Caroline Bentz, a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Dahlgren, Virginia, has elected to remain in-state and swim for the Virginia Tech H2Okies for her collegiate career. Bentz is a senior at King George High School. She won the 100 back (54.61) and placed 3rd in the 100 free (51.53) as a junior at the 2018 VHSL Class 4 Swimming & Diving Championship. She also led off the winning 200 free relay (23.73) as well as the runner-up 200 medley relay (26.15), contributing to King George’s second-place team finish.
Bentz swims year-round with NCAP West. She competed in the 100/200 backstroke events at 2018 Winter National Championships, placing 4th in the 100m back with a PB of 1:02.07, a 2020 Olympic Trials cut. The next weekend she competed at the 2018 NCAP Invite and notched PBs in the SCY 50/200 free, 100/200 back, 100 breast, and 200 IM.
Bentz will join the Virginia Tech class of 2023 with Ashley Worden, Brooke Travis, Erin Quinn, Grace Cutrell, Hannah Jirsa, Hannah Virgin, Jenna Thompson, Julia Smith, Morgan Miller, Rose Pouch, Sarah Shackelford, Shelby Raber, and Sophia Ryan. The H2Okies lost a slew of backstrokers to graduation after last season. Current sophomore Emily Meilus and junior Reka Gyorgy are the highest-scoring returners. Bentz would have scored in the C final of the 200 back but it took 53.77 to get a second swim in the 100 back at the 2018 ACC Women’s Championships.
Top SCY times:
50 back – 26.11
100 back – 53.98
200 back – 1:56.63
50 free – 23.34
100 free – 51.53
200 free – 1:49.76
200 IM – 2:05.36