Virginia Men Announce Mind-Blowing 2025 Recruiting Class Led by Heilman & Williamson

Virginia Drops Recruiting Bombshell: The Virginia Cavaliers figure to have one of the best men's programs in a few years' time, as the team revealed a stunning recruiting class for 2025 led by Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson. Also: Kaylee McKeown sets two world records at the World Cup finale as she wins the overall series title alongside Qin Haiyang, Regan Smith obliterates the 200 fly American Record (SCY), and a recap of the Pan Am Games through the first three days. VIRGINIA SECURES COMMITMENTS FROM #1 HEILMAN, #2 WILLIAMSON +++ After teasing a major announcement on social media for a few days, the University of Virginia revealed five commitments to its men's 2025 recruiting class on Saturday, led by two of the biggest junior stars in the country, Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson. Heilman, the #1 ranked recruit in the class, is coming off a breakout summer in the long course pool that saw him win gold on the U.S. men's 400 medley relay at the World Championships and tie for fourth individually in the 200 fly. In short course, he's the fastest swimmer in the class in the 50 free (19.63), 100 fly (44.67), 200 fly (1:40.86) and 200 IM (1:41.71). * Read more on Heilman's commitment. Williamson, the #2 ranked recruit in the class, was a revelation at last month's World Junior Championships in Netanya, winning six gold and seven total medals including setting a new NAG record in the 100 free and moving to #2 all-time in the 200 IM in the boys' 17-18 age group just days after his 17th birthday. Williamson is the fastest swimmer in the class in the 100 free (42.49), 200 free (1:33.07), 500 free (4:16.84), 100 back (46.90), 200 back (1:40.88) and 400 IM (3:39.83). * Read more on Williamson's commitment. Both swimmers have broken age group records previously held by Michael Phelps, leading to a ton of intrigue regarding their future and what they might be capable of both in the NCAA and on the international stage. The Cavaliers also announced the addition of #8 Thomas Mercer, #12 Josh Howat, and Grant Murphy to their 2025 class, putting the men's team in position to eventually vie for a national title—something the women's program will be looking to do for the fourth straight time this season. * Read more on Mercer's commitment. * Read more on Howat's commitment. * Read more on Murphy's commitment. MCKEOWN WRAPS DOMINANT WORLD CUP WITH TWO BACKSTROKE WORLD RECORDS The three-leg World Aquatics Swimming World Cup came to a close on Sunday in Budapest, with Kaylee McKeown and Qin Haiyang concluding dominant series performances by finishing off their third straight sweep in their specialty strokes. McKeown swept the women's backstroke events in style, setting new world records in the 50 back (26.86) and 100 back (57.33) before closing things out with a World Cup Record in the 200 back (2:04.81). In the 50 back, McKeown joined China's Liu Xiang as the only women ever under the 27-second barrier, breaking Liu's previous world record of 26.98 set in 2018. McKeown lowered her own record of 57.45 from 2021 in the 100 back. Qin rolled to his third consecutive sweep in the men's breaststroke events, topping the field in the 50 breast (26.30), 100 breast (57.82) and 200 breast (2:07.32), resetting his World Cup Record in the latter that he established at the first stop in Berlin (2:07.45). McKeown and Qin ran away with the overall series titles, earning them $100,000 apiece to go along with the $36,000 they secured by winning each of the three legs ($12,000 per leg) and the $30,000 they earned for picking up three Triple Crown bonuses for winning the same race at all three stops ($10,000 per event). With her two world record swims added on, McKeown led the way with $186,000 in winnings, while Qin was the top male earner at $166,000. Overall World Cup Series Standings Women 1. Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 177.4 points 2. Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 166.4 points 3. Zhang Yufei (CHN), 166.2 points Men 1. Qin Haiyang (CHN), 175.4 points 2. Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 167.9 points 3. Matt Sates (RSA), 166.8 points See a full scoring and prize money breakdown from the series here. U.S. LEADS MEDAL TABLE THROUGH THREE DAYS AT PAN AM GAMES The United States leads all nations with 13 gold and 32 total medals through the first three days of swimming at the 2023 Pan American Games, with two days of competition remaining in the pool in Santiago, Chile. Ten different Americans have won individual gold thus far, led by Jake Foster (men's 100 and 200 breast) and Paige Madden (women's 400 and 800 free) with two apiece. Madden's time of 4:06.45 in the 400 free marked a new Games Record, while her 8:27.99 showing in the 800 was a sizeable best time. Also winning two individual events over the first three days of racing was Brazilian Guilherme Costa in the men's 400 free (3:46.79) and 800 free (7:53.01), and Canadian Maggie MacNeil in the women's 100 free (53.14) and 100 fly (56.94), with all four of those swims marking new Games Records. We've also seen new Pan Am Games Records from Jack Aikins in the men's 200 back (1:56.58) and Kennedy Noble in the women's 200 back (2:08.03), along with the Brazilian mixed 400 free relay (3:23.78) and the American mixed 400 medley relay (3:44.71). Both mixed relays are being contested at the Games for just the second time, having debuted in 2019. You can follow along with Tuesday's finals session live here. REGAN SMITH SHATTERS ALL-TIME RECORD IN SCY 200 FLY BY OVER A SECOND Regan Smith absolutely obliterated the U.S. Open and American Record in the women's 200 fly (SCY) during Arizona State's dual with NC State on Friday, swimming on her own in an exhibition heat en route to a scintillating time of 1:48.33. Smith's swim knocked well over a second off of the previous record of 1:49.51, established by Ella Eastin at the 2018 Pac-12 Championships. Smith's previous best time of 1:49.78 ranked her #2 all-time, and Elaine Breeden (1:49.92) and Emma Sticklen (1:49.95) are the only others to have ever been sub-1:50. Split Comparison Smith, New Record (2023) Eastin, Old Record (2018) 24.75 25.27 27.60 (52.35) 28.24 (53.51) 28.18 (1:20.53) 27.87 (1:21.38) 27.80 (1:48.33) 28.13 (1:49.51) * See the race video here. This performance comes after Smith broke the super-suited American Record in the long course 200 fly this past June in a time of 2:03.87, ultimately winning bronze in the event at the 2023 World Championships. In the dual meet itself, Jack Dolan led the ASU men to victory over NC State, while the Wolfpack women topped the Sun Devils. QUICK HITS * Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart reportedly stopped providing funding directly to Swimming Australia—instead supporting athletes directly—due to late payments being made by the national governing body. * That news came after a leaked report showed Swimming Australia covered up the harrowing findings of an investigation into the organization's treatment of women and girls. * North Carolina’s Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) has been chosen as the domestic training site for the U.S. Olympic swimming team next summer before the squad heads to Paris in July. * A group of 37 Boston College swimmers have filed a civil lawsuit against the university seeking to lift an indefinite suspension that was handed down in September after allegations of hazing came to light. * Kate Douglass and Claire Curzan suited up for a LCM 200 on Friday during practice at Virginia, with both clocking 2:07s as Douglass did IM and Curzan swam backstroke. * Michael Phelps did his iconic pre-race arm flap before throwing out the first pitch at Game 5 of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks—see the video here. * Some of the major recruiting commitments from the last week, not including the five Virginia men: * Girls' 2025 #4 Madi Mintenko to Virginia * Girls' 2025 #5 Lilla Bognar to Florida * Girls' 2025 #11 Lilly King to NC State * Girls' 2025 #16 Grace Rabb to Florida * Girls' 2025 #17 Haley McDonald to Texas * Girls' 2025 #20 Emily Hamill to Georgia * Girls' 2025 Sydney Wilson, daughter of Janet Evans, to Princeton * Boys' 2025 #16 Luke Bedsole to Auburn ONE DAY, FOUR TOP 20, FIVE COMMITS, WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED FOR THE VIRGINIA MEN By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam The Virginia men had five commitment announcements today, with four of them in our top 20 recruits, including #1 Heilman and #2 Williamson. Read the full story on SwimSwam: One Day, Four Top 20, Five Commits, What. Just. Happened for the Virginia Men Read More → - MCKEOWN, QIN RUN AWAY WITH WORLD CUP TITLES TO SECURE MASSIVE PAYDAYS By Laura Rosado on SwimSwam Kaylee McKeown completed her World Cup run with two new world records, the women's overall series title, and $186,000 in winnings to lead all swimmers. Read the full story on SwimSwam: McKeown, Qin Run Away With World Cup Titles To Secure Massive Paydays Read More → - KAYLEE MCKEOWN BREAKS 2ND WORLD RECORD IN 24 HOURS WITH 57.33 100 BACK IN BUDAPEST By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Kaylee McKeown has earned $40,000 in bonuses the past couple days by breaking a pair of world records and securing two triple crowns along the way. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kaylee McKeown Breaks 2nd World Record in 24 Hours With 57.33 100 Back in Budapest Read More → - REGAN SMITH DOWNS US OPEN, AMERICAN RECORD IN 200Y FLY WITH 1:48.33 By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam As we've become accustomed to seeing, the ASU pros were swimming time trials during the ASU/NCS dual. This included Regan Smith diving in for a 200y fly Read the full story on SwimSwam: Regan Smith Downs US Open, American Record in 200y Fly with 1:48.33 Read More → - BILLIONAIRE REPORTEDLY CUT OFF SUPPORT TO SWIMMING AUSTRALIA DUE TO LATE ATHLETE PAYMENTS By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Swimming Australia's sponsorship revenue reportedly fell from about $10 million to $3 million after the loss of billionaire Gina Rinehart as a benefactor. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Billionaire Reportedly Cut Off Support to Swimming Australia Due to Late Athlete Payments Read More → - BOSTON COLLEGE SWIMMERS FILE LAWSUIT OVER INDEFINITE HAZING SUSPENSION By Riley Overend on SwimSwam BC swimmers have filed a civil lawsuit against the university seeking to lift a suspension that they say was handed down prematurely in September. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Boston College Swimmers File Lawsuit Over Indefinite Hazing Suspension Read More → - Twitter Facebook Instagram Website