O’Dell records personal-best at Woollett, rubs shoulders with Virginia teammate
IRVINE — Teagan O’Dell closed the final turn of the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Toyota National Championships in a flurry of contact and exhaled into a lifetime-best time that underscored a fast-moving season of change.
On the last wall at Woollett Aquatics Center, the Santa Margarita product briefly locked eyes with one of her new mentors and training partners — two-time Olympian Alex Walsh — before touching in a personal-best 2 minutes, 10.20 seconds to place third. Walsh, 25, finished first in 2:08.59, while University of Texas swimmer Campbell Chase edged O’Dell for second by 0.11 seconds.
“I was really just waiting all week to go for it in the 2(00) IM so I was happy to end with a PB,” O’Dell said, noting she’d cut more than a second off her previous best. “(Walsh) just told me, ‘I saw you on the last wall and I was like ‘I (saw you) too,’ but I was dying.”
The brief exchange at the wall — a millisecond of mutual recognition beneath the surface — spoke to the speed with which O’Dell is adjusting to a new training environment after transferring from Cal to the University of Virginia. The move, announced in late April, surprised parts of the college-swimming community and planted O’Dell alongside elite teammates and coaches.
Context and recent results
O’Dell, 20, enjoyed a standout freshman season at Cal the previous year: second in the 200-yard individual medley (1:52.76) at the NCAA Division I championships, third in the 400 IM (3:59.43) and sixth in the 200 backstroke (1:49.70). Those performances have carried into this summer as she adapts to Virginia’s program under coach Todd DeSorbo.
Her remarks after the race emphasized both the personal satisfaction of a best time and the value of learning from a top-tier teammate. “This summer, I’ve been really getting to know her, learning a lot from her and racing her occasionally as best as I can. … That’s why it was cute at the end when we saw each other. That’s my girl,” O’Dell said.
Why the result matters locally
For Orange County and Irvine-area fans, the meet was more than an exhibition: it was a chance to see local talent measure itself against national and Olympic-level competition on a stage inside the county. Woollett’s role as host brings high-caliber swimming to the community and provides a visible pathway from Orange County programs to the collegiate and international ranks.
- Performance boost: O’Dell’s 2:10.20 is a marked improvement, shaving more than a second off her prior best in the 200 IM.
- Training shift: Transfer to Virginia positions her with veteran swimmers like Alex Walsh and coach Todd DeSorbo.
- Local exposure: The Toyota National Championships in Irvine continue to spotlight Orange County swimmers against national competition.
| Place | Swimmer | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Walsh | 2:08.59 |
| 2 | Campbell Chase | (out-touched O'Dell by 0.11 seconds) |
| 3 | Teagan O’Dell | 2:10.20 (PB) |
Walsh’s victory helped close out the final night of the meet and builds momentum for the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, where many of the same athletes will seek further international assignments. For O’Dell, the immediate takeaway was tangible: a personal-best on a familiar Orange County deck and a concrete sign that the transfer and new training setup are accelerating her development.
Her transition from Cal to Virginia was driven in part by the program and support system offered at her new school, she said. The results in the pool here — and the small moments of acknowledgment with an elite teammate — suggest O’Dell is staking a claim as a rising presence in collegiate and national competition.
For local supporters, the short-term story is simple: an Orange County native left Woollett with a faster time and a clearer sense of where she fits among the nation’s best. The longer arc will be tracked in seasons to come as she competes for Virginia and in national meets that return to the region.
