Swimming World’s Female NCAA Performance of the Year goes to Katie Ledecky for her record-breaking 500 free at this year’s NCAA championships. She posted a time of 4:24.06 to crush her previous American and NCAA record.
Katie Ledecky reset her NCAA, American and US Open Record from the Pac-12 Championships a few short weeks ago. Ledecky broke all the records at 4:24.06, a second under the old record at 4:25.15. An equally impressive swim, Leah Smith broke 4:30 for the first time with a 4:28.90, moving her up to the 11th fastest performance of all time.
Ledecky and Smith were way ahead from the rest of the field the entire way, the only question was how far they could both go under their best times. Smith had been knocking on the 4:30 barrier for two years now and she finally did it tonight while trailing one of the best swimmers in history. This is Stanford’s first title in the 500 free since 2001 when Jessica Foschi won it at 4:37.81. It is the eighth title in the 500 for Stanford as Marybeth Linzmeier won three titles from 1982-1984 and Janet Evans won two in 1990 and 1991.
The battle for third was very exciting as outside smoke, Kennedy Goss of Indiana had a monster last 50 with a 4:36.13 to out-touch Louisville’s Mallory Comerford at 4:36.16. Hannah Moore (4:36.85), Rose Bi (4:37.30), Danielle Valley (4:38.31) and G Ryan (4:40.28) rounded out the A-final.
Event 3 Women 500 Yard Freestyle ========================================================================= NCAA: N 4:25.15 2/23/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford Meet: C 4:28.37 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford American: A 4:25.15 2/23/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford U.S. Open: O 4:25.15 2/23/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford Pool: P 4:28.37 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford Name Year School Prelims Finals NISCA Points ========================================================================= === A - Final === 1 Katie Ledecky FR Stanford 4:28.37 4:24.06N 198 20 r:+0.68 24.41 50.65 (26.24) 1:16.83 (26.18) 1:43.49 (26.66) 2:10.07 (26.58) 2:37.07 (27.00) 3:04.11 (27.04) 3:31.14 (27.03) 3:58.03 (26.89) 4:24.06 (26.03) 2 Leah Smith SR Virginia 4:31.10 4:28.90 189 17 r:+0.72 24.83 51.42 (26.59) 1:18.19 (26.77) 1:45.34 (27.15) 2:12.62 (27.28) 2:39.89 (27.27) 3:07.28 (27.39) 3:34.57 (27.29) 4:02.00 (27.43) 4:28.90 (26.90) 3 Kennedy Goss JR Indiana 4:38.09 4:36.13 175 16 r:+0.65 25.53 53.56 (28.03) 1:21.73 (28.17) 1:49.93 (28.20) 2:18.08 (28.15) 2:46.06 (27.98) 3:14.37 (28.31) 3:42.44 (28.07) 4:09.87 (27.43) 4:36.13 (26.26) 4 Mallory Comerfo SO Louisville 4:36.91 4:36.16 175 15 r:+0.69 25.52 53.39 (27.87) 1:21.84 (28.45) 1:50.19 (28.35) 2:18.52 (28.33) 2:46.40 (27.88) 3:14.22 (27.82) 3:41.87 (27.65) 4:09.40 (27.53) 4:36.16 (26.76) 5 Hannah Moore JR NC STATE 4:37.12 4:36.85 173 14 r:+0.70 25.96 53.80 (27.84) 1:21.76 (27.96) 1:49.92 (28.16) 2:18.00 (28.08) 2:46.16 (28.16) 3:14.17 (28.01) 3:42.17 (28.00) 4:09.85 (27.68) 4:36.85 (27.00) 6 Rose Bi SO Michigan 4:37.81 4:37.30 172 13 r:+0.66 25.81 53.58 (27.77) 1:21.47 (27.89) 1:49.46 (27.99) 2:17.50 (28.04) 2:45.73 (28.23) 3:13.88 (28.15) 3:42.09 (28.21) 4:10.24 (28.15) 4:37.30 (27.06) 7 Danielle Valley SR Wisconsin 4:38.07 4:38.31 171 12 r:+0.75 26.15 54.00 (27.85) 1:22.00 (28.00) 1:50.18 (28.18) 2:18.25 (28.07) 2:46.42 (28.17) 3:14.48 (28.06) 3:42.46 (27.98) 4:10.73 (28.27) 4:38.31 (27.58) 8 G Ryan JR Michigan 4:36.46 4:40.28 167 11 r:+0.73 26.10 54.18 (28.08) 1:22.53 (28.35) 1:51.25 (28.72) 2:19.64 (28.39) 2:48.03 (28.39) 3:16.24 (28.21) 3:44.57 (28.33) 4:12.67 (28.10) 4:40.28 (27.61)
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Simone’s insane 100 free should have got it
From an objective, unemotional USA Swimming power points perspective, Ledecky’s 500 Free swim at NCAAs rated 1128 points to Manuel’s 1108 points for the 100 Free. Also, from an objective, unemotional USA Swimming power points perspective, the top three swimmers in their respective individual events at NCAA Championships were Ledecky (3349 points), Kathleen Baker (3317 points), and Manuel (3242 points). At NCAAs, Ledecky had three individual titles, two relay wins, and one individual American Record. Baker had three individual titles, one relay win, and no individual American Records. Manuel had two individual titles, two relay wins, and one individual American record.
Ok.but we’re talking about a single race…so all the rest is irrelevant as is the “power points”
Frothy emotional appeals to override the incredible nature of Katie Ledecky and her 500 make no sense. Maybe Katie does it so often, so expectedly, that some uninformed people have a hard time grasping just how incredible her swimming is. Yes, Simone had a fantastic 100 free and is a world class talent. But since both races were “incredible” and unprecedented, wouldn’t an obvious intellectual view of this be to compare Power Points, or some other objective standard? Does the emotional use of the word “insane” (which has no logical connection to ‘good’) by itself qualify that 100 swim as more notable than the 500? And the answer to that question is NO.
The 100 free is arguably the most prestigious event in all sized pools. Sorry you have difficulty with “youth” lingo
I too am sorry – sorry this seems to require personal attacks and discussion of who is having a ‘problem’. I’m pretty good with words, and I recognize all sorts of ‘insane’ slang. I also know that, even when I take the trouble to display agreement with a viewpoint (“fantastic 100 free” and “world class talent”) there are always haters on line who will say anything in their anonymity. I’m content to know that the presenters of the award also agree with my conclusion that the 500 Free was the “Performance of the Year”. My biggest issue was hearing a private opinion stating that another swim “should have got (sic) it”. If the comment had said “the incredible 100 Free by Simone Manuel should be considered right up there” I would have saluted the recognition. But the way it was stated (“should have got it”) made a furtive criticism of the committee who made the decision they did. Yet, I am glad you remind readers of the unprecedented breakthrough by Simone. And yes, your sentiment that the 100 Free truly IS THE GLORY EVENT is an opinion I share.