With Grimes In, Can Virginia Match Stanford & Florida With 13 NCAA Occasion Wins at One Meet?

With the addition of Katie Grimes to the College of Virginia’s already-loaded roster this season, the Cavaliers picked up a possible 50-point NCAA scorer and one other leg for his or her 800 free relay as they march onward towards what appears to be one other inevitable NCAA workforce title.

Whereas the win appears in hand (barring a catastrophe), the larger questions on historic context nonetheless linger.

A fifth-straight title will match the run of the Stanford ladies from 1992-1996 because the most-dominant run in ladies’s NCAA Division I historical past. It is going to additionally match Auburn (who received 5 titles in six seasons within the 2000s) for fourth on the all-time listing amongst NCAA packages.

However there are even larger questions I believe are value asking.

For instance, can they match the report for many NCAA titles received by a workforce in a single season, which at the moment sits at 13 by the Florida ladies (within the 1982 and 1988 seasons) and the Stanford ladies (within the 1993 and 2018 seasons)?

The latest efficiency of that was a workforce that included each Katie Ledecky, and Simone Manuel, with an all-time nice faculty swimmer like Ella Eastin and an Olympian Brooke Forde serving as among the finest “third fiddles” the game has ever seen.

This Virginia workforce has that type of depth, however with the addition of Grimes, in addition they have that type of breadth. Their finest win outcomes to this point are 11 occasion titles in every of the final two seasons.

Profitable 13 occasions is not any small feat, particularly with out a diver more likely to win titles. Whereas Lizzie Kaye has introduced First Group All-America outcomes to Virginia diving and additional elevated them, it will be powerful for her to get previous Aranza Vazquez of UNC, amongst others, to win titles.

That may imply that Virginia would want to win 13 out of 18 swimming occasions to match the report.

If the Virginia coaches and athletes prioritize that objective, I believe it’s doable. However that will require, for instance, Alex Walsh to drop the 400 IM: an occasion by which she’s the three-time defending NCAA Champion. That may sound like a loopy suggestion anyplace else, however she dropped the 200 fly final yr because the defending runner-up.

However the extra doubtless state of affairs, for me, is that Katie Grimes does a day 4 double – once more, if the Cavaliers need to chase this piece of historical past. The ladies’s 1650 free and the 200 fly are relatively-far aside on the ultimate day schedule. A swimmer of Grimes’ caliber ought to be capable to do each. Whereas the 200 fly has some good swimmers in it (Emma Sticklen as a fifth yr, perhaps getting just a little Bob Bowman coaching in, may put up one thing particular), Grimes’ finest time of 1:52.28 from a lowkey Sectionals meet in December 2022 would put her 2nd amongst all returners.

In addition to inserting herself as a heavy favourite in two occasions the place Virginia had restricted title prospects, the five hundred free and 1650 free, she additionally provides them an excellent leg within the 800 free relay, which is the one relay that Virginia didn’t win at NCAAs final yr. They completed 4th in 6:51.41, virtually three seconds behind Florida.

Florida misplaced their #2 leg Isabel Ivey, whereas Virginia misplaced their #3 leg Ella Nelson. Relying on how the Cavaliers use their assets (like shifting Maxine Parker to the 800), Grimes’ better of 1:42.90 may very well be the difference-maker there. She’s a no-doubt leg for this relay, as she looks as if an unlikely alternative for Virginia’s 200 medley relay (except they get inventive for the backstroke leg?).

At any charge, after I run by means of the Virginia roster, I see 13 occasions the place the Cavaliers are favorites; after which a 200 fly the place there’s a wide selection to make, the 800 free relay, and Claire Curzan within the 200 again as the very best bets to interrupt the report.

Curzan, a switch from Stanford, additionally occupies an area the place Virginia in any other case is a longshot to win – although they’ve the nation’s finest 100 backstroker on their roster already in Gretchen Walsh, however she selected the 100 fly final season.

There are then three different occasions the place the Virginia ladies have an out of doors likelihood, however I wouldn’t guess on it. Within the 200 free, Aimee Canny must take out Grimes’ former membership teammate Bella Sims, amongst others. Within the 100 again, Reilly Tiltmann was solely twelfth at NCAAs final yr, however her finals time was simply .8 behind the highest returner Isabelle Stadden, and her finest time was sooner than Stadden’s runner-up swim. And within the 100 breast, Emma Weber will face a tricky discipline with the likes of Mona McSharry and Kaitlyn Dobler, however some issues cleared out with no Jasmine Nocentini, no Anna Elendt, and no Lydia Jacoby. After Weber made a shock U.S. Olympic Group in June, she’ll be driving an enormous wave of confidence going into her junior season.

I see the ceiling of this workforce as 17 wins, with a ground of 11 (if Bella Sims finds her footings at Florida as a sophomore, Grimes’ favourite standing is up for grabs).

Doable Virginia Wins, 2025 NCAA Championships

Previous 13-Win Performances

Notice that Florida’s 1982 13-win meet was with an additional occasion, the 100 IM, 50 again, 50 breast, and 50 fly included that weren’t out there at every other NCAA Championship meet other than 1983.