Texas women’s swimming has taken home the second-place trophy at the NCAA national championships for the past three seasons under head coach Carol Capitani, who has shaped the program into the best it has been in years.
However, the Longhorns have not won a national championship since 1991, and fans are eager for the program to return to the top step of the podium.
Post-Olympic seasons in any sport have a reputation for being sleeper seasons, but competing in a new conference under a new director will make for much-anticipated competition.
This is the first year under the new director of Swimming and Diving, Bob Bowman. Although the women’s team will continue to be headed by Capitani, Bowman will be heavily involved in the team.
Bowman boasts a legendary career, coaching Michael Phelps and later leading the Arizona State men’s program to its first national title. Bowman will be expected to recruit the top swimmers possible. He also brings an elite and invigorated training environment to Austin as professional athletes who train under him, such as Olympic medalists Léon Marchand and Regan Smith who will hit the pool alongside the Longhorns.
The Longhorns dominated during their time in the Big 12, winning the last 12 consecutive conference titles and a total of 22, but success on the national scale has yet to be seen.
The Southeastern Conference is considered a more competitive conference in swimming. Florida and Tennessee are expected to be the program’s biggest competitors, placed third and fourth respectively behind Texas in the NCAA finals.
Florida has retained the reigning 500-meter freestyle champion, sophomore Bella Sims, as well as every member, besides Isabel Ivey, of the 800-meter freestyle team who won the event last season. The Gators also enter the season as the reigning conference champions.
The most significant roster change for the Longhorns heading into the season is the loss of Lydia Jacoby, the 2020 Olympic champion. Jacoby announced on Sept. 4 that she decided to forgo her final two years of eligibility to pursue professional swimming. In her time competing as a Longhorn, Jacoby won the national championship in the 100-meter breast.
While the absence of Jacoby could leave a dent in the roster, the 2024-2025 team has depth and experience. Over half of the roster comprises upperclassmen, fifth-years or graduate students.
Notable returners include graduate student Emma Sticklen, who won back-to-back national championships in the 200-meter butterfly event, helping Texas secure the silver medal the past three years. Sticklen placed fourth in the same event at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Also returning to the team is sophomore Erin Gemmell, who broke out into stardom after winning the Olympic silver medal as a part of the women’s 4×200-meter relay team in Paris. She became the only person on the current roster to win an Olympic medal this summer. Boasting four Big 12 titles and an All-American honor, she is expected to make even more contributions to the program.
The Longhorns will open their season on Oct. 3 at a home invitational.
