STANFORD, Calif. - Katie Ledecky matched Michael Phelps with her fifth USA Swimming Swimmer of the Year award on Saturday night.
Ledecky has now won the award five times in the last six years after she set the record with four in a row from 2013-16, and has tied Michael Phelps for the most all-time.
This year marked the 39th presentation of the award since its inception in 1981 -- female swimmers have received the award 15 times (five of those are Katie, and no other female swimmer has won more than twice).
Ledecky is the first swimmer to win this award while also being named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in the same season. The psychology major led the Cardinal to its second straight conference and NCAA championship. She won three NCAA titles (500 free, 1650-yard freestyles and 800 free relay), and three Pac-12 titles (200 free, 1500 free and 400 IM) en route to a second straight Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet award.
Internationally, Ledecky led the Team USA women at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo with five medals, including repeat gold-medal performances in the 400, 800 and 1500-meter freestyle events. Ledecky also eclipsed her own world record in the 1500 free at the TYR Pro Swim Series at Indianapolis by five seconds with a time of 15:20.48 for her sixth world record in the event and 14th overall. She also won U.S. titles in the 200, 400 and 800 free at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships and claimed the women's overall TYR Pro Swim Series title.
Other Stanford affiliates to win this award are Janet Evans (1987, 1988), Pablo Morales (1992) and Jenny Thompson (1993, 1998).