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This is the Swim Poll of the Week for Thursday, January 27, 2022. Sponsored by Strechcordz Swim Training Products. In our last swim poll, we wanted to know: Which Women’s NCAA record do you think will be broken in March?
Maggie Mac Neil set the 100 butterfly NCAA record at last year’s championships. She was also the first to bring the record sub-49 seconds, stopping the clock at 48.89. This also qualified as a U.S. Open record. Mac Neil currently occupies the top spot in the country and is nearing her own record. Ellen Walshe and Torri Huske are right behind MacNeil and will serve as stiff competition at NCAA’s this year.
Ella Eastin’s 200 IM record from 2018 still stands. Eastin recorded a time of 1:50.67 at the 2018 NCAA’s. Kate Douglass and Torri Huske have both claimed A-cuts in this event for 2022. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Huske, who set the 17-18 NAG in this event, was aiming for the NCAA title and record. Douglass medaled in the 200-meter IM at the Toyko Olympics this past summer and came within seconds of the 200 IM American record last month in Abu Dabi. This will be an event no one will want to miss at NCAA’s in Atlanta. Alex Walsh is last year’s NCAA 200 IM champ with her time of 1:51.87 and could possibly be looking to defend her title.
Beata Nelson claimed the 100 backstroke record at the 2019 NCAA’s in 49.18. Gretchen Walsh, Regan Smith and Rhyan White have all posted A-cuts for this year’s NCAA’s. All three have had incredible swims this year and are inching up on Nelson’s record. Smith is the former world-record holder in the 100-meter back, and she was the Olympic bronze medalist in the event in Tokyo, while White finished fourth in the Olympic final. All of these women are top contenders to take on Nelson’s claim to NCAA fame. Katharine Berkoff is the defending 2021 champion, taking the podium last year with a time of 49.74, which was a new pool record.
Which Women’s NCAA record do you think will be broken in March?
100 Butterfly — 42%
200 IM — 23%
100 Backstroke — 34%
Casual no-mention of any event Lia Thomas is swimming
Thought the same!
It’s obviously worth mentioning that Regan Smith is the CURRENT American Record holder in the 100 Back. Saying she’s the former 100 meter world record holder is less relevant. She swam a 49.16 in March of 2021. She also has a great shot at Ella Eastin’s 200 Fly American/NCAA Record (she’s currently second by a few tenths) and the 200 Back American Record (currently held by her).