During a car ride March 1, then-junior Bianca Hutter received a call from the University of Virginia swim and diving coach that the team would not have a spot for her. Nor would they have a spot for the other class of 2026 diving recruit, or any other diver. The university cut their entire diving program.

“He called me and was like ‘Look, I’m going to cut you,’” Hutter said. “He didn’t tell me he was cutting the whole diving team.”

Now a senior, Hutter officially signed with the University of Iowa Nov. 12 where she will pursue the combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in athletic training.

Hutter began diving when she was 5 years old. She knew she wanted to dive for a Division I school when she was around 13, the same time she knew she wanted to compete at a national and international level. Practicing for three hours a day, five days a week, along with weight training and conditioning, Hutter has experienced success on the State level as a two-time UIL Swim and Dive State bronze medalist, and nationally.

Hutter announced her verbal commitment to the University of Virginia October 6, 2024. But once the team was cut in March, she had to begin the recruitment cycle over again.

After the initial call, Hutter feared she was cut for something she had done wrong until one of the Virginia divers sent her a message telling her the whole team was cut earlier that morning. While she found some comfort that it was not only her who was cut, Hutter faced a difficult truth.

“You don’t want to connect very late [with colleges] because spots don’t open up, they close,” Hutter said. “It’s March. It’s after champ season. You want to commit before June 15 because that’s when the window opens for the next class. So I have less than three months to find a new school and commit to a new school.”

Due to the date, some of her top choices during her initial recruitment cycle, such as the University of Florida and University of Missouri, already filled their recruitment spots. College teams tend to have two to four diving recruits depending on the number of graduates each year, and once all their spots fill with commits, Hutter can no longer speak to the school.

“You see so many people committing early, especially with diving,” Hutter said. “It’s like ‘Well, okay now what am I gonna do?’ Because I feel like I’m good enough to get somewhere Division I and Power Four, but you just don’t know. That’s definitely a stressful part.”

Hutter’s initial recruitment cycle was already busy. With six official visits, she was frequently out of town, speaking with different college coaches and looking at both the diving and academic programs to inform her commitment. Now, almost a year later, Hutter had to begin the process again, beginning the very next day.

“That whole day, my phone was blowing up with texts from colleges I had visited, from coaches I had turned down,” Hutter said. “It made me feel better because I had options.”

Throughout the process, Hutter found support in other divers and coaches, including a diver who was meant to be her fellow class of 2026 teammate and is now committed to the University of Pennsylvania.

“It was really nice to have someone that was also in the same spot as I was,” Hutter said. “Someone to support and someone who I had to support me and help me if I needed it.”

Hutter’s club coach Wendy Lerew, who has been in the diving world for over 40 years, also helped her with reaching out to colleges and identifying programs that best fit her.

“Iowa was her top choice for me,” Hutter said. “She was really speaking Iowa up to me. When I told her I had committed there, she was very, very happy.”

Hutter ended up between University of Pittsburgh, her original second choice, and the University of Iowa, a school she initially “put to the side,” unsure if she wanted to live in the state until her official visit.

“I got on campus, and I immediately loved it,” Hutter said. “So [during] my meeting with the coach, I committed on the spot.”

Hutter verbally committed to University of Iowa April 11.

“When I committed on the spot, we went down and told the team,” Hutter said. “It was like a big group hug, and it was really sweet. They were all really excited. That was when I knew this is where I’m supposed to be.”