The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MAY/JUNE 2026 ■ 45 BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN ven though NC State's En- eli Jefimova is a decorated swimmer on the inter- national level, she's still growing accustomed to competing in yards rather than meters. Nevertheless, the freshman has made the transition to college swimming look rather easy. Jefimova, a 13-time European gold medalist at the senior, U23 and junior levels of competition and a two-time Olympian while representing her na- tive Estonia, dominated the 100-yard breaststroke event in her collegiate de- but campaign. Nearly every time she hit the water, it seemed as if the Wolfpack's young star would touch the wall first. There was never a time where it seemed like Jefimova wasn't going to challenge for the national title in the event. She earned her first collegiate win in the 100 in October against Georgia Tech before rolling through the regular season and firmly establishing herself as the woman to beat at that distance. Jefimova continued to excel in the postseason and quickly showed that she was ready to challenge for a national title. She cruised at the ACC Championships, setting a meet record in the preliminary heats (57.39 seconds), then claimed the top spot on the podium in the final. By the time Jefimova made it to the NCAA Championships, she was the clear favorite to win the event. And, well, that's what she was able to do in her de- but at college swimming's top meet at McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Jefimova, who was just .03 seconds from the school record at the confer- ence meet, shattered the mark with a time of 56.30 in the final. She became the fourth NC State female swimmer to win an individual national champion- ship and the second to do so in the 100- yard breaststroke, joining 2021 champ Sophie Hansson. Speaking to ESPN in the moments af- ter her victory, Jefimova said she was thrilled to make such a big impact in her first collegiate season. "Even if I'm coming from Europe, and I'm far away from home, I'm still ca- pable of doing [big things]," Jefimova said while still catching her breath on the pool deck after claiming the first na- tional title of her career. "I'm proud to represent NC State and the Wolfpack women." Breaking Records Jefimova's national championship- winning race was a clinic. She leaned on her strong closing speed, allowing the leaders to take it out fast in the opening 50 yards. Tennessee's McKenzie Siroky led for the first 25 yards, while Flori- da's Anita Bottazzo set the pace for the next 25. After that, however, it was all Jefimova. She used her elite kick to pull away across the back half of the race, winning by .70 seconds. The performance, which was the Wolfpack's lone swimming national title of the year, ended up etching Jefimo- va's name in the NCAA record books in her first trip to the meet. She swam the fifth-fastest time ever in the collegiate event, tying American star Lilly King's 2017 mark. The result would have earned Jefimova the championship in 2025, too, in a race that was won by Virginia stand- out Alex Walsh. Jefimova also broke the pool record she had set during the ACC Champion- ships 29 days earlier, and along the way she passed Hansson's previous program record of 56.72 set in 2022. Jefimova now holds the Wolfpack's top mark in both the 50-yard (26.30) and 100-yard breaststroke events, in addition to own- ing the fourth-best 200 breaststroke time (2:06.33) in NC State history. "At just 19, she is already one of the best in NCAA history in this event," NC State assistant coach Stefani Wendel- schaefer, who primarily works with the middle-distance swimmers, told Es- tonia-based news outlet ERR after the race. "We are moving forward step by step, and the goals are high. I am very proud of both her results and the kind of person she is — she is a joy to work with." 'I'm Happy With It' Jefimova, who said she felt "powerful" in the water during the championship heat after swimming well in the prelimi- nary round, made it look easy to claim the NCAA crown. In addition to her national title, she also earned All-America honors as a key member of both the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams in Atlanta. For a swimmer who was the youngest in the pool at just 15 years old during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Jefimova was des- tined to swim well at the collegiate level. Her seventh-place finish at the 2024 Paris Games in the 100-meter breast- stroke set the stage for a strong showing at the NCAA meet. That's what she did — even if she's still adjusting to the imperial system of mea- surement. "I still don't really understand yard times, so it's really new to me," Jefimova said with a laugh. "But I think it's a great time. It's a [personal best], so I'm happy with it." ■ E KEEPING IT KEEPING IT 100 100 Jefimova became the fourth Wolfpack female swimmer to win a national title when she captured first place in the 100-yard breaststroke event at the NCAA Championships in March. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Freshman Eneli Jefimova Rolls To An NCAA Championship In Her Signature Event