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Anna Keating has one more championship within reach.

The Madison High School graduate returned to the University of Virginia for a fifth college season with an extraordinary goal: helping the Cavaliers capture a fifth consecutive NCAA Division I women’s swimming and diving title.

Virginia has won the national championship in each of Keating’s first four seasons. Another victory would allow the graduate student to finish her college career with an NCAA team crown every year.

It would also extend her streak of top-level championships across high school and college to nine straight seasons. Before joining Virginia, Keating helped Madison win four consecutive Virginia High School League state titles.

Keating initially planned to leave Virginia after completing her undergraduate studies because she already had a job lined up. She reconsidered in the following weeks, with the chance to pursue a fifth NCAA championship playing a major role in her decision.

The opportunity is unusual. A fifth season of college eligibility became available to athletes whose careers overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keating contributed immediately at Virginia. At the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, she finished fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke, sixth in the 100 breaststroke and 14th in the 200 individual medley.

During the 2023-24 season, she remained one of Virginia’s leading breaststroke and individual-medley swimmers. She earned All-America recognition at the NCAA meet by placing eighth in the breaststroke with a personal-best time of 2:06.89.

Keating also competed at the U.S. Olympic women’s swimming trials during the summer but did not qualify for the Olympic team.

Her swimming career has deep Northern Virginia roots. While living in Vienna, she competed for the Vienna Aquatic Club Gators in the Northern Virginia Swimming League. At Madison, she earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors and set the VHSL Class 6 girls record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.76 seconds.

Counting high school district, region and state championships along with ACC and NCAA crowns, Keating has competed on 20 consecutive championship teams over eight years. If Virginia wins both the ACC and NCAA titles this season, that streak could reach 22 championships across nine years.