USA Swimming National Team member Isabelle Stadden has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. She is the biggest name yet to enter the portal amid the fallout of the abuse allegations that have become public about head coach Teri Mckeever, and McKeever’s subsequent leave of absence.
Fellow All-American Ayla Spitz, who is Stadden’s roommate according to social media posts, has also entered the transfer portal. She says that she is looking ahead to a potential 5th year in the 2023-2024 season, however, after graduating from Cal next year.
While the May 1 deadline to enter the transfer portal and be eligible for the 2022-2023 season has passed, the NCAA does grant waivers to those rules, including when a program changes coaches. It is likely that McKeever being placed on a leave of absence pending investigation would qualify Stadden for a waiver.
Stadden says for now that she is “exploring her options.”
At last year’s NCAA Championship meet, Stadden was the Golden Bears’ second-best scorer (27 points) behind only Isabel Ivey. She finished 22nd in the 200 IM, 7th in the 100 back, and 4th in her specialty event, the 200 back. Her 1:49.45 in the 200 back was a new personal best and followed a second-straight Pac-12 title in the event.
Stadden has two regular years of eligibility remaining, plus the 5th year granted to all Division I student-athletes who competed in the 2021-2022 season.
Stadden’s Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 22.71
- 100 free – 49.48
- 200 free – 1:49.12
- 100 back – 50.81
- 200 back – 1:49.45
- 200 IM – 1:55.80
After the NCAA Championships, Stadden placed 5th in the 100 back and 4th in the 200 back at the US International Team Trials in late April. In that 200 back, she was about four-and-a-half seconds slower than Phoebe Bacon and Rhyan White, who will represent the US in Budapest beginning on Saturday.
Stadden most recently attended the Pro Swim Series meet in Mission Viejo with a group of Cal swimmers led by new assistant coach Jesse Moore. There, she swam 1:00.21 in the 100 back, 2:09.59 in the 200 back, 26.81 in the 50 free, and 57.30 in the 100 free in long course. The 100 back was a win and the 200 back saw her finish in 2nd place.
Spitz was also one of Cal’s five individual scorers at the NCAA Championship meet, picking up 4 points via a 13th-place finish in the 200 free.
Spitz’s Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 22.60 (from high school)
- 100 free – 48.63 (from high school)
- 200 free – 1:44.10
- 500 free – 4:30.05
- 100 back – 52.85
- 200 back – 1:53.21
- 100 fly – 53.54 (from high school)
- 200 IM – 1:58.68 (from high school)
Stadden originally hails from Minnesota, while Spitz is a native of Newport Beach in Southern California.
Five women from Cal have now entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in 2022. Besides Stadden and Spitz, that includes Emma Davidson, Emily Gantriis, and Lara Phipps. Phipps first entered the portal prior to the conclusion of the collegiate season. Ema Rajic also entered in the fall to use a graduate transfer year, as did Elise Garcia.
That list doesn’t include Olympic and NCAA Champion Maggie MacNeil, who committed to transfer to Cal as a graduate next season, but who after the McKeever fallout ultimately chose LSU for her 5th year.
Entering the NCAA Transfer Portal does not require a student-athlete to transfer. It does give them more freedom and flexibility to contact other programs about the possibility of transferring.
And about 1/2 of what’s left of the team wants to transfer or quit….
Just a thought, but imagine if Titley took a job as CAL Head Coach
“….plus the 5th year granted to all Division I student-athletes who competed in the 2021-2022 season.”
2021-2022 season?? Is that right?
No it’s 2020-2021 season participants.
Why leave when you can stay and be coached by an LLC. Who wants to be coached by a human anyway a business entity is way better
While I know they can get a waiver to be allowed to transfer this late, won’t many schools not admit a transfer for the fall semester if they’re starting the process this late? I know that’s not a problem everywhere, but it’s got to take some of the more selective academic schools off the table if Stadden wants to enroll in the fall.
On an unrelated note the best time listed for Spitz in the 500 is wrong.
Some schools allow spring transfers (UVA and UMich are two that come to mind), and many enable people to take classes as a “non-matriculated student”. So, if one of them wanted to go to UVA, they could still head to Charlottesville in the fall and take courses to not fall behind on their degree while also training, then “enroll” as a full-time undergraduate starting in the spring.
*grabs popcorn*
you wonder if THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED if the McKeever issue had been handled differently
Time for her to resign! Let Cal rebuild under new leadership. Best of luck ladies!