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Ranked as a “Best of the Rest” in SwimSwam rankings this past summer of the class of 2025, Mere Whelehan, a native of Cary, North Carolina, will take her talents west to Tennessee next fall.
I’m so incredibly grateful to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Tennessee!! I’d like to thank my parents, siblings, coaches, teammates and friends for all of their support throughout this process. A special thanks to Matt Kredich and the Tennessee coaches for giving me this opportunity to be a lady vol🍊 Go Vols🧡🧡
This past winter, Whelehan repeated as a double champion at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship. As a sophomore in 2023, Whelehan swept the 200 Free (1:47.52) and the 100 Free (50.42), and a year later, this past February, she returned to the podium, albeit in faster times. Representing Green Hope High School, she won the 200 free in 1:46.85, a new personal best. In the 100 she broke the 50. barrier for the first time, taking the win in 49.88. In fact, it was her third straight win in the 100 as she also won it her freshman year (50.62) in addition to placing 3rd in the 200 (1:48.92).
Whelehan’s appearances atop the podium were not limited to individual events, however. She split 23.30 in the 200 free relay, in the 2nd spot as the team composed of Sloane Whelehan (23.16), Kyley Lloyd (24.52) and Andie Quisumbing (23.42) combined to win by over a second in a time of 1:34.40. Whelehan was joined by her younger sister, Sloane on the 400 Free Relay, where the sibling swapped spots, with Mere leading off in 50.41, with Sloane swimming 50.51. They were joined by Mia Jeltima (52.38) and Quisumbing (51.61), and together, the quartet posted a time of 3:24.91 to secure the win and place second overall as a team, scoring 239.5 points to Myers Park’s 259.
This past long course season swimming for her club team, TAC Titans, Whelehan posted a trio of podium finishes at the ESSZ Spring Championships, held in Marach, where she placed 1st in the 200 free (2:03.49), 2nd in the 400 free (4:23.23) and 3rd in the 100 free (57.67).
More recently at the end of July, at the Austin edition of the Futures Championships, Whelehan placed 9th in the 200 free (2:03.87) and 13th in the 400 free (4:25.43).
Best Yards Times
- 50 Free – 22.98
- 100 Free – 49.88
- 200 Free – 1:46.85
- 500 Free – 4:48.90
Whelehan, in a year’s time, will be joining a Tennessee program that finished runner-up at the most recent SEC Championships, scoring 1190 points to Florida’s 1391.5. At NCAAs, Tennessee, once again, was right behind Florida, placing 4th with 364 points.
At the 2024 SEC Champs, Tennessee flexed its sprinting muscles as they placed three swimmers into the A-Final of the 50 free, led by Camille Spink, a then-freshman, who won with a time of 21.77 ahead of teammates Mona McSharry (3rd – 22.01) and Amber Myers (6th – 22.28). In the 100, Spink was victorious again, taking the win in 46.69 ahead of her teammate Brooklyn Douthwright, who was 3rd in 47.76.
In both the 200 and 500, Tennessee put multiple swimmers into the A-Final. Spink and Douthwright were 2nd and 4th in the 200 and were joined by Julia Mrozinski(who was 8th). Mrozinski improved her placing in the 500, finishing 4th in a time of 4:38.18 ahead of teammate Kate McCarville (6th – 4:39.96).
While Whelehan still has a year to improve, she already has personal bests that are capable of making the finals at SECs, based on last year’s times. The addition of the 3x NCAA runner-up Texas to the conference is sure to make things a little faster. That said, it took a 1:47.18 in the 200 free to earn a second swim, and Whelehan’s best of 1:46.85 would have been 22nd in prelims (SEC swims three finals of eight swimmers).
Her best in the 50 free would have tied for 42nd, while in the 100 and 500, she would have placed 40th and 32nd, respectively.
Spink will be just a junior when, Whelehan arrives on campus, meaning the pair will have potentially two years of overlap. While Douthwright, McCarville, and Mrozinski will have graduated, Tennessee has brought in a strong freestyle freshman class this fall, headlined by 2024 Olympians Ella Jansen and Jillian Crooks.
Joining Whelehan on campus next autumn are Alyssa Claborn, Amelia Mason, Avery Luedke, Nicole Zettel and Lilly Robertson. Both Claborn and Zettel call North Carolina home, meaning half the class come from the Tar Heel State.
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