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 polls asked SwimSwam readers which event excites them the most at the Women’s NCAA Championships:
Question: Which women’s NCAA showdown are you most looking forward to?
RESULTS
- 500 free – Cox, Sims, Grimes, Roghair – 27.1%
- 100 fly/100 free – G. Walsh, Huske – 21.3%
- 200 fly – Sticklen, A. Walsh – 18.8%
- 100/200 back – Curzan, Sims, Bacon, etc – 13.0%
- 200 IM – A. Walsh, Huske – 12.6%
- 100 breast – A. Walsh, McSharry, Dobler, etc – 4.6%
- Other – 1.4%
- 1650 free – Cox, Grimes (not same heat) – 1.2%
Upon the release of the Women’s NCAA psych sheets, we got a glimpse of what matchups we’ll see at next week’s championships, and there is no shortage of intrigue surrounding nearly all of the individual events.
We asked SwimSwam readers which showdown they’re most looking forward to at the meet, and though the vote was relatively split with five options receiving at least 12.5%, the 500 free led the way with 27.1% of votes.
Last season, it was Florida freshman Bella Sims winning the 500 free title in a time of 4:32.47, going 1-2 with teammate Emma Weyant (4:33.70).
Sims’ freshman year with the Gators was far from smooth, but a time that was nearly four seconds slower than her PB (4:28.64) was good enough to win the NCAA title.
That won’t be the case this year, however, as the event has been bolstered with the addition of Sims’ club teammate at the Sandpipers of Nevada, Katie Grimes, and Texas freshman Jillian Cox, who has been on fire all season.
Cox leads the NCAA rankings coming into the meet after clocking 4:30.68 at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite in November, while Sims is close behind at 4:31.06, a time she also did during midseason invites. At SECs, they didn’t go head-to-head, with Sims opting to race the 200 IM, but they’ll go to battle with NCAAs with Grimes in the mix.
Grimes is coming off winning the ACC title in 4:32.69, and was half a second faster in December prior to joining the University of Virginia for the second semester. Like Sims, she owns a best time that’s significantly faster than 4:32, having been 4:28.27 back in December 2023.
Flying a bit under the radar as the #3 seed in the event, sitting ahead of Grimes, is Stanford’s Aurora Roghair who went 4:31.63 at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite and is coming off a close runner-up finish behind Grimes at ACCs (4:32.88).
Trailing the 500 free in the poll was the 100 free and 100 fly combo, which features defending champion and U.S. Open Record holder in both events, Gretchen Walsh, and Olympic medalist in both events (and gold in the 100 fly), Torri Huske.
Walsh is the bonafide favorite in both as she’s rewritten the record books over the last few seasons and has proven to be an unstoppable force in the short course pool, but it’s clear fans are still anxious to see her showdown with Huske, who took an Olympic redshirt last season and thus didn’t compete collegiately.
Walsh won the 100 fly last season by more than two seconds, and she topped the 100 free by 1.40 seconds. Although it would be an upset for Huske to best her, the races figure to be closer this year.
Not too far behind the 100 free/100 fly in the poll was the 200 fly, which received 18.8% of votes and features the NCAA Record holder going up against the two-time defending champion.
Alex Walsh could’ve easily opted to defend her 200 breast title this year and likely would have no problem winning it, but she decided to face Emma Sticklen in the 200 fly, the woman who ran her down for the NCAA title in 2023 and then defended it last season.
Sticklen has been on fire this season, cracking 1:50 in the 200 fly five times, while Walsh has only raced the event four times (including the two from ACCs), with her fastest coming in at 1:50.43 (compared to 1:49.17 for Sticklen, which is .01 shy of Walsh’s NCAA Record).
Also picking up more than an eighth (12.5%) of votes in the poll was the 100/200 back, and the 200 IM.
The backstroke events are headlined by Virginia’s Claire Curzan and Sims, with defending 200 back champion Phoebe Bacon also prominently featuring in the title race. Curzan won the 200 back in 2023 before sitting out last year, but set the all-time record in the event earlier this season. Sims is coming off sweeping the backstrokes at SECs, including cracking 49 seconds in the 100 back (48.97).
The 200 IM will feature Alex Walsh and Huske, with Walsh hunting down her fourth career title in the event, having won it in 2021, 2022 and 2024. In 2023, when Kate Douglass won, Huske finished .01 ahead of Walsh.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which matchup is most exciting at Men’s NCAAs?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
My vote for other: the fastest heat of the men’s mile.
Johnston, Maurer, Henveaux, Sandidge, Owen Llyod, Noah Millard, Sarkany and Liam Custer. Absolutely loaded with lots of fast PBs
Chomp Chomp Gator Gal Get Gold