The University of Texas men’s team has taken over the top spot in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America’s (CSCAA) latest dual meet poll, overtaking the Cal Bears which slid down into a tie for fourth.
On the women’s side, Virginia reigns supreme as usual, holding onto the top spot by receiving every first-place vote, while Texas holds onto #2.
MEN’S POLL
The Longhorn men have only raced once since the previous edition of the CSCAA polls were released in October, but it was an impressive outing in their two-day showdown with Indiana.
Heading into midseason invitational meets next week, the Texas men have five swimmers ranked 1st in at least one event: Luke Hobson in the 200 free, Rex Maurer in the 500 free and 400 IM, David Johnston in the 1000 free, Will Modglin in the 100 back, and Hubert Kos in the 200 IM.
Although this would not factor into their top ranking, Texas is also slated to add Chris Guiliano to the mix later this season, which boosts their prospects heading into the postseason.
Texas moved up one spot after previously ranking second, while Arizona State made a massive jump up into the #2 spot after previously ranking sixth.
The Sun Devils impressed in their two-day tri-meet with Cal and Stanford last weekend, sweeping the Bears and Cardinal with some standout relay performances.
Ilya Kharun has been red-hot thus far for ASU, currently ranking #1 in the NCAA in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly and 200 fly.
Despite falling to Texas, Indiana moves up one spot into third, while Cal slides from first into fourth, sitting tied with Florida.
Louisville cracked the top 10 after previously ranking 11th, moving into a tie for eighth with Stanford, while UNC (12th) and Princeton (25th) moved into the top 25 after they were previously unranked.
Division I Men
| RK | Prv | Team | Points | Record |
| 1 | 2 | Texas | 373 | 2-0 |
| 2 | 6 | Arizona State | 351 | 6-0 |
| 3 | 4 | Indiana | 337 | 0-1 |
| 4 | 1 | California | 320 | 2-2 |
| 4 | 3 | Florida | 320 | 2-1 |
| 6 | 5 | NC State | 319 | 1-1 |
| 7 | 7 | Georgia | 275 | 2-3 |
| 8 | 11 | Louisville | 263 | 0-2 |
| 8 | 9 | Stanford | 263 | 3-0 |
| 10 | 12 | Ohio State | 227 | 4-0 |
| 11 | 8 | Tennessee | 212 | 0-1 |
| 12 | NR | North Carolina | 199 | 3-0 |
| 13 | 10 | Virginia Tech | 186 | 3-1 |
| 14 | 23 | Wisconsin | 174 | 2-1 |
| 15 | 13 | Auburn | 153 | 1-1 |
| 16 | 20 | Alabama | 141 | 2-0 |
| 17 | 16 | Michigan | 137 | 2-0 |
| 18 | 18 | Minnesota | 123 | 4-1 |
| 19 | 17 | Georgia Tech | 109 | 2-0 |
| 20 | 21 | Southern California | 92 | 3-2 |
| 21 | 15 | Virginia | 77 | 0-2 |
| 22 | 19 | Louisiana State | 76 | 4-2 |
| 23 | 14 | Texas A&M | 64 | 2-0 |
| 24 | 22 | Florida State | 31 | 0-4 |
| 25 | NR | Princeton | 28 | 2-0 |
Also Receiving Votes: Harvard (9), Brigham Young (7), SMU (3), Kentucky (2), Penn State (1).
WOMEN’S POLL
The Virginia women have been the best team in the nation for years and that remains the case as they hold the #1 ranking after beating Florida in mid-October and then dominating UNC on Nov. 1.
The Cavaliers are led by Gretchen Walsh, who leads the NCAA this season in the 50 free, 100 back (SCM converted) and 100 fly, while new addition Claire Curzan holds the #1 ranking in the 200 back and Emma Weber and Aimee Canny both rank 2nd in the 100 and 200 breast, respectively.
Virginia has already been the best team in the country this season despite fifth-year senior and reigning NCAA champion Alex Walsh having yet to compete as she returns from a meniscus injury.
Texas impressed with a massive win over Indiana two weeks ago, as they hold onto the #2 ranking with Jillian Cox (500, 1000 free), Emma Sticklen (200 fly), Angie Coe (200 IM) and Campbell Stoll (400 IM) all holding nation-leading times.
The Hoosiers jumped up three spots into the #3 ranking, while Stanford holds firm at #4 (with an impressive season debut from Torri Huske last weekend) and NC State soars up seven spots into fifth.
Florida notably dropped from #3 to #6 after their loss to Virginia, while Wisconsin moved into the top 10 (10th) after previously being ranked 15th.
Cracking the top 25 after going unranked previously was Alabama, which moved to 17th after defeating LSU and FSU last weekend.
Division I Women
| Rk | Prv | Team | Points | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Virginia | 425 | 2-0 |
| 2 | 2 | Texas | 408 | 2-0 |
| 3 | 6 | Indiana | 371 | 1-1 |
| 4 | 4 | Stanford | 364 | 2-0 |
| 5 | 12 | NC State | 358 | 2-0 |
| 6 | 3 | Florida | 346 | 3-1 |
| 7 | 7 | Louisville | 341 | 4-0 |
| 8 | 5 | Tennessee | 304 | 0-1 |
| 9 | 8 | California | 271 | 2-1 |
| 10 | 15 | Wisconsin | 269 | 2-0 |
| 11 | 14 | Michigan | 248 | 3-0 |
| 12 | 10 | Georgia | 235 | 3-2 |
| 13 | 18 | Arizona State | 206 | 4-3 |
| 14 | 13 | Louisiana State | 198 | 6-2 |
| 15 | 11 | Ohio State | 194 | 5-0 |
| 16 | 9 | Southern California | 173 | 2-0 |
| 17 | NR | Alabama | 159 | 2-0 |
| 18 | 19 | Auburn | 142 | 2-0 |
| 19 | 21 | North Carolina | 134 | 1-2 |
| 20 | 17 | South Carolina | 100 | 3-2 |
| 21 | 16 | Duke | 98 | 2-1 |
| 22 | 20 | Texas A&M | 58 | 4-0 |
| 23 | 23 | Minnesota | 57 | 6-1 |
| 24 | 22 | UCLA | 27 | 1-0 |
| 25 | 24 | Miami (FL) | 12 | 3-1 |
Also Receiving Votes: Florida State (8), Princeton (7), Missouri (4), Purdue (3), Virginia Tech (3), Houston (2).
Division I Women’s Poll Committee
Brooks Fail (Southern Cal), Bex Freebairn (Missouri), Jerry Champer (Georgia), Ashley Dell (Illinois-Chicago), Ryan Evans (Kansas), Naya Higashijima (New Mexico), Zach Hinsley (Miami (FL)), Michael Licon (Akron), Maddy Olson (Minnesota), Pat Roman (Nebraska), Coleman Stewart (Duke), Leah Stancil (Louisiana State), Milana Socha (Dartmouth), Athena Spellman (Florida State), Graydon Tedder (Texas Christian), Nathan Lavery (Drexel) Brody Lewis (Utah).
Division I Men’s Poll Committee
Cauli Bedran (Wisconsin), Jim Bolster (Columbia), Patrick Callan (Auburn), Graham Carpenter (Ohio State), Alicia Franklin (Denver), Reed Fujan (Louisville), Josh Huger (California-Berkley), Michael Joyce (Minnesota), Caitlin Kolbus (Kentucky), Brody Lewis (Utah), Jessica Miller Livsey (Old Dominion), Corey Manley (Arizona State), Tamber McCallister (Brigham Young), Eric Posegay (Texas), Bill Roberts (U.S. Naval Academy), Neal Studd (Florida State).
UNC Men’s jump from Not Ranked to 12th has to be some sort of CSCAA ranking record!?
Everybody understands the dynamic of the top 5 teams, it’s what goes on down below that level where things get truly interesting. When it comes to reporting ‘The Devil is in the Details’.
While the still freshly news of Chris Giuliano arrival in January, we are forgetting the other addition in January:
https://swimswam.com/tag/ksawery-masiuk/
In addition to Ksawery’s backstroke prowess, he may be competing for all 3 free relays as well. It should be for an exciting post season!
What if those weren’t the only big January additions?
Who’s the third guy coming in?!
Ouch. Not the only FSU men’s team that started 0-4.
I’m scared for a Bob Bowman-enhanced aerobic Shaine Casas
Gam over for everyone
Me and the wife pointing at each other spider man meme style both rocking #1 rankings
LUKE!!
Where are all the Wyatt Collins fans now who thought he should have been gifted the job? Any of them still on here? Whether you like BB or not, he clearly was the right man for the job.
No one is sleeping on Wyatt! He will be back.
Wyatt wouldn’t have been gifted the job. He was in the right place at the right time and mentored for taking over the position in 2021. He would have been a good choice. You can’t argue with the results Bowman is getting, and I’m not now nor was I in the past anti-Bowman. But I don’t accept the premise that a Wyatt hire would have been a miss.
Bob “Benedict Arnold” Bowman
The horror of pursing a job at the premier S/D program in the nation. How dare he seek out new challenges!
It’s a matter of timing, like a much smaller and less significant version of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The fact of it happening was understandable; executing the decision by withdrawing our troops before evacuation of others to whom we were responsible and before securing Bagram Air Base, which was important to American interests, was not useful.
In our context, taking the job and seeking out new challenges is fully understandable, even admirable; he is wished well. Withdrawing before Olympic Trials created unnecessary consequences, personal confusion and difficulties. If Texas was unwilling to wait three months, they may not be as wise as I would have guessed.
Interesting, I was thinking Bowman’s move to Texas is much more like the series of events that led to Congolese independence in the early 1960’s. The Congolese people (ASU swim & dive), have a right to self governance (swimming fast), and the departure of the colonial Belgian government (Bowman) was the morally correct move.
But the abrupt nature of the departure left a power and political vacuum. Only after multiple coup attempts (athletic department decisions) did Mobutu (Herbie Behm) assume leadership for a long period of authoritarian rule (sprint-focused training).
Remarkable memory you have Daaaave. 60 year old Congo – Belgium analogies is certainly more impressive than 3 year old American military angles.
I think you might comment more on Texas than anyone. Bevo & Co. living rent free in your head.
You’re right Old Swim Coach, but you seem to have missed that all his comments FAVOR Texas.
Really. I’ve not seen anyone criticize Texas women more that WMGL does. Specifically criticizing Carol and constantly calling for her dismissal.