The Week That Was, Sponsored by Suitmate
The Week That Was featured Kelsi Dahlia joining Notre Dame as a coach, the TYR Pro at Mission Viejo, and more.
The Week That Was #1: Kelsi Dahlia Joins Notre Dame as Associate Coach
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Olympic gold medalist and recently retired Kelsi Dahlia has joined the staff at Notre Dame as an associate coach.
Dahlia swam for new Notre Dame head coach Chris Lindauer, hired in April, during her stellar career at the Louisville. Associate head coach Kameron Chastain also coached with Lindauer in Louisville.
“I’m very thankful to Chris and the administration at Notre Dame for the opportunity and honor of coaching at this historic university,” Dahlia said in a Notre Dame press release. “I’m so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned as a swimmer, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to take those experiences into this coaching role. I’m looking forward to supporting the student-athletes at the highest level, both academically and athletically. I am so excited to support the lofty goals the team sets and will fight together to accomplish!”
The Week That Was #2: Katie Grimes Continues Worlds Push With Masterful 200 Back-400 IM Double in Mission Viejo
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
With the FINA World Championships set to begin in two weeks in Budapest, American teenager Katie Grimes seems to be rounding into form as she prepares to seek her first international medal. Grimes was a surprise qualifier for the U.S. Olympic team in the 800 freestyle last year, and she finished fourth in that event in Tokyo, but in her next international appearance, she was forced to withdraw from the Short Course World Championships because of COVID-19 protocols. Now, Grimes will take on the world in three of the most grueling events: the 400 IM, the 1500 freestyle and the 10-kilometer open water race.
The TYR Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, Calif., is serving as a final tune-up meet for Grimes and a handful of other World Championships team members, including Grimes’ Sandpipers of Nevada teammates Claire Weinstein and Bella Sims, and after Grimes won the 400 free Thursday, she returned to post two quality wins Friday. First, she used a brilliant last 50 to come from behind to edge out Cal’s Isabelle Stadden in the 200 back, 2:09.52 to 2:09.59, while Fishers Area’s JoJo Ramey finished third in 2:14.51.
The Week That Was #3: Maggie Mac Neil to Swim Fifth Year at LSU; No Longer Heading to Cal
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Shortly after concluding her senior-year NCAA Championships for the University of Michigan, Olympic gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil announced that she would compete a fifth year in college swimming for Cal-Berkeley. However, Mac Neil’s plans have since changed, and Louisiana State University announced Saturday that Mac Neil will be heading to Baton Rouge to join the Tigers for her final year of college swimming.
Mac Neil, a native of London, Ontario, will reunite with LSU head coach Rick Bishop, who was Mac Neil’s primary coach during her time with the Wolverines until Bishop’s departure to LSU last year.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Maggie again,” Bishop said in a press release from LSU. “She is one of the greats in swimming today, and she will make an immediate impact for the Tigers. Maggie has an infectious drive for success that elevates those around her.”
The Week That Was #4: As Major Opportunities Beckon, Summer McIntosh Continues to Make Global Impact
Photo Courtesy: Scott Grant/Swimming Canada
One of the most-intriguing storylines of the summer is the hype surrounding Canadian youngster Summer McIntosh. The 15-year-old rising star is slated to race at the World Championships in Budapest and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with expectations sky high for several eye-opening performances.
At last summer’s Olympic Games, McIntosh just missed the podium in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing fourth in the showstopping clash between Australia’s Ariarne Titmus (3:56.69) and American Katie Ledecky (3:57.36). China’s Li Bingjie earned the bronze medal in 4:01.08, with McIntosh a little more than a second back in 4:02.42.
Nearly 12 months later, McIntosh has clearly elevated her skill set, as she has put together a phenomenal 2022 campaign – with the biggest competitions still to come. Already this year, McIntosh has top-five rankings in a quartet of events, all of which she is qualified to race on the international stage over the next few months. In addition to leading the world in the 400 individual medley (4:29.12) and 200 butterfly (2:05.81), McIntosh sits third in the 400 freestyle (4:01.59) and fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:55.39).
The Week That Was #5: Sarasota’s Evan Keogh Remains In State With 2023 Verbal Commitment to Florida
Photo Courtesy: Evan Keogh
NEW COMMIT: The University of Florida has picked up a new in-state verbal commitment for the fall of 2023 from Olympic Trials qualifier Evan Keogh of Sarasota, Florida.
He will join fellow in-staters Josh Parent and Andrew Taylor in Gainesville as a member of the Gators’ Class of 2027.
Regarding his commitment, he said:
“I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Florida. I want to thank my coaches, family, and friends for making this possible. Go Gators”