The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 2025-26 YEAR IN REVIEW comfort zone and a daily challenge in her new surroundings, and they provided both. "They're all so supportive," Sims of- fered. "Transferring isn't the easiest thing to do. I have some of my best friends, like Lexi Greenhawt and Stephanie Balduc- cini and all those people who just push me in practice and are able to support me through my journey. It's easier because I have people like Steph, who have been at higher-level meets. It's easier to go about practice and find ways to push each other, using unique people to compete with. It's easier to go through things when people have already experienced it. Having peo- ple like Steph really eases that process. "Being able to meet all of my new team- mates and form a family with them made a huge difference. I love Michigan's teams so much, and the people at the school I've met this year. I am so excited for next year. I'm sad that I only get a two-year run with them." The first half of that run went extremely well, culminating in the individual na- tional championship. Michigan came into the NCAA Championships in Atlanta ranked No. 4 in the nation, winding up sixth behind national champion Virginia, Stanford, Texas, California and Tennes- see. The team finished short of what the Wolverines wanted in the competition, but Sims drew motivation even from dis- appointment. Her national championship individual effort proved a bright spot in the competition. "It actually meant so much to me," she said. "That day in particular was a rough day for Michigan. I think I was the only one who made it back, other than our relay. I just remember that because I was the only person who made it back, I needed to do it for them. This is not for me. This is for them. It was just remem- bering to do it for the team. To be able to do that not only helped me gain more confidence throughout the meet but also helped other people. Me winning helped them realize, oh, this meet is not over. It helped us get into a better mindset for the rest of the meet." Sims hails from Henderson, Nev., but initially ventured to the Sunshine State in search of her swimming home. De- spite considerable success, she felt in- creasingly uncomfortable, with physical discomfort echoing some inner unrest. She'd dealt with a torn labrum in her hip for some time, and it was about to be- come aggravated and again grab her at- tention. "I've had this injury for a long time, but it had never flared up like it did while I was at Florida," Sims said. "Even now, I don't feel that much pain. Sometimes, I feel like it was my body telling me that I was almost going through too much stress while I was there. Whether it was bal- ancing school for the first time — I was homeschooled growing up, so going to college can be a lot. It's a different envi- ronment. "I had to listen to my body. The envi- ronment wasn't something I wanted to be in. My body was telling me I needed to go." Heading north didn't make every- thing easier. While she enjoyed the wel- come at Michigan, she needed to gear up for the academic challenge, which she quickly embraced. "School is definitely harder at Michi- gan," she noted. "But I expected nothing less. Michigan has that standard. Hon- estly, it's been really good. Having swim- ming as a background makes it easier to manage your time better. Swimming takes over your day anyway, and you have to learn to do all the things in between prac- tices and after and everything. Swimming helps with that." While her comfort level increased, the hip seemed to settle as well. Sims expressed gratefulness to the Michigan medical staff for helping her along the way, but by the time she settled in, the issue had already calmed down consider- ably. She went back home for the summer, training with longtime acquaintances and long-course gurus. She knows she gets one more shot in Ann Arbor and is deter- mined to make the most of it. That doesn't just go for swimming. The friendships made, the experiences, and the setting on the Michigan campus left her enthralled with her new base of operations. While she doesn't want her senior season to end, she can't wait for it to begin. "I would describe it as absolutely won- derful," Sims said of her Michigan expe- rience. "I'm sad it's my last year, but I'm excited to do it. I've got to keep my head up when it comes to thinking about that. I'm excited to go to more game days, dual meets, and hang out with my friends." Eventually, she'll begin training for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Ange- les. For now, she'll be diving into her senior season with both excitement and a purpose. ❏ The Best Of The Rest Michigan featured a host of highly capable female athletes in 2025-26. Here are those finishing behind swimmer Bella Sims in the running for Female Athlete of the Year, voted on by the staff of The Wolverine. 2. Olivia Olson, basketball — The stalwart sophomore out of New Hope, Minn., enjoyed a spectacular second season in Ann Arbor. She earned first-team All-Big Ten status, along with second- and third-team All-America recognition from various outlets. One of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award, Olson averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals for the Wolverines. She passed the 1,000-point mark for her career during the season while notching 663 this year, the fourth-best effort ever by a Wolverine. 3. Lilly Jones, tennis — This senior out of Grosse Pointe, Mich., garnered ITA All-America honors after making the round of 16 in the 2025 NCAA Singles Championship. An All-Big Ten first-teamer, Jones earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament. The ITF Midwest Region Senior Player of the Year, she also earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship honor as Michigan's representative for the fourth straight year. She finished her career with 117 wins, fourth-best in Michigan history. T-4th Lauren Putz, softball — A second-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, this sophomore out of Phoenix started all 58 Michigan games in right field. She paced the Wolverines with a .435 batting average, while posting team-best numbers in runs scored (65), RBI (80) and home runs (22). Putz also pounded out a .959 slugging percentage, with her home run and RBI totals ranking second best among all-time Michigan single-season stats. T-4th Carly Bauman, gymnastics — The grad student out of West Des Moines, Iowa, became WGCA Regional Gymnast of the Year for the second straight season. The Big Ten Specialist of the Year also became a second-team All-American on floor exercise. An All-Big Ten performer, Bauman posted no fewer than 18 scores at 9.900 or higher in her final season. — John Borton