By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Our annual NCAA recruiting rankings return. This year, we’re opening things with our re-rank of the graduating high school seniors before we take a look at the top recruits in the current sophomore and junior classes.
As recruiting classes get closer to actual NCAA competition, we start to weigh certain factors more heavily: NCAA scoring times become more important, and we tend to value one or two standout events a bit more heavily (compared to a wide range of just decent events) than we would for a high school sophomore who has more time to develop across the board. Having already ranked this class about a year ago, we also get a clearer picture of momentum and trajectory: which recruits are continuing to drop time through their senior seasons, and which have stagnated.
You can look back on our original ranks for this class below, but do remember that those ranks are merely a snapshot in time – we didn’t have a working crystal ball then, nor do we now:
Ranks As Juniors (from July 2024) Ranks As Sophomores (from April 2023)THIS CLASS
Solid sprint freestyle class, though only a few top-tier pure sprinters. A lot of the best sprinters specialize elsewhere. Very strong mid-distance (200/500) freestyle class, though 1650 is lacking. Backstroke seems to be the discipline that has continued to get faster in the NCAA, and that shows itself with this class, though there are a lot of strong 200 swimmers. Out of the four strokes, backstroke is probably the weakest. Most of the top pure breaststrokers have stagnated, and some of the medley/all-around specialists have caught them on breast. Breaststroke depth has improved since last year. The top end of butterfly is very strong, but depth is lacking, especially in the 200. As you might expect, most of the top IMers are among the best in another discipline (or more), so not too many pure IMers. Most are strong in back and/or breast.TOP TIMES IN THE CLASS OF 2025
Event Swimmer Time 50 Free Julie Mishler 21.62 100 Free Lily King 47.31 200 Free Claire Weinstein 1:41.10 500 Free Claire Weinstein 4:29.38 1000 Free** Claire Weinstein 9:17.85 1650 Free Claire Weinstein 15:52.84 100 Back Teagan O’Dell 50.70 200 Back Teagan O’Dell 1:49.16 100 Breast Elle Scott 58.56 200 Breast Addie Robillard 2:07.75 100 Fly Alex Shackell 49.49 200 Fly Alex Shackell 1:50.15 200 IM Teagan O’Dell 1:52.61 400 IM Teagan O’Dell 4:05.22**The 1000 free isn’t an event at the Division I NCAA Championships, but is swum instead of the 1650 in many Division I dual meets and is part of the NCAA program in Division II.
THE METHODOLOGY
Our goal in these rankings is to reflect what college coaches look for in recruits, based on many years of conversations and coverage.
We focus only on American-based athletes, simply because there is so much uncertainty with international recruits – if they’ll come to the United States, when they’ll come to the States and with what graduating class they should be ranked. Projecting international recruits often becomes more of a discussion of when they’ll first join a college program and not which program they’ll join.
A few other factors that weigh heavily in our rankings:
Relay Value – Relay points count double in college swimming, and any program needs a strong stable of quality sprinters to fill out all 5 relays with stars. Obviously, a special distance swimmer can easily rank ahead of a very good 100 freestyler, but college swimming generally values a sprint freestyler over a distance swimmer, all other factors being equal. Improvements – Actual times carry the most weight by a long shot. But we also keep an eye on a swimmer’s trajectory, especially in deciding between two swimmers with relatively even times. Short Course over Long Course – while every club and every swimmer will have a different balance of focus between short course and long course swimming, the NCAA competes in short course yards, and that’s going to be the main factor considered in these rankings. Long course times are another data point for consideration, but we mainly view them through the lens of what a big long course swim could mean for an athlete’s future in short course. NCAA scoring ability – NCAAs are the big show for college teams, so we’ve weighted NCAA scoring potential very highly. Swimmers who already have NCAA scoring times wind up mostly filling out the top our of rankings. Since college athletic directors – and by extension coaches – also place high value on conference championships, scoring ability at conference meets is also a factor in our rankings. Relative depth in the NCAA and recruiting class – a wealth of elite depth nationwide in one stroke discipline makes a big difference in what times are considered more valuable in that event. Events rise at different rates in the NCAA, but when one event gets extremely deep and fast at the college level, it makes high school prospects in those events a little less valuable, relatively, with lots of other veteran options. In the same way, a recruiting class stacked with swimmers in butterfly, for example, would make each butterflyer a little less sought-after in the market, with lots of other recruiting options able to provide similar production.Of course, there’s no way to predict the future, and the most concrete data we have to go on are cold, hard times. These rankings in no way mean that all of these 20 swimmers will be NCAA standouts, and they certainly don’t mean that no swimmer left off this list will make big contributions at the NCAA level.
Disclaimer: there are a lot of high school seniors in the country, and no really good, complete, 100% accurate listing of them all. If you don’t see your favorite swimmer on the list, feel free to politely point them out in the comments. There’s a chance that we disagree with your assessment of their spot in the top 20, and so long as it’s done civilly, there’s no problem with differences of opinions. There’s also a chance that we’ve simply missed a no-brainer (we’ve taken every precaution to avoid that), and if that happens, we want to make sure we correct it.
BEST OF THE REST
In the Best of the Rest section, we outline a few standouts who didn’t quite crack the top 20 or an Honorable Mention spot.
Verbal commitments are listed where they’ve been reported. Each of these athletes is still an extremely high-level recruit:
Sprint free: Sophia Sunwoo (22.1/49.1/1:47.5, 54.1 BK, 53.8 FLY) **Princeton** Kamryn Meskill (22.3/48.6/1:48.0, 53.1 BK, 1:00.3 BR, 52.9 FLY, 1:58.7 IM) **UNC** KK LeBlanc (22.3/48.9/1:46.3, 53.3/1:56.1 BK, 53.3 FLY) **Ohio State** Lila Higgo (22.6/49.2, 52.7 BK, 1:59.5 IM) **Michigan** Isabella Dieffenthaller (22.9/49.1/1:45.6) **Brown** Heather White (22.6/48.9/1:47.6, 54.4 FLY) **Duke** Marin Clem (22.6/49.0, 54.7 BK) **Georgia** Sidney Arcella (22.9/49.0/1:46.4) **Duke** Distance free: Lexie Ward (1:47.6/4:46.3/16:14, 1:58.9 BK, 4:18 IM) **UNC** Andrea Dworak (49.4/1:46.5/4:46.5/16:49, 55.3/1:56.8 BK) **Wisconsin** Lily Gormsen (1:48.2/4:46.0/16:27.1) **Virginia** Clarke Neace (1:48.1/4:47.9/16:43, 1:58.8 BK) **Georgia** Kathleen Turano (4:51.3/16:41) **NC State** Adair Shaw (1:47.6/4:46.1/16:23, 1:58.0 FLY, 4:15 IM) **Ohio State** Backstroke: Zuri Ferguson (52.6/1:53.3, 23.5/50.9 FR) **Florida** Emily Hamill (53.1/1:53.8, 23.3/50.1/1:47.7/4:48.9) **Notre Dame** Sylvia Roy (52.5/1:56.4, 22.5/49.1 FR) **Virginia** Delaney Herr (52.4/1:55.8, 22.5/49.7 FR, 53.3 FLY) **Princeton** Tierney Lenahan (52.6/1:55.5, 22.7/48.5/1:49.5 FR, 54.9 FLY, 2:01.0 IM) **Duke** Gwyn Frick (53.1/1:54.0) **Liberty** Jade Garstang (53.0/1:57.1, 53.0 FLY, 2:02.4 IM) **NC State** Breaststroke: Samantha Armand (59.9/2:10.4, 1:58.4 IM, 23.3/50.9/1:50.3 FR) **UNC** Kaitlyn Nguyen (1:00.8/2:10.2, 1:58.8/4:14.3 IM, 1:48.8 FR) **USC** Molly Yacoviello (1:01.8/2:10.8, 1:58.5 FLY, 2:00.4/4:15.0 IM) **Wisconsin** Elizabeth Nawrocki (1:00.4/2:12.7, 2:01.6 IM) **Georgia** Roni Black (1:00.2/2:10.5, 2:01.0 IM) **San Diego State** Avery Collins (1:00.4/2:10.4, 1:59.3/4:14.0 IM, 1:50.0 FR) **Texas** Caroline Agee (1:01.8/2:10.3, 1:58.6/4:13.3 IM, 2:00.5 FLY) **Florida State** Brooke Corrigan (1:00.3/2:11.6, 23.0/49.9 FR, 2:01.6 IM) **Wisconsin** Butterfly: Ella Detter (53.5/1:56.4, 1:49.1 FR) **Stanford** Montserrat Spielmann (52.7/1:57.0, 23.2/49.9/1:46.3/4:44.8 FR) **Michigan** Tori Abruzzo (54.6/1:57.9, 53.4/1:55.3, 2:00.3/4:16 IM) **South Carolina** Becky Rentz (53.0/1:59.2, 22.6/48.6/1:45.7 FR) **Notre Dame** AnneMarie Vlaic (53.4/1:57.1) **SMU** Savannah Skow (52.9/1:58.1, 49.5/1:45.8 FR, 1:59.3 IM) **Princeton** Lily Archibald (53.0/1:59.8, 22.8/49.6/1:48.3 FR, 54.6 BK) **Rice** IM: Nicole Zettel (1:58.0/4:11.1, 50.9/1:47.5/4:45.5/16:48 FR, 54.8/1:57.6 BK, 54.2/1:58.2 FLY) **Tennessee** Izzy Beu (1:57.9, 53.2/1:58.0 FLY, 50.1/1:48.4 FR) **Georgia** Applejean Gwinn (1:58.1/4:12.8, 1:48.6/4:46.8/16:39 FR, 1:59.8 FLY) **UCLA** Ava Pape (2:00.5/4:13.4, 1:48.7/4:48.3/16:26 FR, 1:57.3 BK, 1:59.8 FLY) **Notre Dame** Sophie Segerson (1:57.8/4:16.1, 1:49.6 FR, 1:55.4 BK, 2:13.4 BR, 1:59.6 FLY) **Princeton** Alexa McDevitt (1:58.6/4:12.5, 50.2/1:45.9/4:46.6/16:46 FR, 2:12.6 BR) **Cal**HONORABLE MENTIONS
Paring the list down to 20 always feels like pulling teeth. This isn’t an exhaustive list of others we considered, but the top few left off the list who made the decisions on 18-20 very difficult.
Lynsey Bowen (Previous Rank: #14) – Carmel Swim Club – Carmel High School – Carmel, IN **Committed to Florida**
Best Times:
500 free: 4:39.51 200 free: 1:45.30 1650 free: 16:19.60 400 IM: 4:12.75 200 fly: 1:57.02 200 back: 1:58.61 100 free: 50.92 50 free: 23.71Bowen falls out of the top 20 after being ranked 14th last year due to the fact that she hasn’t lowered any of her best times over the last 12 months, but she remains a very valuable recruit for Florida. A 2023 World Junior Championship gold medalist in the 4×200 free relay, Bowen is versatile with a solid 200/500 free and 200/400 IM base, with an ability in the 1650 free that could pay dividends if she opts to train the mile in Gainesville. She has gone 1:45 in the 200 free in her sophomore and junior years of high school, and though she was only 1:47.89 this past season, she still won the IHSAA state title for Carmel. Her 500 free PB of 4:39.51 sits just four one-hundredths back of the NCAA cutline, and if she strays away from the mile, could also target the 200 fly (1:57.02) as a third event.
Sophia Umstead (Previous Rank: HM) – Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics – Jenison High School – Jenison, MI **Committed to Virginia**
Best Times:
200 IM: 1:57.50 100 fly: 53.35 100 breast: 1:00.22 200 breast: 2:11.18 400 IM: 4:16.04 200 free: 1:48.37Umstead remains an Honorable Mention recruit for the third straight year after a solid campaign that included winning Michigan D1 state titles in the 100 breast and 200 IM. Although she didn’t lower her best times in either of those events (or the 100 fly) this past season, she was close with a 1:57.69 clocking in the 200 IM at Winter Juniors – East in December and a 1:00.26 showing in the 100 breast towards the end of the short course season in March. The Virginia commit also dropped more than two seconds in the 200 breast, getting down to 2:11.18, and given the prowess of the Virginia women in that event, she should continue to see development there. Although she’s strong in the 100 fly and has shown promise in the 200 free and 400 IM, Umstead projects to have the 200 IM/100 breast/200 breast lineup in college.
Ella Jablonski (Previous Rank: HM) – Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club – Lakeside High School – Seattle, WA **Committed to Stanford**
Best Times:
100 fly: 52.05 100 back: 53.89 50 free: 22.70 100 free: 50.06 200 free: 1:48.88 200 back: 1:59.11 200 breast: 2:12.38 100 breast: 1:02.06 200 IM: 2:00.28Jablonski showed increased versatility in her senior year of high school, leveling up her breaststroke while coming within three one-hundredths of her 100 fly PB. The Stanford commit dropped four seconds in the 200 breast to get down to 2:12.38, and she also went 1:02-low in the 100 breast. It remains to be seen if breast will be a big part of her college program moving forward, as last year, she was looked at as more of a fly/free/back sprinter. She was 52.08 in the 100 fly last season, and that should remain her #1 event, while sub-23/sub-54 times in the 50 free and 100 back are also strong. Given her recent progression in breaststroke, we have to think she’ll consider putting more focus on the 200 IM, having set a best time of 2:00.28 this past January.
Liberty Clark (Previous Rank: NR) – Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks – Chico High School – Chico, CA **Committed to Indiana**
Best Times:
50 free: 22.30 100 free: 48.48 200 free: 1:45.76Clark continued to develop her sprint free prowess in 2024-25, dropping more than three-tenths in the 50 free and exactly half a second in the 100 free. Now owning best times of 22.30 and 48.48, Clark is part of the upper echelon of sprinters in this class, increasing her value to Indiana for the relays beginning next season, and her times are only three-tenths shy of the 2025 NCAA cutline. We’ve also seen her develop in the 200 free, down from 1:47.75 to 1:45.76, to give her a third high-quality event. At U.S. Nationals in early June, she reset her long course best times to place 19th in the 100 free (54.57) and 26th in the 200 free (2:00.84).
Amelia Mason (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Flatiron Athletic Club – Fairview High School – Boulder, CO **Committed to Tennessee**
Best Times:
200 free: 1:45.97 (1:45.62 altitude adjusted) 100 free: 48.89 50 free: 22.64 100 back: 53.39 100 fly: 53.80 (53.70 altitude adjusted) 200 IM: 2:01.89 400 IM: 4:17.23 200 fly: 2:00.10A Best of the Rest recruit last season, Mason had a phenomenal senior season, setting significant lifetime bests in the sprint free events and the 100 back. Mason dropped from 23.08 to 22.64 in the 50 free, 49.75 to 48.89 in the 100 free, and 1:46.82 to 1:45.97 in the 200 free last season, while in the 100 back, she lopped off nearly two seconds in 53.39. She’s also 53-point in the 100 fly, and brings a well-rounded skillset to a Tennessee team that’s done very well in developing sprinters. She could end up being a pure 50/100/200 freestyle swimmer at taper meets, but will likely also keep the 100 back and 100 fly in her repertoire.
Jada Duncan (Previous Rank: BOTR) – Sierra Marlins Swim Team – Whitney High School – Rocklin, CA **Committed to UCLA**
Best Times:
100 fly: 52.29 100 back: 53.14 50 free: 22.14 100 free: 48.71 200 free: 1:47.77 500 free: 4:48.83Duncan took another step forward last season with noteworthy drops in the 100 fly, 50 free and 100 free, knocking off nearly a half-second in the 50 (22.14) and cracking 50 for the first time in 48.71 in the 100 free. In the 100 fly, already her best event, she went from 52.51 to 52.29, within 1% of the NCAA cutline. In addition to bringing her 100 fly and sprint free prowess to the table, Duncan is also strong in the 100 back, though her 53.14 PB still remains from December 2022. Heading to UCLA, Duncan’s best time in the 50 free makes her the fastest swimmer on the roster in the event, meaning she’ll be leaned on for the free relays from the get-go.
TOP 20 SWIMMERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2025
20. Sarah Rodrigues (Previous Rank: HM) – North Jersey Bluestreaks YMCA – Wayne Valley High School – Wayne, NJ **Committed to Texas**
Best Times:
200 back: 1:51.14 100 back: 51.89 200 free: 1:46.56 200 IM: 1:58.49 100 fly: 53.18 100 free: 50.33 50 free: 23.01Rodrigues moved up to #2 in this class in the 200 back after dropping a time of 1:51.14 at Winter Juniors – East in December, cracking the top 25 all-time in the girls’ 17-18 age group. That swim is fast enough to earn a second swim at the NCAA Championships, making Rodrigues a potential scorer in her first season in Austin. Rodrigues also saw significant improvement last season in the 100 back, going from 52.54 to 51.89 to put her within striking distance of the NCAA cutline (51.68). The 200 IM, which wasn’t previously an event featured for the North Jersey Bluestreaks swimmer, is now likely part of her program moving forward, as she brought her PB down from 2:03.42 to 1:58.49 last season. She’s also got potential value on the 800 free relay with a 1:46.5 best time in the 200 free, and she also took a big leap last year in the 100 fly (54.21 to 53.18) to bolster dual meet value.
19. Annam Olasewere (Previous Rank: #20) – Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club – Staples High School – Westport, CT **Committed to Stanford**
Best Times:
50 free: 21.99 100 free: 48.36 200 free: 1:47.36 100 back: 55.73 100 fly: 55.57Olasewere has had an impressive 12 months since last year’s rankings, accruing some international experience at Junior Pan Pacs in August (winning a relay gold medal as a prelim swimmer) and then following up with a strong short course season, setting new bests in the 50 free (22.03) and 100 free (48.36) at Winter Juniors – East in December. At the Speedo Sectionals in Ithaca in late March, she took another step forward, becoming just the third member of this class to break 22 seconds in the 50 free with a 21.99 clocking. She also set best times in the 200 free, 500 free, 100 back and 100 fly in March, and is coming off a standout long course swim that flew under the radar at U.S. Nationals, clocking 24.62 to place 7th in the 50 free and rank 4th all-time in the girls’ 17-18 age group. In addition to being under the cutline and within a tenth of NCAA scoring range in the 50 free, she’ll also be a key addition to Stanford’s sprint relays, with both the 200 and 400 free teams losing one member from NCAAs.
18. Ella Cosgrove (Previous Rank: 19) – Scottsdale Aquatic Club – Catalina Foothills High School – Tucson, AZ **Committed to Cal**
Best Times:
500 free: 4:37.98 1000 free: 9:30.14 1650 free: 16:19.08 200 free: 1:45.07 100 free: 49.05 100 back: 54.34 200 back: 1:56.43 50 free: 23.05Outside of the 1650 free, which she didn’t race, and the 50 free, which she tied, Cosgrove improved her best times in all of her key events last season, headlined by her 500 free, which got into NCAA scoring range when she dropped a time of 4:37.98 at Winter Juniors – East. Cosgrove also dropped numerous times in the 200 free, going 1:45.39 at Winter Juniors and then setting a PB of 1:45.07 at the Austin Sectionals in March. At that same meet, she set a massive PB of 9:30.14 in the 1000 free, which, although it’s not a championship event, would’ve ranked in the top five in the NCAA last season. She’s also coming off setting lifetime bests in the 200 free (1:595.7), 400 free (4:11.64) and 800 free (8:35.72) in long course at the Canadian Swimming Trials, earning her a spot on the World Championship team.
A member of Cal’s stacked recruiting class, Cosgrove will have an incredible training partner in Claire Weinstein, as the two will instantly become the Bears’ top two 500 freestylers and will likely slot into the Bears’ 800 free relay (which could be 75% freshmen). Based on the success we’ve seen Cosgrove have in the 1000/LCM 800 free, it will be intriguing to see if she opts to race the 1650 free in college, as her 9:30 best time in the 1000 is on pace for something around 15:40 in the mile, which would’ve placed 3rd at NCAAs. If not, we could easily see her in the 200 back or 100 free, having raced both at the Canadian Trials in long course and set respective bests of 1:56.43 and 49.05 last season in yards.
17. Raya Mellott (Previous Rank #13) – Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks – San Ramon Valley High School – Danville, CA **Committed to Virginia**
Best Times:
100 breast: 59.53 200 breast: 2:09.53 200 IM: 2:00.63 400 IM: 4:19.59 100 free: 50.97 200 free: 1:49.90Mellott slides a bit in the rankings as her best times in all of the events listed above, outside of the 200 free, were set in 2023. Mellott was the fastest 100 breaststroker in the class in the summer of 2023 in the Way Too Early rankings, and two years later, she’s only dropped four one-hundredths. Still, she ranks 4th in the class in both the 100 breast (59.53) and 200 breast (2:09.53), and her time in the latter is under the 2025 NCAA cutline. Her fastest times this past season, however, come in at 1:00.55/2:10.32, so she’s a lot a bit of momentum, but the University of Virginia’s track record in developing breaststrokers is a strong one. The UVA women had five swimmers go sub-1:00 in the 100 breast last season, and three of them are returning, so there won’t be immediate pressure on Mellott to step in and be the go-to swimmer. She also came within a tenth of her best time last season in the 200 IM, which figures to be her third event in college.
16. Chloe Kim (Previous Rank: #18) – Scarlet Aquatic Club – Glen Rock, NJ **Committed to Princeton**
Best Times:
400 IM: 4:07.11 1650 free: 16:00.21 500 free: 4:42.33 1000 free: 9:42.69 200 fly: 1:56.19 100 fly: 53.48 200 IM: 1:59.30 200 back: 1:55.33 100 back: 54.37 200 free: 1:47.52 100 free: 51.42 50 free: 23.28Kim’s season was highlighted by what she did at Winter Juniors – East in December, winning the 500 free (4:42.33) and 1650 free (16:00.21) and placing 3rd in the 400 IM (4:07.11) with a trio of massive best times. The 400 IM performance marked her first time sub-4:10, lowering her month-old PB of 4:10.07, put her under the cut-off to score at the 2025 NCAAs (4:07.29), and moved her into 3rd in this class, only trailing the top two recruits, Teagan O’Dell and Alex Shackell. She also dropped more than three seconds in the 500 free and 16 in the 1650, giving her a pretty clear three-event lineup for the NCAA postseason. Headed to Princeton, her best times would’ve placed 2nd in the 400 IM and the mile, and 3rd in the 500 free, at the 2025 Ivy League Championships, so she’ll be an immediate game-changer for the Tigers. Her versatility is also exceptional, particularly in the 200 fly (1:56.19) and 200 back (1:55.33), where her best times are within 1% and 2%, respectively, of the NCAA cutline and would’ve finished in the top four at Ivies.
15. Bella Brito (Previous Rank: #16) – Beach Cities Swimming – Santa Monica, CA **Committed to USC**
Best Times:
100 breast: 59.09 200 breast: 2:08.72 200 IM: 1:56.80 50 free: 22.39 100 free: 48.55 200 free: 1:46.48 100 fly: 53.19 100 back: 55.62Brito is another swimmer who made big time drops in her senior year of high school, going from 1:00.0/2:10.1 to 59.0/2:08.7 in the breaststrokes, putting her comfortably under the NCAA cutline and very close to ‘B’ final scoring range (58.9/2:08.5). She also improved from 1:58.1 to 1:56.8 in the 200 IM, putting her within a tenth of the cutline and in the top seven of the class in the event. Brito has the rare ability of being an elite breaststroker who is also in the upper echelon in sprint free, owning bests of 22.39, 48.55 and 1:46.48 in the 50/100/200 to make her a valuable relay asset for USC. She could even opt to race the 50 free instead of the 200 IM, given she’s among the top dozen in the class in the 50, though she probably has a clearer path to being a scorer in the medley event.
14. Alana Berlin (Previous Rank: #15) – Schroeder YMCA Swim Team – Schroeder YMCA Swim Team **Committed to Stanford**
Best Times:
100 back: 51.33 100 fly: 51.46 200 IM: 1:57.54 100 free: 49.04 50 free: 22.68 200 back: 1:57.03 100 breast: 1:01.23 200 free: 1:47.55Berlin is a swimmer who will likely tackle the 100 fly/100 back double in the NCAA postseason, given those are her two best events with PBs under 51.5 in both, under the NCAA cutline and within striking distance of the scoring threshold (51.68 in 100 back, 51.87 in 100 fly last season). Berlin won the 100 fly (51.46) and was the runner-up in the 100 back (51.48) at Winter Juniors – West, setting new bests in both, and then re-lowered her 100 back PB in early April at YMCA Nats in 51.33. Behind those two events, the 200 IM has arguably emerged as her clear #3 event, dropping more than two seconds last season in 1:57.54, within a second of the cutline. The Stanford commit is incredibly versatile, as her best times in the 50 free (22.68) and 100 free (49.04) make her a potential relay contributor for the Cardinal in the near future, not to mention some of her career-best relay splits really standout, particularly in the 50 free (21.56), 50 back lead-off (23.71), and 50 fly (22.47).
13. Addie Robillard (Previous Rank: #12) – Mason Manta Rays – Saint Ursula High School – Mason, OH **Committed to Stanford**
Best Times:
200 breast: 2:07.75 (best in class) 100 breast: 59.33 400 IM: 4:13.55 200 IM: 1:58.72 200 free: 1:49.48 100 free: 51.11 50 free: 23.67Robillard maintains the distinction of being the top 200 breaststroker in the class after dropping a lifetime best of 2:07.75 in the final at Winter Juniors – East, beating Elle Scott, the class’ 2nd-fastest in the event, head-to-head. That’s an elite time for an incoming freshman, as Robillard’s PB is just 15 one-hundredths shy of what it took to make the ‘A’ final at NCAAs last season. She didn’t drop time in the 100 breast (59.77), 200 IM (1:59.66) or 400 IM (4:16.01) last season, and was overtaken by Scott and Bella Brito after previously being #1 in the class in the 100 breast. Still, Robillard is under the NCAA cutline in the 100 breast, and will have a chance to work with reigning 200 breast NCAA champion Lucy Bell and 100 breast consolation finalist Lucy Bell at Stanford next year.
12. Elle Scott (Previous Rank: #9) – SwimMAC Carolina – Charlotte Country Day School – Charlotte, NC **Committed to Cal**
Best Times:
100 breast: 58.56 (best in class) 200 breast: 2:08.62 200 IM: 1:56.25 400 IM: 4:14.57 100 fly: 52.41 200 free: 1:46.94 100 free: 49.23 50 free: 22.92 100 back: 54.28Scott rocketed to the top of the class in the 100 breast last season, putting up three sub-59 swims after coming in with a PB of 59.54. She clocked 58.94 in November, and then after winning Winter Juniors – East in 59.13, blasted a time of 58.56 in the prelims of the NCISAA D1 State Championships before winning the final in 58.93. That 58.56 clocking not only puts her atop the class as the lone swimmer sub-59, but puts her within 26 one-hundredths of making the NCAA ‘A’ final, with three swimmers from last year’s top eight graduating. Scott also knocked her 200 breast best time down from 2:10.04 to 2:08.62, within a tenth of NCAA scoring range, and in the 200 IM, she matched her PB to the hundredth last season in 1:56.25, which remains under the cutline. She’s also strong in the 50, 100 and 200 free for relay purposes, and has a sneaky-good 100 fly at 52.41. For medley relays, Cal will be in good hands after she threw down a 26.74 50 breast leg at Winter Juniors – East.
11. Julie Mishler (Previous Rank: 17) – Fishers Area Swimming Tigers – Wawasee High School – Milford, IN **Committed to Louisville**
Best Times:
50 free: 21.62 (best in class) 100 free: 47.58 100 back: 51.87 200 back: 1:53.26 100 fly: 54.38 200 free: 1:50.55Mishler took another big step last season, adding an elite 100 free to her repertoire after previously being more of a pure 50 freestyler with a solid 100 back. After jumping into the top 20 last year when she broke 22 in the 50 free in 21.85, Mishler dropped all the way down to 21.62 at Winter Juniors – East, winning the title and moving to #1 in the class and 7th all-time in the 17-18 age group. In the 100 free, she completely skipped the 48s, dropping her best time from 49.46 to 47.86 at the IHSAA State Championships in February before getting down to 47.58 in late March, making her the fourth-fastest swimmer in the class and under the NCAA scoring threshold (47.88). The Louisville commit also showed impressive progress in the backstroke events, getting her 200 time (1:53.26) under the cutline and her 100 back PB (51.87) within two tenths of an invite. She’s also been 24.40 in the 50 back, which makes her a candidate to take over medley relay lead-off duties for the graduating Abby Karl.
10. Kennedi Dobson (Previous Rank: #10) – Eastern Express Swim Team – Levittown, PA **Committed to Georgia**
Best Times:
200 free: 1:44.07 500 free: 4:36.87 1650 free: 16:02.56 100 free: 48.92 50 free: 22.69 200 back: 1:53.82 100 back: 52.92 200 IM: 1:57.38 400 IM: 4:11.70 200 fly: 1:59.18 100 fly: 54.48While most members of this class were competing at the Winter Junior Championships last December, Dobson was dominating the U.S. Open Championships in Greensboro, winning four events and setting five lifetime bests. She moved into NCAA ‘A’ final territory after a seismic seven-second drop in the 500 free (4:36.87), ‘B’ final range with a one-second drop in the 200 free (1:44.07), and went seven seconds under the NCAA cutline with a big swim in the 1650 free (16:02.56). She also improved by a significant margin in the 100/200 back and 200/400 IM, and is solid with 22.6/48.9 sprint free times, making her a potential relay contributor. In an NCAA Championship meet, the 200/500/1650 free lineup is the most likely route. Dobson heads to Georgia at the perfect time, with the distance free trio of Rachel Stege, Abby McCulloh and Dune Coetzee all graduating last season. Dobson is also coming off a solid showing at U.S. Nationals in long course, finishing between 11th and 16th in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 free.
9. Lilla Bognar (Previous Rank: #7) – Team Greenville – Eastside High School – Travelers Rest, SC **Committed to Florida**
Best Times:
400 IM: 4:05.50 200 IM: 1:57.61 200 back: 1:53.29 100 back: 53.28 200 free 1:46.38 500 free: 4:45.39 1650 free: 16:39.34 200 fly: 1:58.15Bognar hasn’t raced at all in 2025, and hasn’t improved her stock in terms of lowering her best times in short course yards, but has accrued some more international experience since the last edition of the rankings. After an impressive showing at last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials, placing 3rd in the 400 IM and 7th in the 200 IM, Bognar represented the U.S. at Junior Pan Pacs, winning gold in the 400 IM and claiming silver in the 200 IM. She was then named to the U.S. team for the 2024 Short Course World Championships, placing 11th in the 400 IM and winning gold after swimming a prelim leg on the women’s 4×200 free relay. It’s unknown where Bognar’s level is currently at in her best event, the 400 IM, in short course yards. Her best time of 4:05.50 is within 65 one-hundredths of being NCAA ‘A’ final worthy, but it was set in March 2022 when she was just 15. She also hasn’t broken 4:10 since March of 2023, but her 4:37.8 swim in long course indicates she’s capable of something quick, probably under the 4:04.85 NCAA ‘A’ final cutoff. She lowered her LC 200 IM best time down to 2:11.77 at Junior Pan Pacs last August, and was 1:57.61 in SCY last March, within a second of the NCAA cutline. Her third event will likely be the 200 back, owning a very solid best time of 1:53.29 from way back in 2022. However, she really impressed in LC at the Olympic Trials, clocking 2:09.51 to finish 9th overall. She could also fill in one of the vacant spots on Florida’s 800 free relay with a 1:46.3 best time in the 200 free.
8. Lily King (Previous Rank: #11)– Mount Pleasant Aqua Club – Mount Pleasant Area Jr/Sr High School – Latrobe, PA **Committed to NC State**
Best Times:
100 free: 47.31 (best in class) 200 free: 1:44.62 50 free: 22.07 100 back: 54.57 200 IM: 2:00.95King moves into the top 10 of the rankings after becoming the class’ fastest swimmer in the most valuable event in college swimming, the 100 free. King first cracked 48 seconds at the end of February, clocking 47.65, and then two weeks later at the PIAA 2A State Championships, she ripped a time of 47.31 to overtake Alex Shackell (47.44) as the top swimmer in the class and move into NCAA ‘A’ final territory. At that same meet, King posted a pair of mind-boggling relay splits, anchoring the 200 medley relay in 21.12 and the 400 free relay in 46.40—only three splits in the 400 free relay at NCAAs were faster than 46.40, and in the 200 medley relay, only four teams had an anchor quicker than 21.12. From a flat start, in addition to her 100 free, King also made strides in the 50 free (22.07) and 200 free (1:44.62) last season, getting under the NCAA cutline in the 200 and coming within a few one-hundredths in the 50. NC State will return all of its 200 and 400 free relays last season, but King will take over one of those spots, forming a formidable trio with rising sophomores Leah Shackley, Erika Pelaez and Lily Christianson for the next three years.
7. Haley McDonald (Previous Rank: #5) – Lakeside Swim Team – Sacred Heart Academy – Louisville, KY **Committed to Texas**
Best Times:
200 back: 1:52.74 200 IM: 1:55.90 100 back: 53.17 400 IM: 4:12.26 200 free: 1:46.47 100 free: 49.64 50 free: 22.89 200 breast: 2:11.86 100 breast: 1:02.03 500 free: 4:48.37 100 fly: 54.36Due to injury, McDonald took more than 10 months off from racing and missed the 2024 Olympic Trials, and therefore hasn’t improved her short course best times since last year’s rankings. The Texas commit has been rounding back into form since resuming competition in January, including going 2:12.1 in the 200 back and 2:15.2 in the 200 IM (LCM) at U.S. Nationals in early June. She’s only raced in two yards meets in the last 15 months, but was still solid at the Speedo Southern Premier at the end of February (only a month and a half into her return to compeition), going 49.9/1:47.1/4:48.9 in the 100/200/500 free, 54.1/1:55.2 in the 100/200 back, and 1:56.6 in the 200 IM. Already under the NCAA cutline and within scoring range in the 200 back and 200 IM, those will be her top two events in college, while her third race could realistically be the 200 free, 100 back or 400 IM on Day 3 of NCAAs. Texas is in good shape in the 400 IM for the next two seasons with Campbell Stoll, Campbell Chase and Angie Coe, and McDonald joining that elite training group could be a big benefit. The 400 IM was one of the three races she opted to contest at LC Nationals in June, so she’s not she’s straying away from it.
6. Grace Rabb (Previous Rank: #6) – Longhorn Aquatics – Dripping Springs High School – Austin, TX **Committed to Florida**
Best Times:
200 back: 1:52.13 200 IM: 1:55.64 100 back: 52.09 200 breast: 2:09.98 100 breast: 59.90 100 fly: 52.84 400 IM: 4:11.55 50 free: 23.33 100 free: 50.72 200 free: 1:49.57Rabb is a very similar swimmer to McDonald, with the 200 back and 200 IM being her top races, with a wealth of versatility across the board behind them. Rabb’s best times in her three best events—100 back, 200 back and 200 IM—were all set in December 2023, but she was still 1:55.81 in the 200 IM this past season, while her backstroke times came in at 52.78/1:53.96. Amidst moving to Longhorn Aquatics from the Aquajets Swim Team in Minnesota, Rabb also set lifetime bests in the 100 breast (59.90), 200 breast (2:09.98) and 400 IM (4:11.55) this past season while coming within six one-hundredths of her PB (52.84) in the 100 fly (52.90). Headed to Florida, known for its prowess in developing 400 IMers, that could very well be the third event Rabb adds to her championship program, along with the 200 IM and 200 back. Her versatility is truly some of the best in the class, as in addition to her 200 back and 200 IM being under it, she’s within 1% of the NCAA cutline in the 100 back, 100 breast, 200 breast and 400 IM, and within 2% in the 100 fly.
5. Annie Jia (Previous Rank: #8) – Upper Dublin Aquatic Club – Hatboro Horsham Sr High School – Ambler, PA **Committed to Cal**
Best Times:
100 fly: 50.35 100 free: 48.07 200 free: 1:45.79 50 free: 22.05 200 IM: 1:57.70 200 fly: 1:56.12 100 back: 53.07 100 breast: 1:01.69Jia jumps up into the top five in the class re-rank after an explosive senior year that was highlighted by her busting through the 51-second barrier in the 100 fly. At Winter Juniors – East, she brought her best time down from 51.09 to 50.35, placing a close 2nd to Charlotte Crush while solidifying herself as the 2nd-fastest in the class behind Alex Shackell. The swim also puts her nearly seven-tenths under what it took to make the top eight at NCAAs last season (51.02), and would’ve placed 5th in the 2025 final. Jia backed that swim up by going 51.01 one week later and then 50.65 in mid-March. Jia also leveled up with additional lifetime bests in the 50 free (22.05), 100 free (48.07), 100 back (53.07) and 200 IM (1:57.70) at Winter Juniors, while the following week at the UD Cardinal Classic, she set a best of 1:45.79 in the 200 free. In terms of piecing together an NCAA schedule, it’s 100 fly, 100 free, and then either the 50 free or 200 IM for Jia, but of equal importance is the value she’ll bring to Cal’s relays—which is only amplified with Alex Shackell reneging on her commitment and heading to Indiana. Jia will be a key piece on the Bears’ relays throughout her career, and she’ll be a welcome addition on the fly leg of the medley relays this year.
4. Madi Mintenko (Previous Rank: #4) – Pikes Peak Athletics – Pine Creek High School – Colorado Springs, CO **Committed to Virginia**
Best Times:
500 free: 4:36.66 200 free: 1:43.20 (1:42.00 altitude adjusted) 100 free: 47.47 50 free: 22.06 100 back: 51.58 200 back: 1:54.02 1650 free: 16:19.47 1000 free: 9:54.74 100 fly: 51.50 200 fly: 1:55.87 200 IM: 1:56.36Mintenko is rumored to be already training at the University of Virginia, having declined a spot on the U.S. World Junior Championship team, and she’ll be a key piece for the Cavaliers this season as they transition into the post-Walsh era. Mintenko has seen marked improvement since she was ranked 4th last year, dropping time in the 50-500 free while bringing her backstroke, butterfly and medley times up to an elite level. The 200 and 500 free are still her bread and butter, as she got down to 4:36.66 (from 4:39.24) in the 500 last season to rank 2nd in the class and get under the NCAA ‘A’ final cut-off (4:37.01). One of the most decorated swimmers in Colorado high school history, Minenko also went 1:43.20 in the 200 free at altitude (1:42-flat adjusted) to get under the NCAA ‘A’ final threshold, and she also took a big step in the 100 free, going from 48.02 to 47.47 to become one of just three swimmers in the class under 47.5. Previously looked at as more of a pure freestyler, Mintenko now has times under the NCAA cutline in the 100 back (51.58), 100 fly (51.50) and 200 IM (1:56.36) as well, plus respectable clockings of 22.06 in the 50 free, 1:54.02 in the 200 back and 1:55.87 in the 200 fly. She’ll most likely be swimming nothing but freestyle in her NCAA Championship career, but her versatility gives her immense value in other meets throughout the year.
3. Claire Weinstein (Previous Rank: #3) – Sandpipers of Nevada – Las Vegas, NV **Committed to Cal**
Best Times:
200 free: 1:41.10 (best in class) 500 free: 4:29.38 (best in class) 1000 free: 9:17.85 (best in class) 1650 free: 15:52.84 (best in class) [15:51.64 altitude adjusted] 100 free: 47.95 50 free: 23.00 400 IM: 4:07.72 200 IM: 1:58.70 200 fly: 1:58.63 100 fly: 53.91 200 back: 1:57.60 100 breast: 1:00.53After an incredible performance at U.S. Nationals, it’s tough to leave Weinstein at #3 in these rankings, but as a distance freestyler, her value is somewhat limited due to the precedence placed on sprinting in the NCAA Championship format. However, Weinstein will have a very good chance of sweeping the 200, 500 and 1650 free throughout her NCAA career. Her lifetime best in the 500 free (4:29.38) would’ve won the NCAA title last season and makes her the fastest swimmer in the class by a whopping seven seconds, while her 200 free best of 1:41.10 would’ve placed 4th in the tight 2025 NCAA ‘A’ final. In the 1650 free, her personal best of 15:52.84 was set all the way back in December 2021, but it still would’ve been 10th at the NCAA Championships and makes her the only swimmer sub-16 in the class. However, after dropping times of 8:19.67 in the 800 free and 16:01.96 in the 1500 free in the long course pool at U.S. Nationals, the Sandpipers of Nevada star is likely capable of pushing for a top finish at NCAAs—she did beat the 2025 NCAA champion in the mile, Jillian Cox, head-to-head at Nationals. Weinstein is also starting to show an improved 100 free, making the ‘A’ final at Nationals and clocking 53.72, while in short course, she cracked 48 seconds in 47.95, so she’ll be able to be relied upon on Cal’s 400 free relay moving forward.
2. Teagan O’Dell (Previous Rank: #2) – Mission Viejo Nadadores – Santa Margarita Catholic High School – Chino Hills, CA **Committed to Cal**
Best Times:
100 back: 50.70 (best in class) 200 back: 1:49.16 (best in class) 200 IM: 1:52.61 (best in class) 400 IM: 4:05.22 (best in class) 200 free: 1:42.27 100 free: 47.74 50 free: 22.14 500 free: 4:39.29 100 breast: 59.73 200 breast: 2:10.69 100 fly: 51.99 200 fly: 1:57.32O’Dell is the fastest swimmer in the class in four events and owns times quick enough for the NCAA ‘A’ final in three. She is capable of making the top eight right now in the 200 free (1:42.27), 200 back (1:49.16) and 200 IM (1:52.61), and also leads the class in the 100 back (50.70) and 400 IM (4:05.22). In the 2024-25 short course season, O’Dell made noted improvements in all of her primary events outside of the 400 IM, including a near two-second drop in the 200 back, nearly a second drop in the 200 IM, a full second drop in the 200 free, and dropping half a second to become a sub-48 swimmer in the 100 free. In addition to being one of the top point-scorers at NCAAs, likely with the 200 IM, 100 back and 200 back on her schedule, she’ll also be a key relay player. Not only is she solid in the 50 free (22.14), strong in the 100 free and elite in the 200 free and 100 back, her 50 back is sneaky good as well, having been as fast as 24.08 in yards and having been a finalist at the 2023 World Juniors in the event in long course. To top things off, she could realistically swim just about any event at a dual meet and win, with times in the 500 free, 100/200 breast and 100/200 fly that rival some of this class’ single stroke specialists.
1. Alex Shackell (Previous Rank: #1) – Carmel Swim Club – Carmel High School – Carmel, IN **Committed to Indiana**
Best Times:
100 fly: 49.49 (best in class) 200 fly: 1:50.15 (best in class) 50 free: 21.71 100 free: 47.44 200 free: 1:42.28 200 IM: 1:54.54 400 IM: 4:06.20 100 back: 51.63 500 free: 4:40.16 200 back: 1:53.00Although Shackell didn’t improve in the majority of short course events over the last year, she remains the #1 recruit in the class due to her high-end ability in fly, elite times in the sprint free events for relay purposes, and additional versatility in backstroke and IM. Shackell should be able to step in and win the 200 fly right away with the graduation of Emma Sticklen and Alex Walsh, and the only swimmer who beats her on paper in the 100 fly is Torri Huske. For a third event, Shackell is likely looking at the 50 free, though her 200 IM best from back in 2022 isn’t too far off ‘A’ final range. In the 50, she’s been as fast as 21.71, which is eight one-hundredths shy of the ‘A’ final cutoff and was set in her last time racing it tapered in yards in December 2023. Her abilities in the 100 and 200 free and back, and the 200 and 400 IM, help push her to the #1 ranking. Her 200 free is ‘A’ final worthy (1:42.28), she’s fast enough in the 100 free (47.44), 200 IM (1:54.54) and 400 IM (4:06.20) to make the ‘B’ final, while her 100 and 200 back times are both under the cutline. Qualifying for NCAAs in one event is no small feat, and Shackell is fast enough to do so in nine events, and she’s not far off in a 10th (500 free). We also can’t forget about the relays, where Shackell really solidifies herself as the top recruit with elite times in all three freestyle distances to go along with what she can do in the 50 and 100 fly. In the 50 fly, she’s split as fast as 22.31 on the 200 medley relay, which is knocking on the door of cracking the top-25 splits in history and is faster than all but two splits (Gretchen Walsh, Phoebe Bacon) at the 2025 NCAAs.
Since last year’s rankings, Shackell has won two relay medals (one gold) at the Olympics, made an individual Olympic final, and added four relay medals (two gold) at Short Course Worlds.
BONUS LOOKBACK:
Feeling nostalgic? Here’s a look back at our historic recruiting class rankings, plus our retrospectives of those classes after four NCAA seasons:
Girls Recruiting Class High School Class of 2027 High School Class of 2026 Way Too Early Rank As Sophomores High School Class of 2025 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2024 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2023 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks As Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2022 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors High School Class of 2021 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2020 Way Too Early Ranks As Sophomores Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2019 Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2018 Ranks as Juniors Re-Rank As Seniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2017 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2016 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2015 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2014 Ranks as Juniors Post-college retrospective High School Class of 2013 Ranks as JuniorsRead the full story on SwimSwam: Re-Rank: Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits In The Girls’ High School Class of 2025
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