The MIT women’s swimming and diving squad secured the first national title for the program, surging ahead of New York University by overcoming a 20-point disadvantage as the Engineers achieved a total of 497 points during the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving National Championships, organized by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference from March 19-22 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.   

MIT approached the competition as the leading team in the nation. In total, MIT secured three individual national championships and four relay titles. The head coach, Meg Sisson French, was honored with the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America Women’s Swim Coach of the Year award. 

During the first day of the championships, the 400 Medley Relay team, consisting of senior Kate Augustyn (Eau Claire, Wisconsin), freshman Sarah Bernard (Brookline, Massachusetts), sophomore Sydney Smith (Atlanta, Georgia), and graduate student Alexandra Turvey (Vancouver, British Columbia) finished first in 3:38.48, narrowly surpassing the NYU team by 0.8 seconds and establishing a new school record. 

Highlights from day 2 featured Smith achieving a victorious time of 53.96 in the 100 fly, outpacing Nicole Ranile from NYU by less than a second. The 200 freestyle relay squad, comprised of Turvey, Smith, sophomore Ella Roberson (Midland, Michigan) and junior Annika Naveen (Wynnewood, Pennsylvania), triumphed over Pomona-Pitzer as Naveen secured the title, delivering a national record time of 1:30.00. 

MIT commenced day 3 by clinching another national title in the 200 medley relay. Augustyn initiated the event, followed by Bernard and Naveen. Ella Roberson sealed the victory for MIT with her anchor leg in 22.02, resulting in a total time of 1:39.51. Roberson successfully fended off a late challenge from Kenyon College, which finished second with a time of 1:40.26, while the Engineers recorded yet another national record. Augustyn subsequently defended her title in the 100 backstroke, timing in at 53.41, equaling her own national record. 

The concluding day of competition witnessed MIT surpass NYU with two additional national titles. In the 200 backstroke, Augustyn maintained the lead for most of the race; however, Sophia Verkleeren from Williams College caught up with the defending champion in the final half of the event. With only 25 yards remaining, Augustyn pulled ahead to conquer Verkleeren with a time of 1:55.85, shaving nearly 2 seconds off her preliminary time and just missing the national record of 1:55.67. This victory brought the Engineers within one point of NYU for the lead. 

The Engineers secured the overall national title by claiming their fourth relay victory of the championships, outpacing the NYU team. Turvey initiated the race strong, followed by Smith and Augustyn. Roberson, swimming the anchor leg, staved off Kaley McIntyre from NYU, who had previously set the national record in the 100 freestyle, ensuring MIT’s win with a time of 3:19.03 as the Violets took second in 3:19.36.   

Augustyn successfully defended her title in the 200 backstroke, achieving a sweep of the National Championship in both the 100 and 200 backstroke in successive years. She wraps up her career as one of the most celebrated swimmers in the program’s history, accumulating four individual national titles, four relay national championships, and 27 all-America honors, the highest in the program’s history.