Alabama Women's Swimming Aims for Top 12 with Veteran Core
The Alabama women's swimming and diving team, ranked 11th at the 2026 NCAA Championships, is relying on key veterans to maintain its position in the
The University of Alabama women's swimming and diving team will depend on its returning veterans to stay within the national top 12 for the 2026-27 collegiate season. This follows an 11th-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships, where the Crimson Tide scored 100.5 points, a four-spot improvement from the previous year.
Cadence Vincent, who will be a senior, leads the returning group after scoring 14.5 individual NCAA points last season. Emily Jones, returning for a fifth year, added 11 points. The team lost significant scoring from graduated swimmers Tessa Giele, Mackenzie Brandt, Charlotte Rosendale, and Ella Jones, who combined for points across multiple individual events and relays.
Sprint Free Outlook
Cadence Vincent anchors the sprint freestyle group. She placed 7th in the 100-yard freestyle (46.87) and 14th in the 50 free (21.66) at the 2026 NCAAs. Her season-best 50 free time was 21.58. Vincent also swam a 1:44.19 in the 200 free, just off the NCAA cutline. Missouri transfer Zara Zallen joins the team with lifetime bests of 47.87 in the 100 free and 1:46.02 in the 200 free.
Distance and Backstroke Groups
The distance free group lost its top two performers and is considered a question mark. Tennessee transfer Avery Luedke brings a lifetime best of 4:48.42 in the 500 free and 16:30.28 in the 1650 free, but these times are outside recent NCAA qualifying standards. Sophomore Lolly Milbaum has a lifetime best of 16:25.32 in the mile.
Emily Jones returns as the standout in backstroke. She finished 8th in the 100 backstroke at NCAAs with a prelims time of 50.47. Jones has also qualified for NCAAs in the 200 back the past two seasons but has not swum the event at the national meet. Ella Menear is the team's second-fastest returning backstroker.
Breaststroke and Butterfly
Breaststroke is another area needing development following the graduation of Charlotte Rosendale. Senior Jada Scott returns with a season-best of 59.80 in the 100 breast. Transfer Zara Zallen is the top incoming breaststroker, having swum 59.41 last November. Sydney Sanders is the top returning 200 breaststroker with a time of 2:12.46.
The butterfly group must replace Tessa Giele's scoring. Victoria Raymond and Gaby Van Brunt are key returners. Van Brunt qualified for NCAAs in the 100 fly last season, finishing 34th. Raymond placed 25th nationally in the 200 fly. The team also adds freshman Emma Bronson, a top-rated recruit in butterfly.
Grading the Roster
SwimSwam's preview uses a star-rating system to project team strengths. The publication graded Alabama's event groups as follows:
| Event Group | Star Rating | Projected Points per Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint Free | ★★★ | 5-14 |
| Distance Free | ★ | 0 |
| Backstroke | ★★½ | 1-4 |
| Breaststroke | ★ | 0 |
| Butterfly | ★★ | 1-4 |
The grades are based heavily on last season's performances and times that would have scored at the 2026 NCAA meet. The report notes the assessments are made before finalized rosters are posted and may be updated. The preview does not include athletes who graduated after exhausting eligibility, despite ongoing lawsuits regarding the NCAA's "Five-for-Five" rule.
At the SEC Championships last season, Jones, Vincent, and Giele were the highest individual scorers. The team scored in four of its five relays at NCAAs, with its best finish being 8th in the 200 medley relay. The 800 free relay did not score.
