Kailia Utley Season 2024-25
Student-Athlete Features
VUCommodores.com — A Ripple in Time
Career Honors
• 2023-24 first-team CSCAA Scholar All-American
• 2022-23 second-team CSCAA Scholar All-American
• 2021-22 second-team CSCAA Scholar All-American
• 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
• 2023-24 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
• 2022-23 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
• 2023-24 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2022-23 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2021-22 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
Career-Best Times (collegiate)
500 Free: 4:56.93 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.16.22
100 Back: 54.80 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.16.23
200 Back: 1:59.12 at SEC Championships, 2.24.24
50 Fly: 24.83 at NCAA Championships, 3.21.25
100 Fly: 52.39 at NCAA Championships, 3.21.25
200 Fly: 1:55.32 at SEC Championships, 2.21.25
200 IM: 2:00.17 at Tennessee Last Chance Invitational, 2.28.25
Commodore Record Watch
• Is the school overall and freshman record holder in both the 100 and 200 fly
• Has set the school standard in the 200 IM as well
• Also stands fourth in school history in the 200 back and is sixth in the 100 back
• Swam a leg on the program’s record-setting 400 medley relay as well
As a Senior (2024-25)
• Swam both the 100 and the 200 fly (1:55.36) at the NCAA Championships (March 21-22), posting the best time of her career in the former while tying for tying for 26th place in prelims of the latter
• Met the CSCAA National Invitational Championship A standard in the 50 fly and B cut in the 200 IM as well
• Recorded the top times on the team in the 100 and 200 fly along with the 200 IM as well
• Qualified for the B Final of the 200 fly and 100 fly (52.55) C Final—posting a career-low time in prelims of the former—at the SEC Championships (Feb. 18-22)
• Advanced to the A Final in the 100 fly (53.95) while qualifying third overall in the 200 fly (1:59.67), both season-best marks at the time, at the Toyota U.S. Open Championship (Dec. 4-7)
• Made the 200 fly A Final (1:59.92), while recording a then career-low time in the B Final of the 200 IM (2:03.66) and finishing as runner-up in the 100 fly (54.96) B Final at the Gamecock Invitational (Nov. 20-22)
• Also qualified for the 100 back D Final at the meet
• Had the top mark with a school-record time in prelims of the 200 IM and won the 200 fly after advancing with a mark of 1:55.43 at the Tennessee Last Chance Invitational (Feb. 28-March 1)
• Swept the 100 (53.55) and 200 (1:56.49) fly with season-best times in both races at Senior Day meet vs. Southern Illinois (Feb. 1)
• Claimed the 200 fly (2:03.84) while also finishing fourth in the 50 fly in dual meet against Arkansas (Jan. 17)
• Was runner-up in the 200 fly (2:03.71) and added a third-place result in the 100 fly (57.32) in home match-up with Kentucky (Jan. 3)
• Paced the Commodores in the 100 (55.48) and 200 (2:02.20) fly at South Carolina and 13th-ranked Georgia (Oct. 11)
• Earned first victory of the season in the 200 fly (2:06.07) at Illinois’ House of ’Paign Invite (Oct. 25-26), also swimming in the 100 fly (58.38) super final, 500 free (5:14.03) and 100 back (59.50)
• Swam leg for winning 200 medley relay, also finishing second in the 100 fly (57.31) and fourth in the 500 free (5:12.88) in season-opening meet at Tulane (Sept. 27)
As a Junior (2023-24)
• Competed at the NCAA Championships (March 22-23) in the 100 (53.01) and 200 (1:56.37) fly
• Also achieved the CSCAA NIC A standard in the 50 fly, and met the B standard in 100 and 200 back as well
• Recorded the top times on the team in the 100 and 200 fly, and 200 back while also ranking second in the 100 back and third in the 1,000 free
• Broke her own school record in the 200 fly (1:55.51) while winning the heat at the Bulldog NCAA Qualifying Meet (March 3)
• Qualified for the Consolation Final in the 100 (52.92) and 200 fly (1:57.07), and just missed a top-30 finish in the 200 back, at the SEC Championships (Feb. 20-24), with career-best marks at the time in all three events
• Advanced to the A Final in the 100 back, 100 fly (53.70) and 200 fly (2:01.04)—finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively—at the Gamecock Invitational (Nov. 15-17), qualifying for the B Final n the 200 back (2:01.15) as well
• Swept the 100 (54.84) and 200 (2:00.67) fly in Vandy’s victory over Iowa (Oct. 28)
• Also won both races the following week with times of 54.81 and 2:00.36—the latter was her best of the season—at Illinois (Nov. 4)
• Was victorious with a career-low time in the 1,000 free (10:30.64) and finished second in the 100 fly (56.39) in Senior Day win over Tulane (Feb. 2)
• Recorded a season-best 1:59.82 mark in the 200 fly, also swimming the 100 fly (55.13) and 200 back (2:02.80) against Georgia and Florida State (Jan. 13)
• Placed second in the 100 (56.23) and 200 (2:02.85) fly in tri-meet with Miami (Fla.) and Iowa (Jan. 2)
• Touched the wall second in the 100 fly (56.42) and ended up third in the 200 fly (2:02.92) at Arkansas (Jan. 20)
• Was Vandy’s top finisher in the 100 (55.71) and 200 (2:03.97) fly against Florida (Sept. 29) in the first meet of the season
As a Sophomore (2022-23)
• Achieved the NCAA B/NIC A standard in both the 100 and 200 fly, and also met the NIC B standard in the 500 free and 100 and 200 back
• Ranked among the top 25 in the SEC in the 200 fly and the top 40 in the 100 fly
• Posted the team’s best times in the 100 and 200 fly, ranking second in the 500 and 1,000 free, third in the 200 back and fifth in the 100 back also
• Reached the B Final in the 100 fly (54.61), recorded a top-10 finish in qualifying in the 200 fly (2:00.84) and swam in the 100 back (56.87) at the CSCAA National Invitational (March 9-11)
• Finished third in the Bonus Final of the 200 fly after qualifying with a then school-record 1:57.64 mark at the SEC Championships (Feb. 14-18), just missed finals after recording a then career-best time in the 100 fly (53.66) while touching the wall in a season-low 2:03.17 in the 200 back
• Swam the fastest 500 free of her career to qualify for the A Final at the Gamecock Invitational (Nov. 16-18)
• Also advanced to the A Final in the 100 fly (54.89) while winning the B Final in the 100 back — with a season-best 56.55 time — and 200 fly (2:03.61) at the competition
• Qualified for the B Final in the 200 back (2:03.26) that weekend as well
• Won the 100 (56.55) and 200 (2:04.44) fly in meet against Queens and Richmond (Nov. 4-5), adding a fifth-place finish in the 500 free (5:07.22)
• The Dores’ top finisher in both the 100 (56.64) and 200 (2:04.39) fly — placing third and fourth, respectively — in meet against LSU and Tulane (Sept. 23)
• Claimed the 200 fly (2:01.95), and was also second in the 100 fly (56.38) and third in the 200 back (2:08.06) at Iowa (Jan. 21)
• Touched the wall fourth in the 200 fly (2:05.39) in dual meet against Auburn (Oct. 7), also recording 5:07.70 mark in the 500 free
• Finished third in both the 1,000 free (10:40.52) and 200 back (2:09.68) in Vandy’s victory over North Florida and Georgia Southern (Oct. 15)
As a Freshman (2021-22)
• Met NCAA B and NIC A standards in the 100 and 200 fly, as well as the NIC B standard in the 200 back
• Was the lone Commodore to compete at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship (March 10-12), taking part in the 50, 100 and 200 fly
• Had the team’s top times in 100 and 200 fly, and 200 back, and also ranked fifth in the 100 back
• Qualified for the C Final in the 200 fly (1:58.53) at the SEC Championships (Feb. 15-19) after setting school overall and freshman records in the event
• Won the A Final in the 100 (53.73) and 200 (1:59.19) fly as well as the B Final in the 100 back at the Miami Invitational (Nov. 18-20), also coming in sixth in the A Final of the 200 back (2:02.61)
• Also won 200 fly against Florida Gulf Coast (Oct. 16) and Tulane (Nov. 6), earning a third-place finish in the 100 fly (56.66) at FCGU as well
• Finished second in the 100 (56.19) and 200 (2:03.12) fly, and was third in the 200 back (2:06.36) in victory over Illinois (Oct. 30)
• Paced the Commodores in the 200 fly (2:07.03) against Tennessee (Jan. 20), also placing in the top five in the 100 fly (57.45)
The Utley File
• Majoring in both classical & Mediterranean studies and medicine, health & society
• Prepped at Mater Dei under head coach Kelly Dullard
• Twice competed at the California state championships
• 2021 CIF state champion in 100 fly with a time of 53.67
• Holds Mater Dei record in 100 fly — broke it three times
• 2021 Mater Dei Swimmer of the Year
• 2018 and 2021 High Point Award winner
• Letterwinner in swimming and captained team for two years
• Salutatorian of high school class; graduated Summa Cum Laude
• Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Mater Dei
• Two-time Cornerstone Scholar Award winner
• ASB President
• Member of the National Honor Society, Renaissance Club
• Daughter of Kathy and Heath Utley
• Has two older brothers, Noah and Brayden; and a younger brother, Dane
• Born in Newport Beach, California
• Mom, Kathy, swam at Arizona; dad, Heath, competed in track and field at Arizona; brother, Noah, played football at West Point; brother, Brayden, plays football at Baylor
• Tap dance for 11 years
• Played Sebastian in school’s senior musical
• Was a foreign exchange student to New Zealand
• Junior lifeguard at Huntington Beach
Why Vanderbilt: “I wanted a team that would be motivated in the pool and classroom. The girls on the team got to meet were very welcoming and I felt like I fit right in.”