By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
NCAA Champion Bella Sims has entered the transfer portal after finishing her sophomore season with the Florida Gators. She has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining and is entered with a “do not contact” note in the portal.
In February 2024, Sims captured SEC titles in the 200 back, 200 fly, and 200 IM. She also helped the team’s 200 free, 400 free, and 800 free relays to SEC titles while the 400 medley finished 2nd.
Sims changed her individual event lineup for 2024 NCAAs and won NCAA titles in the 500 free and 200 free as a freshman at the 2024 NCAA Championships. She also was 2nd in the 200 backstroke behind Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon. In addition to her individual NCAA titles, she helped Florida’s 800 free relay to a win leading off in a 1:41.03.
This past season, Sims also had a different lineup at SECs compared to NCAAs. She swam the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM at SECs winning the backstroke events while she was 3rd in the 200 IM. She swapped the 200 IM for the 500 free at NCAAs in hopes of defending her title.
At the 2025 NCAA Championships, Sims helped the 800 free relay to a 3rd place finish on night 1. That relay was the team’s highest finish on the week. On day 2, she missed making the final in the 500 free as she was 17th in prelims. She bounced back and finished 2nd in the 100 and 200 backstrokes to finish the meet.
Time Progression
Pre-Florida Freshman Sophomore 100 free 47.16 47.01 46.53 200 free 1:40.78 1:40.90 1:42.55 500 free 4:28.64 4:32.47 4:31.06 100 back 50.53 50.02 48.97 200 back 1:48.32 1:48.47 1:47.11 200 fly 1:51.06 1:51.45 1:53.11 200 IM 1:52.73 1:51.86 1:53.63 400 IM 3:56.59 4:01.47 4:00.44Sims has seen progress in numerous events since arriving at Florida. She was the #1 ranked recruit in the class and held the fastest time in 10 out of 14 events for the high school class of 2023, showing her versatility.
Her 500 free best time of a 4:28.64 from high school makes her the #4 performer all-time. She also is the #3 performer all-time in the 100 back, #2 performer in the 200 back, and #5 performer in the 400 IM.
She has represented the US at the international level on numerous occasions. She made the 2020(1) US Olympic roster in Tokyo after finishing 5th in the 200 free at US Trials. That earned her a spot in prelims of the 4×200 free relay that went on to win silver in finals. A year later, Sims swam at the 2022 World Championships and had a key 1:54.60 anchor leg to secure gold for the US women’s 4×200 free relay.
Sims competed at 2023 Worlds at both the individual and relay level. She was finished 6th in the 200 free and 8th in the 400 free. She also swam in prelims of the mixed 4×100 free relay that went on to win silver and in finals of the women’s 4×200 free relay that won silver.
Entering the transfer portal does not require a student-athlete to transfer rather it allows for the student-athlete to discuss with other coaches about the possibility of transferring. On rare occasions, the student-athlete returns to their original school.
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