By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
We are halfway through the NCAA season, and with the new year starting a few days ago, we are taking a look at how the first-year NCAA head coaches are faring with their new programs, and how the teams look after midseason invites.
Stanford Women Transitioning Well After Meehan
The Stanford women had been led by Greg Meehan for 13 seasons, and he guided them to three-straight NCAA team titles. In April, he left the program after accepting the position as National Team Director for USA Swimming.
The Cardinal ended up hiring Chris Lindauer as the new women’s team head coach after he spent the three prior seasons at Notre Dame.
Last season saw the Stanford women finish 2nd at the NCAA Championships, and even with a new head coach they have not missed a beat. Torri Huske is leading the program, and currently holds the top times in the country in the 50 free and 100 fly and she set a personal best in the 400 IM in November.
Lucy Bell set a new personal best in the 100 breast, dipping under 58 seconds for the first time and her 200 breast was just off the time she swam last March to win the NCAA title.
Other swimmers who are at the top of their game include Caroline Bricker, Annam Olasewere, who swam entirely personal bests at midseason, and Emily Thompson, who had massive drops in the 400 IM and 500 free.
Gigi Johnson is also looking very good, setting personal bests in the 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly with her 100 fly time of 50.96 ranking her in the top 8 in the NCAA so far this season. She is also looking at invites in the 100 free and 200 free, and her 100 free swim of 47.57 puts her just outside scoring position at 17th in the country.
Stanford is the only team that seems like they have the potential to challenge UVA for the title, and Lindauer is stoking that flame well.
Jack Brown is Just What the Doctor Ordered for the Badgers
Wisconsin lost their former head coach Yuri Suguiyama after last season when he accepted a role with USA Swimming as National Senior Team Director and Coach. Suguiyama had spent seven years at the helm of the Badgers’ program, and they had seen unprecedented success, with six individual NCAA titles and the women finishing 12th at the 2025 NCAAs.
Dr. Jack Brown stepped into the position after spending five years as associate head coach at North Carolina. Since he arrived in Madison, the Badgers have been performing exceptionally well, even prompting a mid-meet article during the Texas Hall of Fame Invite about their improvements.
Sophomore Maggie Wanezek has been leading the charge for the team, starting with her massive 100 backstroke personal best of 49.95. This is the 4th fastest time in the country so far this season, and is a full second drop from her preseason best of 50.96. She also swam best times in the 200 free and 200 backstroke events. Her 200 backstroke ranks 2nd in the NCAA and was a two second drop from the 1:50.62 she swam last season.
Her sister Abby Wanezek is a senior and is well on her way to her first ever individual NCAA qualification. In the 100 free, she swam 47.69, which ranks 21st, and in the 200 free she swam 1:43.74, which currently ranks 24th in the country. Both swims were also significant drops.
It’s not just the women performing well. The men are also dropping time. Their only individual NCAA point scorer from last season Dominik Mark Torok swam a personal best in the 200 fly. Senior Ben Wiegand swam best times in the 100 breast and 50 free and is in the running for his own NCAA Invite.
Other men’s standouts include sophomore distance swimmer Yoav Romano, who swam personal best times in the 200 free and 1650 free and freshman Enzo Solitario, who went new best times in the 200 free, 500 free, and 200 fly, earning NCAA cuts in all three events.
In the 200 fly, Solitario dropped more than three seconds from his pre-college best of 1:45.04 to swim 1:41.69, which currently ranks 17th in the Division I rankings this season.
Rebuilding Season For Notre Dame
It is difficult and sort of unfair to compare the Notre Dame men’s team and new head coach Michael Norment on the same level we are looking at the other coaches. This is the Notre Dame men’s first year back after they were suspended for sports betting for the 2024-25 season. As a result of their suspension, a majority of the men’s team either left the program or quit swimming entirely, so most of their team is made up of freshmen.
Due to this, most of this review will be focused on the women’s program, who swam for Lindauer, but we will look at a few men at the end. Both teams won the Miami Invite in dominant fashion and are looking strong headed into the 2nd half of the year.
Sophomore Hollie Widdows was the highest point scorer on the women’s side, and she swam best times in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly. Her 100 free was also an NCAA cut and her time of 48.24 was only a tenth off last year’s invite time in the event.
Julieta Tracy also had a good meet, setting personal bests in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. She has dropped nearly three seconds in the 200 breaststroke this season from the 2:17.61 to touch in 2:14.87 she swam last January and was significantly faster than the 2:18.06 she swam at last year’s ACCs.
Most of the other women saw at least one personal best or were pretty close to their personal bests in other events.
Dillon Edge is one of the few senior men with the program still and he had a good meet at the WVU Invite. He swam personal best times in the 100 breast and 100 fly, but was off his bests in the 200 fly and 200 IM.
Just like the women, most of the remaining men saw at least one personal best time or were just off their lifetime bests.
Sophomore Shane Eckler is the top swimmer on the men’s side and he picked up NCAA cuts in the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free in all personal best times. He currently sits 28th in the 200 free which would have previously made him a bubble swimmer for an invite. With the new qualification process it is not clear where the cutline will fall.
Overall, the Notre Dame teams seem about on par with where they have been previously, but it is hard to make a clear determination with the situation surrounding their men’s program.
Mid-Major First Year Coaches
John Carroll, Georgetown — Carroll took over at Georgetown after last season, and the teams recently raced at the WVU Invitational, where both teams finished 3rd. The men had a few personal bests with sophomore Owen Watkins leading the way with top times in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly. The women’s team saw mostly season best times with a few personal bests mixed in. Freshman Lilla Connor went four personal best times in the 100 free, 200 free, 100 back, and 200 back, and most of the team went season best times. Matt Bosse, Niagara — Bosse was hired in July to head the Niagara program. At the Buffalo Invitational, the men finished 1st while the women came in 2nd behind Buffalo. On the women’s side there were not many personal bests at the meet, but sophomore Maddie Norton and senior Anna Brauer both saw multiple personal best swims. The men’s team saw more personal bests, particularly by the distance swimmers and backstrokers with most of the milers dropping at the meet. Cal State Bakersfield — The CSUB team has been through some turmoil over their coaching. After Chris Hansen retired in June after being placed on administrative leave, Eric Bugby was announced as the new head coach. In October, Bugby resigned from the position leaving only alumnus Ryan Brimer on the coaching staff. Brimer was ultimately named as the Interim Director of Swimming and Diving after the Roadrunners swam at their midseason meet, the NW Collegiate Invitational. At that meet, the women finished 4th and the men were 2nd. The women’s team saw about half personal best times. Freshmen Michelle Grabowski and Noa Hollebosch went entirely new personal best times. The men’s team set a number of pool and meet records at the competition with many swimming season best times. Karsten Eichler dropped in the 500 free, 1650 free, and 100 fly and was the only male swimmer to set all personal bests. Vili Sivec, the top swimmer on the team swam all season bests and earned an NCAA cut in the 100 free.Read the full story on SwimSwam: How Are Teams With First Year Head Coaches Performing Halfway Through the Season?
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