At Long Last, Katie Grimes, #1 Recruit in the Class of 2024, Makes Her College Decision

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Katie Grimes, the biggest recruiting chip on the table this fall after a deferred decision on college swimming, has chosen to join the dynasty at the University of Virginia for her collegiate swimming career. She will join the Cavaliers in their hunt for a 5th consecutive NCAA title for the spring semester this season, which makes the already-favored Cavalier women a near-lock to win in March.

Posing with a late 1969 Virginia-orange Corvette Stingray in the Nevada desert, Grimes teased with a mostly-obscured University of Virginia shirt and a caption of “Hoo’s ready,” referencing the nickname for Virginia’s student body and athletic teams. This seems to be a subtle teaser for the proper announcement that’s expected on Thursday morning.

Grimes, 18, is the #1 recruit in the class of 2024, but didn’t make a college decision before the Olympic Games in Paris. She was reportedly still making campus visits earlier this semester before finally landing on the Cavaliers.

The two-time Olympian will join her Team USA teammates Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, Emma Weber, and post-grad Kate Douglass in Charlottesville. Grimes was the youngest member of the 2020 US Olympic Team at 15, placing 4th in the 800 free.

In Paris, she won silver in the 400 IM and was 10th in the 1500 free. She also swam the open water 10km race, finishing 15th.

While she comes from a Sandpipers of Nevada program that is focused on long course and international competition, she had the top times in the class of 2024 in six different events: the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free, 1650 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

One of the most versatile American juniors in history, virtually every event is a plausible contribution for her at Virginia – save for maybe the breaststrokes. But even there, turning talented non-breaststrokers into breaststrokers is a calling card for the Virginia women.

Best Times in Yards/Meters:

	SCY	LCM
50 free	23.42	26.92
100 free	49.66	56.53
200 free	1:42.90	1:57.19
400/500 free	4:28.27	4:05.18
800/1000 free	9:22.11 (split)	8:17.05
1500/1650 free	15:26.17	15:44.89
100 back	52.89	1:01.39
200 back	1:50.56	2:07.72
100 breast	1:04.86	1:15.36
200 breast	2:14.87	2:41.16
100 fly	52.63	59.85
200 fly	1:52.28	2:08.70
200 IM	1:55.33	2:12.66
400 IM	3:57.02	4:31.41

Her best times in the 500 and 1650 frees, two events where the NCAA field has been relatively-week the last few seasons, would have won last year’s titles; her 400 IM would have been 2nd behind only her future teammate Alex Walsh.

Grimes is worth conservatively 50 points to a team that won last year’s NCAA title by 86.5 points last season. The Cavaliers lost 92 points from that team via the graduations of Jasmine Nocentini and Ella Nelson, plus another 13 from Abby Harter, but otherwise return mostly in-tact. They also add Claire Curzan as a transfer, another former #1 recruit, plus World Championship medalist Leah Hayes, and a pile of other top-flight newcomers.

If there was any doubt about the Cavaliers’ ability to win another title this season (and with #2 Texas facing losses from last season, there wasn’t much), this commitment all-but-wipes that away.

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