SwimSwam Pulse: Modglin, Moesch Were Biggest Surprises of First Week of Invites

SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.

Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers which performance caught them off guard the most during the first week of invitationals:

Question: What was the most surprising swim of the first round of midseason invites?

RESULTS

• M 50 BK, Will Modglin (20.00) – 21.7%
• W 200 FR, Anna Moesch (1:40.25) – 16.2%
• M 100 BK, Will Modglin (43.26) – 12.3%
• M 200 FLY, Luca Urlando (1:36.41) – 10.3%
• W 100 FR, Anna Moesch (45.98) – 9.7%
• W 200 FR, Liberty Clark (1:41.27) – 7.1%
• W 400 IM, Bella Sims (3:58.02) – 6.9%
• W 200 BK, Maggie Wanezek (1:48.39) – 5.4%
• M 400 IM, Baylor Nelson (3:34.83) – 4.1%
• M 100 BR, Nate Germonprez (49.71) – 3.8%
• M 100 FLY, Ilya Kharun (43.38) – 1.6%
• Other – 1.0%

There was a slew of standout performances two weeks ago during the first round of midseason invitational meets in the NCAA, including two all-time record swims and several surprise showings.

In our latest poll, we asked SwimSwam readers which single swim surprised them the most, and two swimmers rose to the top: Will Modglin and Anna Moesch.

Modglin opened the Texas Hall of Fame Invite by dropping the fastest swim in history in the men’s 50 back, leading off the Longhorns’ 200 medley relay in 20.00 to surpass Aiden Hayes (20.07) for the top spot in the all-time rankings in the event.

That swim from Modglin topped the poll with 21.7% of votes, as previously, he didn’t have any performances among the top 10 all-time with his previous best of 20.32.

Later in the meet, Modglin clocked 43.26 in the 100 back, breaking Luca Urlando‘s American Record of 43.35 and shattering his previous best of 43.91 to rank #3 all-time.

All-Time Top Performers, Men’s 100 Backstroke (SCY)

1. Hubert Kos, Texas — 43.20 (2025)
2. Jonny Marshall, Florida — 43.22 (2025)
3. Will Modglin, Texas — 43.26 (2025)
4. Luca Urlando, Georgia — 43.35 (2022)
5. Ryan Murphy, Cal — 43.49 (2016)

That swim also received a big chunk of votes, coming in at 12.3% to give Modglin a total of 34% of votes between his two breakout swims.

The Texas junior wasn’t done there, dropping a massive best time out of nowhere in the 100 breast, clocking 50.91 to place 3rd behind teammates Nate Germonprez (49.71) and Campbell McKean (50.37), who rank 1-2 in the nation with those swims. Germonprez’s swim was also included in the poll and earned 3.8% of votes.

Moesch, a sophomore at Virginia, moved into the top five all-time in the women’s 100 and 200 free, setting big best times.

In the 200 free, which ranked 2nd in the poll with 16.2% of votes, Moesch came into the season with a best time of 1:42.39, and then lowered that to 1:41.42 earlier this season against Florida. At the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge, she dropped all the way down to 1:40.25, ranking her #4 all-time.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 200 Freestyle (SCY)

1. Missy Franklin, Cal – 1:39.10 (2015)
2. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 1:39.34 (2025)
3. Mallory Comerford, Louisville – 1:39.80 (2018)
4. Anna Moesch, Virginia – 1:40.25 (2025)
5. Katie Ledecky, Stanford – 1:40.36 (2017)

In the 100 free, Moesch came into the season with a PB of 46.76 and lowered it to 46.53 against UNC in October. At the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge, she became just the fifth woman ever under the 46-second barrier in 45.98, with that swim earning 9.7% of votes.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 100 Freestyle (SCY)

1. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 44.71 (2025)
2. Simone Manuel, Stanford – 45.56 (2017)
3. Erika Brown, Tennessee – 45.83 (2020)
4. Kate Douglass, Virginia – 45.86 (2023)
5. Anna Moesch, Virginia – 45.98 (2025)

Throughout most of the week, Modglin and Moesch’s four combined swims held the top four spots in the poll, but late it was Urlando’s 200 fly record that broke things up, moving into 4th with 10.3% of votes.

Urlando, who became the first swimmer sub-1:37 in the men’s 200 fly last season at the NCAA Championships in 1:36.43, reset the record at the UGA Fall Invite in 1:36.41, giving him ownership of five of the six fastest swims in history.

Following Modglin, Moesch and Urlando’s 200 fly were Indiana freshman Liberty Clark setting a big PB of 1:41.27 in the 200 free, and Bella Sims swimming her fastest 400 IM time in three years in 3:58.02.

Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Should North America host its own short course meter championship meet?

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