George Washington University Athletics
Topolewski Wraps Remarkable Career at NCAA Championships
3/18/2026 6:47:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
GW swimming & diving senior Ava Topolewski took the pool for her final college event on Wednesday, swimming the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships to cap a career that stands among the program's all-time greats.
Swimming in the first heat of Wednesday morning's 1,650 free, Topolewski tapped in 16:38.63, finishing 39th overall in the nation.
Now a two-time NCAA Championships competitor (2024 & 2026), Topolewski's swim on Wednesday made her the fifth in an elite club of GW swimming & diving student-athletes to make multiple appearances at NCAAs, joining the likes of GW Hall of Famers Meghan Mitchell (1994 & 1995), Bambi Bowman (1994 & 1995) and Andrea Bolognesi (2016 & 2017), and recent men's standout Djurdje Matic (2022, 2024). Topolewski's 39th-place finish tied her finish in the event from 2024.
Topolewski finished her career with four A-10 All-Conference First Team appearances, claiming eight gold medals and three silver medals in her four trips to the A-10 Championships.
An A-10 All-Academic Team member in 2026, Topolewski's case as the best miler in conference history is strong. She became the first woman ever to win four-consecutive 1,650 freestyle A-10 championships, and she holds the A-10 and GW record in the event (16:08.48), set in her gold-medal winning NCAA-qualifying swim at the 2024 A-10 Championships.
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