 converted) and 100 fly (50.45 converted).
Meanwhile, Sticklen, the two-time defending NCAA champion in the 200 fly, has earned her cuts in both butterfly events, swimming 50.23 in the 100 fly and 1:49.77 in the 200 fly. Her 200 fly time from the Texas vs. LSU dual meet is a personal best for her and marked a new SEC record in Texas’ first dual meet in the conference.
NC State freshman Leah Shackley swam 50.40 in the 100 backstroke last weekend, which is not only an NCAA ‘A’ cut but would’ve finished second at NCAAs last year behind Wolfpack alum Katharine Berkoff.
Relays
There are no ‘A’ cuts yet in the 800 free or 400 medley relay, but there’s at least one ‘A’ cut for the three other relay events.
NC State has the most NCAA ‘A’ cuts of any program, tallying three. The Wolfpack logged 1:28.15 in the 200 freestyle relay at their dual meet against ASU, earning the only NCAA ‘A’ cut that we’ve seen so far this season in the event.
Lily Christianson and Erika Pelaez feature on all three of NC State’s ‘A’ cut relays: the 200 free, 400 free, and 200 medley relay. The 200 medley relay team of Pelaez, Grace Sheble, Shackley, and Christianson also sit atop the NCAA in the 200 medley relay with a 1:35.964. They are second in the 400 free relay, with Christianson, Tyler Driscoll, Cassie Moses, and Pelaez swimming 3:13.10.
In the 400 free relay, NC State is sandwiched between Louisville and Tennessee’s performances from their dual meet. Louisville’s Caroline Larsen, Julia Dennis, Gabi Albiero, and Ella Welch swam 3:12.26, beating Tennessee’s Camille Spink, Emily Armsen, Josephine Fuller, and Brooklyn Douthwright’s 3:13.19 to complete the upset over the Volunteers, who nevertheless earned an ‘A’ cut.
Seven programs have earned NCAA ‘A’ cuts in the 200 medley relay, the most of any relay so far this season. Virginia and Florida lead with their SCM converted times. For cuts swum in yards, it’s the Wolfpack on top in 1:35.94. Auburn sits just behind with a 1:36.01. Then, it’s Tennessee at 1:36.15, ASU with a school-record 1:36.17, and Texas at 1:36.24.
NCAA ‘A’ Cuts By Power 4 Conference
| Individual | Relay | |
| ACC | 5 | 6 |
| Big Ten | 0 | 0 |
| Big 12 | 0 | 1 |
| SEC | 2 | 5 |
Men
Individual
Ilya Kharun and Luca Urlando are responsible for all five NCAA ‘A’ cuts in the men’s individual events so far. Across the country, these two Olympians have been trading shots in the butterfly events all season long. Kharun owns the top time in both the 100 fly and 200 fly after swimming ‘A’ cuts of 43.95 and 1:38.74 during ASU’s visit to NC State. Kharun also owns the league’s top time in the 50 freestyle as well, leading off ASU’s 200 free relay at the same meet with an ‘A’ cut of 18.59.
Urlando is back in the NCAA for the first time since getting injured in October 2022. He’s made an incredible impression and owns ‘A’ cuts in the 100 and 200 fly as well, swimming 44.16 and 1:39.03.
Relays
Arizona State’s earned its reputation for swimming fast all season long. That hasn’t changed now that it’s Herbie Behm at the helm, highlighted by the fact that they’ve earned four NCAA ‘A’ cuts in the relays—the only one they’re missing is the 800 freestyle relay. Like the women’s side, no team has earned an ‘A’ cut in that event, which isn’t a common event to see on the schedule at a dual meet.
With Kharun leading off the 200 free relay in 18.59, Patrick Sammon, Tommy Palmer, and Jonny Kulow brought the team home for an ‘A’ cut in a league-leading 1:15.11. They are the only team sub-1:16 so far this season.
The Sun Devils lead the league in the 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley, and 400 medley relays at the end of October. Kharun, Sammon, and Kulow combined with Filip Senc-Samardzic in the 400 free to log an ‘A” cut of 2:46.58. Kharun and Kulow held down the back half of the 200-medley relay, teaming with Lucien Vergnes and Andy Dobrzanski for a 1:22.40. The same quartet was back up in the 400 medley relay, soaring under the ‘A’ cut with a 3:02.04.
The ASU and NC State dual meet brought a lot of NCAA ‘A’ cuts as the Wolfpack earned cuts in the 200 free, 400 free, and 200 medley relays. They sit #2 in all three after swimming 1:16.11 in the 200 free, 2:48.63 in the 400 free, and 1:22.99 in the 200 medley relay.
Virginia Tech earned two ‘A’ cuts at the SMU Classic, while Indiana earned one. Virginia Tech grabbed ‘A’ cuts in both medley relays, swimming 1:23.60 in the 200 medley relay and 3:04.85 in the 400 medley relay. Indiana sits just ahead of the Hokies in the 400 medley relay after beating them at the SMU Classic with a 3:04.01.
Tennessee closed out their dual against Louisville by winning the 400 freestyle relay with a 2:49.23. They were the first team sub-2:50 this season before Arizona State and NC State surpassed them a couple of days later. Florida is the other SEC team with a relay ‘A’ cut, as their U.S. Open record in short-course meters converts to a 1:22.73.
NCAA ‘A’ Cuts By Power 4 Conference
| Individual | Relay | |
| ACC | 0 | 5 |
| Big Ten | 0 | 1 |
| Big 12 | 3 | 4 |
| SEC | 2 | 2 |
Full List of NCAA ‘A’ Cuts As Of Oct. 28
Note: * denotes a SCM to SCY converted time
Women
- Gretchen Walsh, 50 free (20.93*)
- Gretchen Walsh, 100 back (49.73*)
- Leah Shackley, 100 back (50.40)
- Claire Curzan, 200 back (1:49.64*)
- Emma Sticklen, 100 fly (50.23)
- Claire Curzan, 100 fly (50.45*)
- Emma Sticklen, 200 fly (1:49.77)
- NC State, 200 free relay (1:28.15)
- Louisville, 400 free relay (3:12.26)
- NC State, 400 free relay (3:13.10)
- Tennessee, 400 free relay (3:13.19)
- Virginia, 400 free relay (3:13.32c)
- Virginia, 200 medley relay (1:34.35*)
- Florida, 200 medley relay (1:35.25*)
- NC State, 200 medley relay (1:35.94)
- Auburn, 200 medley relay (1:36.01)
- Tennessee, 200 medley relay (1:36.15)
- Arizona State, 200 medley relay (1:36.17)
- Texas, 200 medley relay (1:36.24)
Men
- Ilya Kharun, 50 free (18.59)
- Ilya Kharun, 100 fly (43.95)
- Luca Urlando, 200 fly (44.16)
- Ilya Kharun, 200 fly (1:38.74)
- Luca Urlando, 200 fly (1:39.03)
- ASU, 200 free relay (1:15.11)
- NC State, 200 free relay (1:16.11)
- ASU, 400 free relay (2:46.58)
- NC State, 400 free relay (2:48.63)
- Tennessee, 400 free relay (2:49.23)
- ASU, 200 medley relay (1:22.40)
- Florida, 200 medley relay (1:22.73*)
- NC State, 200 medley relay (1:22.99)
- Virginia Tech, 200 medley relay (1:23.60)
- ASU, 400 medley relay (3:02.04)
- Indiana, 400 medley relay (3:04.01)
- Virginia Tech, 400 medley relay (3:04.85)
Tennessee relay.. Emily Armen (not Armsen)
lol @ American record SCM 100 back converting to 49.73 (i know its the NCAA’s official conversion formula)
The determination of the NCAA Qualification Standards for the “A” cuts is flawed. The “A” cuts should be based upon the three year average of the 8th best time in the heats/preliminaries of the NCAA DI Men’s/Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
The “A” cuts don’t really mean anything. HTH.
?
A cuts in individual events are completely ceremonial. The scenario where they actually influence selections would be some completely bizarre as to not even be worth considering.
They’re meaningful in relays.
Makes no difference in terms of getting to the meet; it is like a recognition of a quantum level of higher quality, maybe higher chance or expectation of making A heat or scoring.
The ASU v Cal and Stanford in 10 days are going to be very interesting!
Did Sam Hoover really anchor NC states 2free relay against ASU in 17.87?
No
no
Chances are if you have to ask ‘did x swimmer really go this time’ 99.9% of the time that swimmer did not and it was due to a timing pad error.
It would be cool to see ASU finish ahead of Texas at NCAA.
Not out of the realm of possibilities for this year
Texas will have a boatload of A finalists in the 500 free alone. How many finalists will ASU have besides Ilya? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves
Start out with all 5 relays
Ilya 3
Sammon 2
Kulow 2, possibly 3 (last year didn’t swim third event, resting for relay final; anyone care to
doubt him at this point?)
Matheson 1-3 (finals in 400, 800, 1500 at Trials, and though there is no NCAA Champs 800
equivalent, he was 11th in 400 IM last year at 3:39.70, which would have
qualified 8th if done in prelims)
Martter 1, possibly 2
Take your pick out of the following to advance a bit and bring the total up to 14-18 individual (ASU had 18 individual A final swims last year). Not suggesting a chance of the 1-2 or 2-3s from last… Read more »
It would be. As hot as the Sun Devils look right now…I think Texas got too deep too quick for that to happen. I’m definitely going to move them up a spot or two in the next power rankings, I think.
Amazing that 1:50 in the 2 breast by Carles of VT isn’t an A cut. The sport is so dang fast
Yeah I remember when 1:4X was unheard of in the 200 breast. Now a 1:50 is like two body lengths behind Leon’s record.
Kevin Cordes changed the game.
He really did. Easy to forget when he crushed that 1:48 it was about 3 seconds faster than anyone had ever gone.
The Kharun/Urlando duel at NCAAs in 2 fly will feed families
Honestly, I love Urlando but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him cook like crazy in the earlier events + relays, then slump to a 1:38-mid / 1:39-low in the individual 200 Fly. NCAAs is grueling, and I think Kharun’s ability to stay relatively peak on the later days is better
I don’t know how often they were doing the same sets, but the idea of the Butterfly group at ASU’s Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in the 2023-24 year is positively an homage to the Goodell, Converse, Babashoff Animal Lanes of 50 years ago Mission Viejo. Marchand, Kharun, Urlando, Kalisz (PB 1:54.79), Alex Colson (SCY PB 1:39.55), and Kos — working at becoming a flyer(:50.84LCM in Pro Swim Series meet tie with Dressel) is powerful.
Closest current ‘other’ is the Cal Backstroke group, which wins points for consistency over the decade.