The Virginia women now rank near the top 10 all-time in NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships event titles.
After winning 6 events en route to the program’s first-ever swimming & diving national championship, Virginia jumped from 18th place in the all-time rankings to a tie for 12th place with 12 event titles in school history.
That means the Virginia women doubled their all-time NCAA victories in just one meet.
Previous Cavalier titles include a pair of victories in each the 500 and 1650 frees from Olympian Leah Smith in 2015 and 2016, two distance free wins from Cara Lane (1500 meter in 2000, 1650 yard in 2001). With three more from Paige Madden, winning the 200, 500, and 1650 frees last week, that continues Virginia’s distance tradition.
The Cavaliers also picked up their first relay title in the 800 free relay (though entering the meets, the expectation was for them to win at least 2 or 3 relays). Kate Douglass‘ day 2 win the 50 free and Alex Walsh‘s day 2 win the 200 IM were both firsts for that program.
North Carolina State, who came away from the meet with 5 event titles, made a big leap in the rankings as well. Prior to this season, they had just 1 NCAA event title ever, a Kristen Davies 3-meter diving win from 2009.
They now rank 14th all-time in count of individual NCAA event titles.
Indiana’s 1 diving title from freshman Tarrin Gilliland is the 16th title in program history. That was the 3rd time Indiana has won the platform diving title. Half of their 16 titles are breaststroke crowns from Lilly King.
Michigan picked up 3 swimming titles – Maggie MacNeil in the 100 fly and 100 free, and Olivia Carter in the 200 fly – and were able to stay one spot ahead of Virginia with 13 all-time titles.
With 2 diving titles, Minnesota jumped into a tie with Virginia from 14th to 12th. Bacon has 4 of the Gophers’ 12 all-time titles. All of those titles are from either diving (8) or breaststroke (4) events.
Alabama’s one title moves them from 2 to 3 all-time wins, which moved them from one of 38 teams that have won at least 2 titles to one of 31 schools with at least 3 titles.
Alabama’s win came in the meet-closing 400 free relay, which was the first relay title in program history. Previously they had a diving title from Lane Bassham on 3-meter in 2004 and a 50 yard breaststroke title from Angelika Knipping in 1983. In the first two years of women’s swimming at the NCAA Championships, 1982 and 1983, titles were offered in the 50 yard stroke and 100 yard IM races.
Cal won their 75th title and Stanford won their 177th title. Both schools rank among the top 4 all-time. Wisconsin also added a title, making for 5 all-time, when Phoebe Bacon topped the 200 backstroke – giving the Badgers a second-straight title in that event after Beata Nelson won at the last championship in 2019.
ALL 2021 NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS
- 800 Free Relay- Virginia (Kyla Valls, Paige Madden, Ella Nelson, Alex Walsh), 6:52.56
- 200 Free Relay- Cal (Eloise Riley, Emily Gantriis, Elise Garcia, Izzy Ivey), 1:25.78 *Pool Record
- 500 Free- Paige Madden (Virginia), 4:33.61
- 200 IM- Alex Walsh (Virginia), 1:51.87
- 50 Free- Kate Douglass (Virginia), 21.13
- 1-meter Diving- Sarah Bacon (Minnesota), 357.20
- 400 Medley Relay- NC State (Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Hansson, Kylee Alons, Julia Poole), 3:24.95 *U.S. Open/NCAA Record
- 400 IM- Brooke Forde (Stanford), 4:01.57 *Pool Record
- 100 Fly- Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 48.89 *U.S. Open/NCAA Record
- 200 Free- Paige Madden (Virginia), 1:42.35
- 100 Breast- Sophie Hansson (NC State), 57.23 *Pool Record
- 100 Back- Katharine Berkoff (NC State ), 49.74 *Pool Record
- 3-meter Diving- Sarah Bacon (Minnnesota), 408.60
- 200 Medley Relay- NC State (Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Hansson, Sirena Rowe, Kylee Alons), 1:33.18
- 1650 Free- Paige Madden (Virginia), 15:41.86
- 200 Back- Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin), 1:48.32
- 100 Free- Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 46.02 *Pool Record
- 200 Breast- Sophie Hansson (NC State), 2:03.86 *Pool Record
- 200 Fly- Olivia Carter (Michigan), 1:51.33
- Platform Diving- Tarrin Gilliland (Indiana), 338.40
- 400 Free Relay- Alabama (Morgan Scott, Kalia Antoniou, Flora Molnar, Cora Dupre), 3:09.78
All-Time Ranks, Individual Event Titles, NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships
| Rank | School | Previous NCAA Titles | 2021 Titles | Updated Titles |
| 1 | Stanford | 176 | 1 | 177 |
| 2 | Florida | 89 | 89 | |
| 3 | Georgia | 78 | 78 | |
| 4 | Cal | 74 | 1 | 75 |
| 5 | Texas | 72 | 72 | |
| 6 | Arizona | 49 | 49 | |
| 7 | USC | 45 | 45 | |
| 8 | Auburn | 32 | 32 | |
| 9 | SMU | 29 | 29 | |
| 10 | Indiana | 14 | 1 | 15 |
| 11 | Michigan | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| 12 | Virginia | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 11 | 11 | |
| 15 | Texas A&M | 10 | 10 | |
| 16 | Tennessee | 8 | 8 | |
| 17 | Houston | 7 | 7 | |
| 17 | Louisville | 7 | 7 | |
| 19 | North Carolina State | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 20 | Nevada | 5 | 5 | |
| 20 | Ohio State | 5 | 5 | |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 23 | Clemson | 4 | 4 | |
| 23 | Columbia | 4 | 4 | |
| 23 | Hawaii | 4 | 4 | |
| 23 | LSU | 4 | 4 | |
| 23 | Miami (FL) | 4 | 4 | |
| 28 | Arizona State | 3 | 3 | |
| 28 | BYU | 3 | 3 | |
| 28 | Kansas | 3 | 3 | |
| 28 | Alabama | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | IUPUI | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | Kentucky | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | Michigan State | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | Northwestern | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | UCLA | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | Villanova | 2 | 2 | |
| 39 | Cincinnati | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Colorado State | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Duke | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Furman | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Nebraska | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Oregon State | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Penn State | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Purdue | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | South Carolina | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | Southern Illinois | 1 | 1 |
It’s fascinating how to heavy swimming has been since the 80’s. I wonder if preNCAA was the same for women?
Well, in the AIAW, ASU was very strong as they were, I think, the first school to give scholarships in ANY sport after Title IX. I think Peggy Tosdal was the first women’s athletic scholarship in history. If your school had scholarships, your school had the stars.
UVA has gotten so close to many more titles over the years and this year. I remember seeing them get a lot of 2nd place finishes the past 20 or so years.
Correction in article: Michigan is 1 event tile ahead of Virginia, not tied.
Michigan 13, Virginia 12.
When was the Furman title? I didn’t realize they ever had a swim team.
Angel Myers / Martino? I think she was married after college, but not sure.
Excuse us, Georgia. Comin’ through.
Looks like 10th with 18?