Michigan All-American Sophie Housey Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

University of Michigan All-American swimmer Sophie Housey has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Housey swam at Michigan for two years and earned All-America honors as a freshman in 2021.

That means she will have at least two years of eligibility remaining, with a third possible if she elects to take advantage of the NCAA waiver for athletes who competed in the COVID-stricken 2020-2021 season.

At the 2021 NCAA Championships, Housey swam the leadoff leg on Michigan’s 10th-place 800 free relay (1:45.45), plus the third leg on their 8th-place 400 free relay (49.00). She also picked up individual points for the Wolverines, tying for 14th place in the 200 free (1:45.74).

Housey says that injuries presented new challenges during her sophomore season.

“Within the first month of school, I had an internal health scare,” she told SwimSwam. “I got very sick.

“I then sprained my shoulder and was unable to swim with both arms for several weeks. An unexpected family death happened in the midst of rehabbing my shoulder, which led to a further stretch out of the pool.”

Housey says she then got the flu which caused her to lose 15 pounds, and her training was inconsistent throughout the spring semester.

“Once I was back in the pool, it was extremely hard to regain the strength and weight that was lost,” Housey said. “Out of my control, all of these factors were detrimental to my performance this season.”

Housey swam in just three meets for the Wolverines as a sophomore: a tri meet against Wisconsin and Minnesota, and a dual meet against Ohio State, in January, plus the Big Ten Championships.

Housey says that she was fully healthy by Big Tens, and in spite of those hurdles that impacted her training, she still scored 26 individual points for Michigan. That included high finishes of 15th in both the 200 free and 200 backstroke. While her 200 free was short of her best time, she did manage to drop about 7-tenths in the 200 backstroke:

Time Progression, Primary Events:

Other Personal Bests:

• 100 free – 49.91 (January 2020 – club invite)
• 500 free – 4:55.59 (January 2021 – tri meet)
• 100 back – 54.84 (December 2021 – pre-season quad)
• 100 fly – 54.81 (January 2020 – club invite)
• 200 IM – 1:59.32 (2018 – NCSA Junior Nationals)
• 400 IM – 4:15.58 (2018 – NCSA Junior Nationals)

Housey says that she appreciates the support from Michigan during the “lows of (her) career,” and that there were many factors that went into her decision to transfer, though she declined to go into specifics.

“I have never fully wanted to leave Michigan, though I believe that this is the right decision for me at this point in my life.”

Housey is originally from Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, which is less than 50 miles from Ann Arbor.

House is one of a number of Michigan men and women who have entered the transfer portal and/or announced a decision to transfer this season. Also within the last week, Greta Gidley, who wasn’t able to match her high school best times in a semester of racing at Michigan, entered her name in the portal.

Others include Maggie MacNeil (Cal transfer), Olympian Jake Mitchell, All-American River Wright, and All-American Danny Berlitz (West Virginia transfer).

Also entering the portal this season are Victoria Kwan (September) and Alexandra Klein (August), plus 5 other members of the men’s team.