The University of Tampa men’s and women’s swim teams are practicing ahead of the NCAA National Championships. Photo courtesy of Jacob Tomaneng.
Both teams now prepare for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Championships in Indiana.
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By Jeremy Fishman
TAMPA, Fla. — On Feb. 15, the University of Tampa men’s and women’s swim teams won the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championships. The men secured their fourth consecutive SSC title and fifth overall, while the women won their second consecutive title and third overall, continuing UTampa’s dominance in the conference.
Both teams finished ahead of second-place Nova Southeastern University, outscoring them by 288 on the men’s side and 142 points on the women’s. After the championship, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America ranked the women first and the men third nationally.
In 2025, the women’s team won the conference by five points, meaning this season’s margin was a significant jump. During the regular season and SSC Championships, they consistently won by larger margins than last season. Darcy Highmore, a junior swimmer, said their dominance since day one has shown their strength and progression.
“Spirits have been so high in training,” said Highmore. “It’s such an amazing group of girls.”
Highmore struggled with a shoulder injury this season and has not qualified for the NCAA Championships. She said she is proud of her teammates and glad she trained alongside them. She also said the swimmers who aren’t going to Indiana usually get together for a watch party.
“We’re always the first people to go over and congratulate [the swimmers competing] or send a text well done,” said Highmore. “It’s still amazing to be part of the team and watch my best friends do this.”
Despite winning their fourth consecutive SSC title, the men’s roster looked significantly different from last season. The Spartans lost and graduated a total of 16 swimmers and brought in 20 newcomers, forcing them to adjust early on.
“At the beginning of the year, we were such a new team,” said Davis Adcock, a junior swimmer. “It definitely took a while to adjust.”
The men overcame those challenges and defeated each of their conference opponents.
“Towards the end of the year… we finally meshed well and clicked and finally started being a team,” said Adcock.
Adcock credited the coaching staff for the program’s success this season.
“They’re the ones pushing us and making us better,” said Adcock. “They have a pretty big role in the fact that we won four [SSC Championships] in a row, and it wouldn’t happen without them.”
With the conference championship secured, the Spartans are fully focused on competing in the NCAA DII Championships in Indiana. Oliver Pope, a junior swimmer, described it as the main event. The preparation has varied across the men’s and women’s rosters. Some swimmers tapered and adjusted their training ahead of the conference championship to secure the times needed to qualify for nationals, while others were able to swim through the event, saving their energy for Indiana.
UTampa looks to use its momentum to live up to its strong expectations. The latest SwimSwam psych sheet ranked the men’s and women’s teams third nationally. Pope said this has added fuel to their fire. The Spartans will compete for nationals March 10-14 in Evansville, Indiana.