Swim Search Finalist Ally Mason Was Voted ‘Most Likely to Be in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’ in High School

The 2025 Swim Search finalist is vying for a rookie spot in next year’s magazine.

Ally Mason / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

Swim Search finalist Ally Mason has made quite a name for herself in the modeling world. The 25-year-old Arizona native has walked the catwalk during Milan and New York Fashion Weeks, and she has also appeared in publications like Harper’s Bazaar and Maxim.

And in May, Mason walked the SI Swimsuit Runway during Swim Week as a finalist in the 2025 Swim Search. She says the experience was unlike any other runway she’s strutted in the past.

“ It was the most energetic runway I’ve ever walked on, ever seen, ever anything. Like it is a completely different energy and ball game,” Mason explains. “ ... [The SI Swimsuit Runway] is  about the bikinis, but it’s [also] about the girl. It’s about what they stand for. It’s about everybody’s unique beauty and it’s about the energy and authenticity given off in the show.”

Ally Mason / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

As a teenager, Mason admired the women in the SI Swimsuit Issue and dreamed of one day landing within the pages of the magazine herself. She was vocal enough about her aspirations that her high school classmates voted Mason “Most Likely to Be in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.”

 “I’ve always looked up to the women in the magazine, and my high school senior class actually voted me ‘Most Likely to Be in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’ our senior year of high school,” Mason tells us. “I had no idea they were doing these types of votes, and they got on stage and were presenting awards and they randomly called my name. At the time it felt funny, but the award really kind of stuck with me, and I actually still have the award with me.”

Seven years after receiving that award from her high school classmates, Mason is hoping to make her dreams a reality. She is one of six finalists in the 2025 Swim Search, and you can have a say in who will appear as a rookie in the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue next May. Voting is open now through the end of the month here, with audience input playing a key role (combined with the discretion of the SI Swimsuit editorial team) in the outcome.

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