The NCAA Transfer Portal opened for Division I women’s swimmers & divers on Wednesday, 7 days after NCAA Championship invites went out, and while there were no huge earth-shaking entrances in the initial wave (the biggest names will go in after the NCAA Championship meet), there are a few NCAA-qualifier-type of names in the first batch.
That includes South African swimmer Olivia Nel, who swam two semesters and one full season across three seasons for the Tar Heels.
Nel arrived mid-season in January 2022 and swam at the NCAA Championship as a freshman on UNC’s 200 (10th place) and 400 (17th place) free relays.
In her sophomore season in 2022-2023, she qualified for the NCAA Championships via a mid-season 21.92 in the 50 free. Her best placement at NCAAs was 24th in the 100 back (52.19).
She then swam two dual meets for the Tar Heels this season and the US Open.
Nel is an apt sprinter and backstroker and in 2023 won a pair of South African National Championships in the 50 and 100 backstrokes.
Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 21.92
- 100 free – 48.42
- 200 free – 1:47.96
- 100 back – 52.19
Because she only swam two dual meets in the 2023-2024 season, it’s possible that she’ll receive that season of eligibility back, which would leave her with two.
Notably, her twin sister Georgia Nel, who was 11th at ACCs in the 200 free (1:45.94) and 14th in the 100 free (48.83), is still on UNC’s roster and did not enter the portal on Wednesday.
Rutgers’ Valeria Egorova, a Russian, also enters the Transfer Portal after two seasons with the Scarlet Knights. She ranks 3rd in program history all-time in both the 100 yard back (52.50) and 200 yard back (1:54.14) and swam the leadoff leg on a school-record setting 3:35.17 in the 400 medley relay at the 2023 Big Ten Championships.
She was well-off her bests in her sophomore season, placing 11th at Big Tens in both the 100 back (53.64) and 200 back (1:56.23).
Rutgers has recruited well internationally in the last few seasons, and Egorovoa is one of two Russians on this year’s roster. The other, freshman Alena Rozova, also entered the transfer portal.
Florida’s Madison Kolessar is also in the portal to use her 5th year of eligibility. She swam her best time in the mile of 16:17.44 at a Last Chance meet at Auburn in early March, just-missing an NCAA qualification by about two seconds. She has also been 4:48.14 in the 500 free (albeit in high school) and 4:12.83 in the 400 IM.
Beginning this season, athletes have 45 days from the portal’s opening to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal in order to be eligible for next season. That’s a reduction from the previous 60 day window. The portal opens 7 days after the announcement of NCAA Championship invites. For Division I men’s swimmers & divers, that means the portal will open next Wednesday.
Swimmers are not required to transfer by entering the portal, and on rare occasion have changed their minds and stayed at their current NCAA programs. Entering the portal allows athletes to discuss the possibility of transferring with other programs.
Athens is calling
How does Kolessar have a 5th year of eligibility? Her freshman year was the 2020-2021 season, after the suspended 2020 NCAA season, and she competed all 4 years of college.
Kolessar like everyone in that class has one year of eligibility if they chose to do so because of Covid. Some athletes may not want to continue- guess she isn’t ready to be done.
Classic. UNC troubles will be put into the spotlight soon.
wonder why she dropped off roster and is now transferring despite success and sister still being there
Boyfriend. Following her boyfriend. At least that’s what I heard. To each their own.
Georgia has a good South African contingent 👀
Braden- how do you get access to the “portal” if you are not affiliated with a college? Is this something the general public can look at?
Connections….all about connections
I just don’t understand why this is private.
When they become employees the public will have access
any insight Braden? Seems like a fair question I am asking…
It’s almost like Braden is a journalist and has sources . . .
The portal has athlete contact information. Will not be made public. Swimswam does a good job of reporting needle movers. Keeping the portal private will protect athletes from online backlash.
people can share information easily, give information and get better coverage next time, share maybe even logins, in every sport we know portal additions immediately, if they matter.