The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2025-26 YEAR IN REVIEW BY JOHN BORTON B ella Sims knew all about win- ning when she arrived at Michigan last fall. She'd al- ready earned three individual national championships at Florida as a stunningly effective swimmer, racking up 13 All-America citations and nine SEC championship efforts, and debuting in 2024 as the SEC Swimmer of the Year as a freshman. Her pace didn't slacken when she chose Michigan, after becoming perhaps the most sought-after transfer among female swimmers in the portal last year. Sims earned the 2026 NCAA champi- onship in the 400 IM, clocking in at a nation's-best time of 3:58.08. She also garnered the silver medal in the 100-yard back (49.62) and the bronze in the 400- yard medley relay (3:24.44), also fin- ishing between fourth and sixth in four other events. Her national title and high-scoring all-around effort earned her the distinc- tion of Michigan's Female Athlete of the Year, as chosen by both the university and the staff of The Wolverine. "It's awesome," Sims reacted. "It's ab- solutely a privilege, and I am honored to be given this. I didn't know this was even a thing. Then I got this notification that you are the Female Athlete of the Year, and I was like, 'Wow!' It's insane, considering all of the female athletes at Michigan. That's awesome that I was chosen to be the one of the year. I'm su- per honored." The distinction fits well with the rest of the welcome she received in Ann Ar- bor. New locations, new relationships, all the getting-to-know-you processes don't always follow the easy road. In this case, Sims fit in swimmingly. "It was actually really easy," she said. "The people here are super welcoming. My first call with [Michigan head coach] Matt [Bowe], he made it super easy. He tried to get to know me as a person. When you're going through this, coaches are looking for people who they think would blend well with their team. Matt had a good vision for the team. He felt like I fit in well. That helps. I'm so grateful they allowed me to come here. "The transition was super easy. I call so many of these people my true best friends. I'm thankful for that." Teammates pitched in to welcome the newcomer. Despite her success at Flor- ida, Sims needed the combination of a FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR BELLA SIMS 34 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2026 Transfer Bella Sims Makes A Big Splash At Michigan Sims led wire-to-wire in a loaded field, posting a time of 3:58.08 to capture the national championship in the 400 IM, Michigan's first individual NCAA title since Maggie MacNeil in 2021. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY