Maxine Parker has announced that she will return to Virginia to use her COVID-19 fifth year. Parker transferred to Virginia for her junior season and has been a key part of their sprint group for the last two years.
Parker made NCAAs as a freshman at Georgia, swimming in the ‘B’ final of both the 50 and 100 freestyles. As a sophomore, she earned an individual invite and swam in prelims of the 50 and 100 freestyles while swimming on four of Georgia’s relays.
She then transferred to Virginia for her junior and senior seasons. As a junior, she made three NCAA finals including the ‘A’ final in the 200 freestyle. She finished 5th in the 200 free, 10th in the 100 free, and 14th in the 50 free to score a total of 23.5 points. That made her the team’s fifth-highest individual scorer as they swam to another NCAA title.
Not only did Parker have an individual impact but she also helped the team’s 200 and 400 freestyle relays to NCAA titles. The team’s 400 free relay also swam American and NCAA records.
As a senior, Parker returned to help the team to another ACC title and also helped the team set the NCAA record in the 200 free relay at 2024 ACCs.
At 2024 NCAAs, Parker finished 7th in the 50 free in a personal best time of a 21.74. She also was 16th in the 100 free to score a total of 12.5 individual points. She also swam on four relays, helping the team to wins in the 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley, and 400 medley relays.
Parker also has experience at the international level as she most recently represented the US last summer at the 2023 World Championships. She swam in prelims on the women’s 4×100 free relay helping them to be seeded second heading into finals. The relay went on to win silver.
The return of Parker brings another core piece to the Virginia roster back this upcoming season as Alex Walsh already announced her return for her fifth year. The biggest name that has not announced their decision yet is Jasmine Nocentini.
The team will welcome the arrival of Claire Curzan who took an Olympic Redshirt this past season. In addition to Curzan, the team has numerous top 20 commits in the high school class of 2024 including #2 Leah Hayes, #7 Anna Moesch, #8 Katie Christopherson, #9 Bailey Hartman, and #15 Elise Clift.
Maxine Parker competed at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships with G. Walsh, T. Huske, C. Curzan, K. Dobler, L. Nordmann, C. Hook, R. Stege, to name a few.
It’s crazy that if Jasmine returns, Maxine could be left off all the relays. Depends how Claire’s freestyle is and how well Moesch does as a freshman.
2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships
Day 1
4 x 50 (SCY) medley relay
Curzan – Nocentini – G. Walsh – Parker
4 x 200 (SCY) freestyle relay
Canny – A. Walsh – see below
Pick two
Gormsen
Hayes
Moesch
Tiltmann
I think you flip flop curzan and Walsh – that 22.1 leadoff and all that open water is such a weapon.
Claire Curzan is better at backstroke than butterfly. Reference the results of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships for further details.
The results of 2024 Worlds have absolutely no impact on what leg of the MR Claire will swim.
If you’re referring to a LCM meet in Doha, I’m not sure how that relates to a SCY 4×50 relay…
Katharine Berkoff and Rhyan White have exhausted their collegiate eligibility. Regan Smith is not returning to the collegiate scene. Claire Curzan will be the top dog in the women’s 50 (SCY) backstroke and women’s 100 (SCY) backstroke during the 2024-2025 NCAA Season.
GW is clearly the top dog in both back and fly. There’s a simple math question regarding which stroke she has a bigger gap than Curzan. My point is that if the math is close – UVA might prefer her in the leadoff role. But let’s be honest – if this relay has GW, Jaz, Curzan (and anyone) — this is all an academic discussion in terms of who wins this relay
I think you have Gretchen Walsh coming back to that 800 free relay actually…
Yet, Todd DeSorbo did not do so this past season.
Yes, and they regretted not being able to land all 5 relay records … they will not let that opportunity go again …
Well, he did at ACCs, and Gretchen did Gretchen things. We won’t know until next spring because UVA hasn’t been doing much/any 800 free relay in season. There is so much top end versality, it may just come down to wanting to setting a record on day 1 vs sweeping all the relays comfortably. That’s just a matter of where do you put Gretchen since she can’t swim all of them. Seems as though a lot of times it boils down to what she is fired up about doing, and DeSorbo seems to like abiding that with her and the others as well.
I agree. She should do BOTH of the early relays. Take her off the 4×1 at the end of the meet.
or let’s try G Walsh on 4×200 and pick one, at ACC champs to go for ncaa record
That’s insane
Also, can someone give me the TLDR of how Nocentini has another year of eligibility left?
Here’s the explanation: https://staging.swimswam.com/how-does-ncaa-eligibility-work-vis-a-vis-redshirt-seasons-a-case-study/
The TLDR is she competed in the exact maximum number of meets during her injury season to allow her to redshirt it (30% of dates + 1).
It’s conceivable the University of Virginia place four swimmers in the Championship Final of the women’s 50 (SCY) freestyle:
Walsh, G.
Nocentini
Parker
Moesch
With AWalsh and Parker coming back (and maybe Nocentini too?) — and Curzan and that LOADED class incoming — chalk up #5 for the Hoos.
Call the engraver now:
2024-2025 NCAA Champions
University of Virginia
This meet might won’t be competitive until 2026 (maybe) when UVA loses the Walshes, Parker, Jaz — and Cal gets their big class.
The University of Virginia will be hit hard after the 2024-2025 NCAA Season.
Departures
Nocentini, J.
Parker, M.
Tiltmann, R.
Walsh, A.
Walsh, G.
Unless Katie Grimes decides to turn pro, Katie Grimes could singlehandedly determine the balance of power during the 2025-2026 NCAA Season.
Katie Grimes training with Bobby Finke and Katie Ledecky would be an opportunity of a lifetime at the University of Florida [chomp, chomp], whether as an amateur or a pro.
Sprinters have a heck of a lot more influence on the NCAA points table than distance swimmers