Two-Time NCAA Champion Bella Sims Transferring to Michigan

2020 Olympic medalist and 2024 NCAA champion Bella Sims is transferring to Michigan after spending her freshman and sophomore seasons at Florida. Michigan made the announcement on Instagram, posting her signing. She joins the Wolverines for the 2025-2026 season with 2 remaining years of eligibility.

The addition of Sims is monumental for a Michigan program that will be heading into its 3rd year under the direction of head coach Matt Bowe this fall. Sims was the NCAA champion in both the 200 free (1:40.90) and 500 free (4:32.47) in 2024, when she was a freshman at Florida. She also placed 3rd (1:48.47) in the 200 back at the 2024 NCAA Championships. This past season, Sims leaned more heavily into backstroke, taking 2nd in both the 100 back (49.12) and 200 back (1:47.11) at NCAAs.

It’s also worth mentioning that Sims split 1:39.55 on the 2nd leg of Florida’s 800 free relay at the SEC Championships back in February, which is the 3rd-fastest split in history. She’s also the SEC record holder in the 200 free, 100 back, and 200 back.

Here is a look at Sims career bests in yards:

Bella Sims Career Bests, SCY:

• 50 free – 21.88
• 100 free – 46.53
• 200 free – 1:40.78
• 500 free – 4:28.64
• 50 back – 23.25
• 100 back – 48.97
• 200 back – 1:47.11
• 200 fly – 1:51.06
• 200 IM – 1:51.86
• 400 IM – 3:56.59

Sims is an incredibly versatile swimmer. She’s been NCAA champion in the 200 and 500 free, and runner-up in the 100 and 200 back. She’s also a 46.53 100 freestyler (would have been 3rd at 2025 NCAAs), 1:51.06 200 flyer (would have been 3rd at 2025 NCAAs), 1:51.86 200 IM’er (would have been 4th at 2025 NCAAs), and 3:56.59 400 IM’er (would have been 1st at 2025 NCAAs). She could be a huge asset for the Wolverines pretty anywhere, although, using her on backstroke does appear to be the biggest upside for Michigan right now. Michigan’s top sprint backstroker from this past season, Casey Chung, was a 5th year, and therefore will not be returning next season. Chung was 23.77 in the 50 back and 51.42 in the 100 for the Wolverines this past season, so Sims would mark a significant boost at the top end of the Wolverine backstroke group.

Her impact on the Wolverine relays, which have already done quite well during Bowe’s first two seasons as head coach, should be massive as well. Michigan’s best relay this past season was the 400 free relay, where they came in 4th at NCAAs (3:09.07). The Wolverines lose their last two legs from last year, however. Claire Newman was 47.28 on the 3rd leg and Lindsay Flynn was 46.91 on the anchor. Being a 46.53 individual 100 freestyler, Sims more than makes up for one of those losses. Couple that with rising senior Christey Liang being a 48.28 100 freestyler and incoming freshman Nina Jazy being a 52.93 SCM 100 freestyler, and Michigan should be able to be even faster in 400 free next season.

Sims will provide a huge boost to the medley relays as well. However, the relay where he addition is perhaps the most exciting is the 800 free. In that relay, Michigan will be pairing Sims with Stephanie Balduccini, who came in 3rd in the 200 free at the 2025 NCAAs with a 1:40.89. That will give the Wolverines 2 swimmers on that relay who are 1:40 in the individual 200 free. Michigan came in 5th in the 800 free relay at NCAAs last season, with their slowest leg being a 1:44.63 and everyone returning, so they should make a huge jump in that event next season.

Sims brings big international credentials as well. Sims was a silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics, swimming on the prelims 4×200 free relay. She’s a 3-time World Championships medalist as well, having won gold on the US 4×200 free relay at the 2022 World Champs, and having won a pair of silver medals on the 4×200 free relay and mixed 4×100 free relay at the 2023 championships.

Bella Sims Career Bests, LCM:

• 100 free – 53.73
• 200 free – 1:55.45
• 400 free – 4:03.25
• 800 free – 8:22.36
• 50 back – 28.57
• 100 back – 1:00.30
• 200 back – 2:11.39
• 200 IM – 2:12.15
• 400 IM – 4:43.46

A native of Las Vegas, Sims will join fellow alums of the Sandpipers of Nevada club team Rebecca Diaconescu and Josh Brown in Ann Arbor.

Most recently, Sims competed at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, where she went 1:58.31 in the 200 free, 55.46 in the 100 free, 28.57 in the 50 back, 1:00.30 in the 100 back, and 2:13.57 in the 200 IM.

Sims joins a Michigan 2027 class that also features All-Americans Stephanie Balduccini and Hannah Bellard. In 2024, Michigan finished 3rd at the women’s Big Ten Championships and 9th at NCAAs.