World Junior Championships 200m Back Finalist Natalie Mannion Sends 2022 Verbal to Stanford
NEW COMMIT: U.S. National Junior Team member Natalie Mannion of Boston, Mass. and Sarasota, Fla. has announced her verbal commitment to Stanford University for the fall of 2022.
Mannion, who trains with the Sarasota Sharks under coach Brent Arckey, swam at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha where she was 19th in the 200 back and 52nd in the 100 back.
Mannion’s specialty is long course where she has a best of 2:11.25 in the 200 backstroke from the 2019 Nationals, which earned herself a spot on the US National Junior Team and the World Junior team for Budapest. In Hungary, she placed sixth in that event after qualifying third during finals – swimming as fast as a 2:11.56 in the heats. Mannion has also been as fast as a 1:01.87 in the 100 back from the summer of 2019 when she was swimming for the Commonwealth Current in Boston.
Her best times in yards include:
- 50 back – 25.31
- 100 back – 53.07
- 100 free – 49.70
- 200 free – 1:46.83
- 500 free – 4:45.93
- 200 IM – 1:59.95
- 400 IM – 4:19.04
- 200 back – 1:54.24
- 100 fly – 54.57
- 200 fly – 1:59.68
Natalie Mannion finaled in the 200m back at the Toyota U.S. Open in December before going on to win six events at New England Seniors. She earned three gold medals at the New England 15-18 Age Group Championships in March and added five more wins at New England LCM Seniors in July 2019.
In addition to breaking Elizabeth Beisel’s 13-14 200m back New England Open in 2018, she owns seven additional New England LSC records. Mannion has also earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-American honors and was Swimming World’s featured age group swimmer of the month in April 2019.
This past college season, Stanford’s best 100 backstroker was Janelle Rudolph (51.97) while Alex Crisera (1:53.67) had the top time on the team in the 200. Although Stanford was hit hard by the COVID pandemic this past season, the Cardinal look to be one of the top teams in the country this upcoming season once the team gets back to full strength.
In 2021, Stanford was ninth at the NCAA Championships, while it took a 1:53.67 to score in Mannion’s best event – the 200 backstroke. Mannion looks to be a national contributor right away if she can translate her strong long course times to the short course venue. In the 100 back, a 52.26 got a second swim at NCAAs so Mannion’s best times from sophomore year are right on the cusp of scoring at NCAAs.
Natalie Mannion will join Lucy Bell, Sophie Duncan, Gigi Johnson, Kristi McEnroe and Kayla Wilson in Stanford’s freshman class for the fall of 2022.
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