UVA Freshmen Dominate in Exhibition Meet Against Navy to Start Season Strong

By Charlotte Wells on SwimSwam

UVA vs. Navy

• September 27, 2025
• Lejeune Hall – Annapolis, MD
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

The UVA Cavaliers showed off their talent in the pool on Saturday, throwing down a number of top swims and winning all but three events as they kicked off the 2025-2026 season with a non-scored exhibition meet against the U.S. Naval Academy.

While there were no official team scores for the meet, all individual times still counted. The meet also featured unofficial events like 150 distances of all four strokes.

Women’s Recap

The Virginia women swept the competition in the swimming events, with UVA’s newcomers making a splash in their collegiate debut. The freshmen contributed five individual victories over the course of the competition.

Sara Curtis, a rising star from Italy who broke the Italian record in the 50-meter free at the World Championships over the summer, made some noise right from the start by leading off the 200 free relay on the Cavaliers’ ‘A’ squad in a showstopping time of 21.97. Her opening split marks the 10th-fastest time in UVA history. Curtis was joined by Melissa Nwakalor (21.96), Sylvia Roy (22.56) and Bryn Greenwaldt (21.13), with all four women notably wearing tech suits.

Curtis went on to win the 50 fly (24.17) and 150 back (1:24.57), making it clear she will be a strong contributor for UVA this season. Freshman teammate Madi Mintenko also drew some attention, winning the 150 free (1:17.16) and 200 IM (2:00.30).

Lily Gormsen was the only other freshman girl to win an individual event, getting her hand on the wall first in the 500 free. She stopped the clock in 4:48.71, just over 2.5 seconds off of her lifetime best.

Senior Aimee Canny posted back-to-back victories, prevailing in the 50 breast (27.68) and 150 fly (1:24.36).

The Mids also turned in a handful of strong performances at the meet. Freshman Addy Herl was Navy’s top performer in the 50 fly, finishing 5th (25.58) and adding .34 to her lifetime best.

Senior Lauren Walsh was the runner-up in the 150 breast (1:38.08). Walsh also finished 5th in the 50 breast (28.93), and was Navy’s highest-placing swimmer in both distances on Saturday.

Navy freshman Kaitlyn Landers took 3rd in the 150 free (1:21.05) behind Greenwaldt; Landers kept close pace behind Greenwaldt throughout the race, trailing by just .02 at the 100-yard mark and splitting 53.03.

Men’s Recap 

The Midshipmen managed to put up a stronger defense against the Cavaliers on the men’s side, as UVA won eight events while Navy won three races.

The Mids picked up an early victory in the 200 free relay thanks to the team of Ben Denman-Grimm, Gavin Green, Evan McKelvey and Dean Jones, who posted an overall time of 1:19.84.

That race saw some added excitement as Navy’s ‘A’ relay and UVA’s ‘A’ relay tied for 2nd, with both teams touching in 1:20.62.

Virginia’s freshmen again turned in dominant performances in their collegiate debut, snagging four event victories between them.

Maximus Williamson logged three individual event wins, the most of any swimmer at the meet, blasting into the wall ahead of the competition in the 500 free (4:23.41), 150 fly (1:16.33) and 150 back (1:15.94).

Fellow freshman Grant Murphy picked up an individual win in the 200 IM, clocking a time of 1:48.49.

Another key contributor for the Cavaliers was sophomore Spencer Nicholas, who threw down a lifetime best time in the 50 back. He charged into the wall in 21.85, shaving .03 off of his previous personal best and winning by a margin of .6 seconds. Nicholas also won the 150 free (1:10.43).

Navy’s Juan Mora snagged the victory in the 50 breast, turning in a time of 25.02 to narrowly outtouch runner-up Jay Gerloff of UVA (25.06).

The Mids’ third and final event victory of the day came in the 150 breast, with Navy going 1-2 in the race. Michael Phillips took the top spot in 1:25.88, while Mora was 2nd in 1:26.48.

Up Next 

UVA officially opens its season with a dual meet against the University of Florida on October 10. Navy will face the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on October 11.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: UVA Freshmen Win Big to Kick Off Season in Exhibition Meet Against Navy