CANTON, Ga. – Trinity University has been selected as the preseason favorite to claim the 2025 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship.
The Tigers earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 48 points and six first-place votes. Centre followed in second with 40 points and one first-place nod, while Rhodes rounded out the top three with 39 points.
Voting was conducted among the league’s seven head coaches.
2025-26 SAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
- Trinity – 48 (6)
- Centre – 40 (1)
- Rhodes – 39
- Southwestern – 32
- Sewanee – 29
- Berry – 25
- Millsaps – 18
Trinity returns a championship-tested roster highlighted by multiple All-Americans. Julia Carter, a CSCAA All-American and four-time SCAC Champion, headlines the group alongside Amy Benson, who earned SCAC Swimmer of the Meet and Swimmer of the Year honors as a sophomore. Already a five-time All-American, Benson has collected 15 SCAC Championship medals across eight events.
The Tigers also feature Audrey Jacobson, a four-time CSCAA All-American with numerous SCAC titles, and senior Neely Burns, the 2023 NCAA National Champion in the 400 IM. Burns is an 11-time All-American and former SCAC Swimmer of the Year. Trinity captured its 22nd straight SCAC Championship last season and reached as high as No. 17 in the national rankings.
Centre enters the season as the defending SAA Champion after capturing its first conference title since 2013 and just the second in program history. The Colonels return a strong young performer in Cate Coartney as the SAA Newcomer of the Year.
The 2026 SAA Swimming and Diving Championship is set for February 11–14 at Champions Hall in Danville, Kentucky.
SAA Women’s Swimming & Diving All-time Champions
2025 – Centre (1000)
2024 - Rhodes (1010)
2023 - Rhodes (852.5)
2022 - Birmingham-Southern (796.5)
2021 - Birmingham-Southern (941)
2020 - Birmingham-Southern (865)
2019 - Birmingham-Southern (922)
2018 - Birmingham-Southern (909)
2017 - Birmingham-Southern (849)
2016 - Rhodes (914)
2015 - Rhodes (846)
2014 - Birmingham-Southern (810)
2013 - Centre (854)
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
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