Northwestern freestyler and breaststroker Jasmine Nocentini has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal for the second time ahead of her final season of collegiate eligibility.
Nocentini was one of the breakout stories of the 2022-2023 season before an injury derailed her year early. She was undefeated in collegiate competition in her abbreviated season, and entered the Big Ten Championships as the conference’s #1-ranked performer in the 50 free (21.59) and 100 breaststroke (58.31).
The 2021-2022 season was Nocentini’s first at Northwestern after spending her freshman and sophomore years at Florida International. In 2022, she was 3rd at Big Ten’s in the 50 free, 4th in the 200 free, and 5th in the 100 free.
This season, she added the breaststroke to her repertoire in a significant way.
A shoulder injury, though, meant she couldn’t finish the season with the Wildcats. Her lone NCAA Championship appearance came in 2021 when she was still at FIU.
Her re-entry into the portal for a potential second transfer makes her one of the biggest free agents of the offseason. The new NCAA transfer process limits the time period during which athletes can enter the transfer portal, and since the portal opened last week, there has been a muted field of swimmers entering so far, though that could change after NCAAs.
Nocentini is listed on Northwestern’s roster as a junior, but this is her 4th season of NCAA competition. She has a bonus 5th year of eligibility to use next season because she participated in the COVID-impacted 2020-2021 season.
Nocentini is from Padova, Italy, and last fall at a meet in Canada she hit qualifying times for the Short Course World Championships. Her last meet, though, was the Purdue Invitational in November, which was prior to Short Course Worlds.
Entering the transfer portal does not require a student-athlete to transfer, rather it gives coaches from other interested schools the ability to contact them to discuss transfers.
Because Nocentini is a graduate transfer, the NCAA rules requiring a 2nd-time transfer to sit out a year don’t apply.
I dont see how we can be hating on swimmers who leverage their talent to get more education
The transfer portal has definitely changed college sports.
I hope she finds a great new college to swim for!
Sprinter and breaststroker – seems like DeSorbo and UVA would be a great fit for her!
I don’t understand the shade thrown. Transfers once during undergrad (not unheard of, not crazy). Is going to another school to start graduate work (not unheard of, not crazy).
Northwestern has her officially listed as a junior, so not sure that it’s actually graduate work, or just that she’s using her 5th year of eligibility. Unlike football that actually classifies student athletes as 5 or 6, etc.
She is in the portal as a graduate transfer.
Seems like she went pretty fast in November under the current leadership at Northwestern and then got injured. I wonder how fast she would have gone now?
5th year is ridiculous
The SCM World Championships this last fall were in Australia, not Canada.
The qualifying meet was in Canada.
Wondering what she’s looking to study as a Graduate student, as Northwestern doesn’t list her intended major. They are supposed to be student-athletes.
she’s in like communications
this wasn’t a dig at her for anyone wondering/downvoting, she is literally in some kind of communications major