Virginia Wins Fifth Consecutive NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship

FEDERAL WAY, Wash.  – For the fifth consecutive season, Virginia won the team title at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington.

Virginia finished with a 127-point advantage over second-place Stanford to win its fifth-consecutive NCAA championship.

Virginia becomes just the third program to win five consecutive NCAA team titles in the sport and the first since 1996, joining Stanford (1992-96) and Texas (1984-88).

This is the 35th NCAA Championship won by a Cavalier athletics program. Women’s swimming and diving becomes the first UVA program to win five consecutive NCAA titles. Men’s soccer won four in a row (1991 to 1994).

Virginia won six individual events and four of the five relays at the championship, setting six NCAA and American records.

A total of five Cavaliers won gold. Senior Gretchen Walsh won seven. Sophomore Claire Curzan won five.

On the final day of the competition, Virginia won two individual events, both in NCAA and American-record times. Curzan won the 200 Back, breaking her own records with a 1:46.82. It was her second individual title of the meet after winning the 100 Back on the previous day. It is her second time winning the 200 Back as she took the title in 2023 while competing for Stanford.

Gretchen Walsh, in the final individual swim of her collegiate career, broke her own records in the 100 Free, posting a 44.71. It was her fourth career win in the 100 Free, becoming the 13^th swimmer ever to win the same event four times.

The Cavaliers closed out the meet with a victory in the 400 Free Relay.

The Cavaliers had six individual podium finishes on Saturday. In addition to the two golds, Alex Walsh took silver in the 200 Fly (1:49.88). Freshman Anna Moesch placed fourth in the 100 Free (46.94), sophomore Tess Howley was fourth in the 200 Fly (1:51.79) and junior Aimee Canny was seventh in the 200 Breast (2:07.41).

Alex and Gretchen Walsh finish their collegiate careers with nine individual event NCAA titles apiece, tied for fourth most all-time. They are two of seven swimmers ever to win nine or more individual titles.

The 400 Free Relay was the 16th NCAA relay title of Gretchen Walsh’s career. In her four years, she won all 16 relays she competed on. She finished her career with a total of 25 NCAA event titles.

Alex Walsh finished her career with 14 relay titles for a total of 23 NCAA titles.

From Head Coach Todd DeSorbo
“It was great. Obviously, we had a pretty big goal coming in. I always try to phrase it with them that let’s just try to beat our seed times. Or can we get to 500 points? That kind of thing. As you know, it was an overall successful meet. It’s never going to be perfect. It wasn’t perfect. Nobody, no team is ever perfect at this competition. But I was really pleased with how the entire week went. A lot of great surprises, a lot of fun swims. And it was just, it was been a long week, but it’s been fun.”

“I’ve got to give a shout out to five years ago when COVID canceled the national championship and that group of women just kind of set the benchmark. I’ve got to give them some gratitude because they kind of started this trend, and then these ladies took it over. It’s pretty amazing. In my opinion, this is the best dynasty in college sports, period.”

MEET NOTES

• Alex Walsh was a member of all five Cavalier championship teams and is the only swimmer ever to help lead five teams to NCAA titles
• Alex Walsh is also the only swimmer ever to win an individual title in five separate NCAA championships
• Claire Curzan is the first swimmer to win an individual NCAA event title for two different schools
• Claire Curzan, Anna Moesch, Alex Walsh and Gretchen Walsh posted a 3:06.01 in the 400 Free relay. Gretchen Walsh swam the anchor leg in what was her final collegiate race
• Moesch finishes her first NCAA Championship with three titles (200 & 400 Free Relays, 400 Medley Relay) and eight All-America honors including two in individual events (100 & 200 Free)
• This was Tess Howley’s second straight year earning All-America honors in the 200 Fly. Her mark (1:51.79) is the second fastest time in program history
• Sophomore Cavan Gormsen was 12^th in the 1650 Free (15:55.13) while freshman Katie Grimes was 13^th (15:56.31)
• Freshman Charlotte Wilson was 11^th in the 200 Back (1:51.28)
• Grad student Maxine Parker was 15^th in the 100 Free (47.95)
• Junior Emma Weber was 12^th in the 200 Breast (2:07.85)

Final Team Scores (Top 10)

1. Virginia, 544
2. Stanford, 417
3. Texas, 394
4. Indiana, 312
5. Tennessee, 298
6. Florida, 232
7. Louisville, 209.5
8. California, 202.5
9. Michigan, 196
10. NC State, 164

NCAA & American Records by Cavaliers at the 2025 NCAA Championship (6)
200 Medley Relay (1:31.10)
50 Freestyle – Gretchen Walsh 20.37 (ties previous mark)
100 Butterfly – Gretchen Walsh 47.21
100 Butterfly – Gretchen Walsh 46.97
200 Backstroke – Claire Curzan 1:46.82
100 Freestyle – Gretchen Walsh 44.71

Event Titles at the 2025 NCAA Championship (10)
50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 200 Back, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay

2025 NCAA Titles by Individual
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Claire Curzan – 100 Back, 200 Back, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Alex Walsh – 100 Breast, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Maxine Parker – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Anna Moesch – 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay

2025 All-America – First Team
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Alex Walsh – 100 Breast, 200 Fly, 200 IM, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Claire Curzan – 50 Free, 100 Back, 200 Back, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Katie Grimes – 400 IM, 500 Free, 800 Free Relay
Maxine Parker – 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay
Anna Moesch – 100 Free, 200 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Aimee Canny – 200 Breast, 800 Free Relay
Leah Hayes – 400 IM
Tess Howley – 200 Fly
Cavan Gormsen – 500 Free

2025 All-America Second Team
Emma Weber – 100 Breast, 200 Breast
Leah Hayes – 200 IM
Maxine Parker – 100 Free
Charlotte Wilson– 200 Back
Aimee Canny – 200 Free
Lizzy Kaye – 1M Diving
Cavan Gormsen – 1650 Free
Katie Grimes – 1650 Free

Swimmers in the A-Finals earn First Team All-America honors. Swimmers in the B-Finals are Second Team All-Americans