Five-time All American Anna-Julia Kutsch has retired from competitive swimming ahead of her senior year at the University of Tennessee.
Kutsch transferred to Tennessee last year as a junior and earned three silver medals at the 2022 SEC Championships in the 50 freestyle, 200 free relay, and 200 medley relay. Her best 50 free time of 21.60 ranks as the third-fastest in program history.
Before arriving in Knoxville, Kutsch spent two seasons at Auburn. At the 2020 SEC Championships, the sprint specialist swam the third leg on the 200 free relay team that won a conference title while setting SEC and school records along the way. She also placed seventh overall in the 50 free (22.20) at SECs as a freshman.
But in December of 2020, she had to quit practicing with the team for health-related reasons. The next month, Kutsch quit the team after Auburn discontinued her stipend.
That experience, she told SwimSwam, was “difficult to overcome” despite the best efforts of those at Tennessee.
“At Tennessee I met phenomenal coaches and had one more successful year of swimming,” Kutsch said. “What happened at my previous program was difficult to overcome and I do not think that anyone could have done more for me as an athlete and person than the coaches at Tennessee. I am forever grateful for my time to Tennessee. I will be finishing my senior year here.
“It was just my time to step away from the sport and I have been really happy with my decision!”
Prior to starting at Auburn, Kutsch was an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 50-meter free (25.94).
It’s sad to hear people rip on Auburn as if it’s still happening. The coaches there now are great. The swimmers are happy and getting faster (check out the USC invite results). And the drama is gone!
Recruits take note. I feel like this particular program of kindness and culture is overlooked in a shortsighted manner for “the buzzy programs” that VFL mentions. Tennessee sports are on the rise, on all fronts, including swim and dive. Come to Knoxville and see what’s up. GBO!
I’m sure Matt is very nice to his swimmers. But until he has a better sales-pitch than punting on NCAAs every year, they’re not going to get over the hump.
The elite 5-star recruits just aren’t going to respond to a plan to peak at SECs every year.
He can be nice and still plan his season around peaking at NCAAs, can’t he? To me that sounds like a title-winning strategy. Vols should give it a shot.
Also, why do you assume that Todd DeSorbo isn’t kind to his athletes? Because they win Olympic medals?
I don’t believe anyone has anything to say poorly about UVA in the comment above but by count Tennessee and Virginia won the same number of Olympic medals this past summer.
Both programs operating well
LOL, nice gaslighting. Did I ever mention Todd? I didn’t mention anyone. Just saying young minds ought to be open to the swim universe and go where the culture is right for them, not go somewhere because that’s where the buzz is, whatever that buzz is. Does anyone know how many kids transfer from Tennessee versus into Tennessee over the last decade? A serious question.
But bless your little heart. You did an excellent job in hurling a bunch of insults at Matt Kredich, a terrific human being who is obviously making a wonderful difference in young adult lives well past their 4 years of the grind. Oh yeah, in an article about a swimmer who left a bad culture… Read more »
All best wishes for the future. You are young, intelligent and self aware. Do what is best for you, tough decisions come up in life. Congratulations on making the right decision for you.
All the best to AJ! Huge factor in Tennessee’s second ever SEC title. Such a big time talent and loved watching her anchor our relays last season.
For all the horror stories coming from pool decks these days, I’ve never heard a rumbling of negativity about Matt and I’m so glad we have him leading this program. I know UT might not be a buzzy as UVA or Stanford or Texas, but the amount of athletes who have stayed for their fifth years or as pros, transferred in, or come to train post college speaks to the culture he’s built and the relationships he has with his athletes. #GBO
So glad the momentum at auburn is finally coming around. So sorry to hear what the prior staff has done to her as well as many others
Agree. On the flip side of this though…perhaps AJ going public with her complaints about Auburn helped put into motion the decisions needed to fix the program. In that scenario, you have thank her for being so open about it. I hate that her time on the plains may still be affecting her—I don’t want that for any student athlete.
Matt K runs a great program. Best wishes to AJ
The amount of athletes that have retired from Anna-Julia’s class at Auburn is sad. It’s so sad to see the long term effects of what those coaches did to those athletes.
what happened there?
Gary Taylor would bully and harass swimmers. He created a horrible culture at the expense of his student athletes
“Bully and harass”?? Care to share any examples?
Boo to Auburn.