Alabama’s Avery Wiseman Pops 57.87 100 Breast at Tennessee Invite Prelims

2021 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

2021 NCAA Cut Lines

Men Event (SCY) Women
19.46 50 free 22.32
42.88 100 free 48.76
1:34.04 200 free 1:46.25
4:16.75 500 free 4:44.77
15:01.33 1650 free 16:25.47
46.29 100 fly 52.7
1:43.47 200 fly 1:57.42
46.37 100 back 53.01
1:41.81 200 back 1:55.05
52.4 100 breast 1:00.12
1:54.28 200 breast 2:10.37
1:44.15 200 IM 1:57.62
3:45.67 400 IM 4:13.19

Day 2 of competition is underway at the 2021 Tennessee Invitational, with Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina, Carson-Newman and Emory taking part.

By far the most eye-catching swims of the morning came from two freshman women.

To kick off the day, Tennessee freshman Ellen Walshe hit a 51.39 100 fly, the top time in the nation this year. She split 24.11/27.28. The race was the first short course yards 100 fly on record for the Irish Olympian, who holds a LCM best time of 59.32 (which converts to around a 52.2). No one else in the field was under 52 this morning — Walshe was the fastest of five Tennessee swimmers in the top eight. In the 400 medley relay Thursday night, Walshe split 51.08.

Walshe followed up the 100 fly performance with the top swim in the 400 IM at 4:06.07 — also her first SCY attempt of the event on record. She split 56.31/1:03.19/1:09.69/56.88 en route to the fifth-fastest time in program history.

Later, Alabama’s Avery Wiseman, a Canadian former Junior Worlds Team member, went 57.87 in her third-ever short course yards 100 breaststroke. She split 27.29/30.58 to get well under the NCAA A cut. In her two swims earlier this season, she was 1:01.97 and 1:01.18. Her best LCM time is 1:07.86, from Canadian Olympic Trials, which converts to around a 59.3. In Thursday night’s 400 medley relay, however, Wiseman split 58.66.

Today’s swim would have ranked Wiseman No. 1 in the country this season, had NC State’s Sophie Hansson not gone .02 seconds faster right around the same time this morning at the NC State Invite. Wiseman’s time would have placed her second at the 2021 SEC Conference Championships and fourth at the 2021 NCAA Championships. She’s the first Alabama woman to break the 58-second barrier in the event.

Other top prelims swims

  • Tennesse senior Kayky Mota was the top qualifier in the men’s 100 fly at 46.49 (21.28/25.21).
  • Virginia senior Casey Storch led the men’s 400 IM in 3:46.09, splitting 50.84/58.43/1:03.43/53.39.
  • Tennessee freshman Julia Mrozinski is the top seed in the women’s 200 free with a 1:45.26 (51.52/53.74).
  • Alabama freshman Kaique Alves led the men’s 200s with a 1:35.01, splitting 45.97/39.04.
  • Tennesee senior Jarel Dillard and Alabama junior Derek Maas went 1-2 in the men’s 100 breast at 51.83 and 51.87, joining the small handful of men who have broken 52 seconds so far this season.
  • Alabama Olympian Rhyan White was the only woman under 52 in the women’s 100 back, going 51.31 (24.85/26.46). She’s been 50.15 this season, however.
  • South Carolina freshman Michael Laitarovsky is the top seed in the men’s 100 back after going 46.71 (22.28/24.43), a best time.

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RTR
2 years ago

Last night Alabama came within 0.06 seconds of sweeping both the Women’s and Men’s 400 Medley Relays.

Can’t wait to see if they can sweep the 200 Medley Relays tonight!

💪💪💪

Breezeway
2 years ago

Those Bama girls got some heat. Gonna be interesting come March

Kevin
Reply to  Breezeway
2 years ago

I think they’ll be around where they were at last year’s meet. Likely a 5th-7th place team. Can’t see them cracking the top 5 in front of UVA, Stanford, NC State, Cal, or Texas, but they have a great team. I think SECs will be intriguing

Last edited 2 years ago by Kevin
Canswimfan
2 years ago

Impressive swim by Wiseman. Hopefully she can show similar improvement in LC and help solve the Canadian women’s breaststroke problem. Big gap on their otherwise very strong relay (Masse, MacNeil and Olekaiak).

ScovaNotiaSwimmer
Reply to  Canswimfan
2 years ago

Exactly! Avery, please be ready for trials in May.

VFL
Reply to  Canswimfan
2 years ago

Huge swim 👏🏼👏🏼 Gonna be a fun final tonight!

VFL
2 years ago

Huge AM for Lady Vols!! Halfway through meet and already at 15 girls under invite times from last year…not including previous NCAA qualifiers Pintar, Nguyen, and Carlton. (Or divers)

Freshman class is living up to the billing. 51 from Walshe isn’t super surprising to me, but 1:54 and 4:06! Huge. Stotler a big surprise too. Relay spots are gonna be a fun battle for the rest of the season.

Shoutout to the men for doing work too. Crooks is a budding star. Breaststroke crew is a wrecking ball. Hope one or two stick around for super senior year!

GBO!!!

Taa
Reply to  VFL
2 years ago

Their team size is huge they could do split squad and have two teams.

Mr. Sir
Reply to  Taa
2 years ago

They have 45 women on their roster!

VFL
Reply to  Mr. Sir
2 years ago

Kredich culture is magnetic!

Coach
Reply to  VFL
2 years ago

Kredich is a very classy guy. We need more people like him in the sport. Same with Steve Bultman at A&M.

SwimFan76
Reply to  Taa
2 years ago

It’s interesting how team sizes have changed when you look at 5th years that stayed and transfers that come in. Will be interesting to see if people continue flocking there

ISLJackpot
Reply to  VFL
2 years ago

Tough double for Walshe

SwimAlum
2 years ago

Congrats!

SwimFan76
2 years ago

Pretty incredible depth by Tennessee right now! Hats off to Margo and crew on some stellar swims.

UVA seems pretty flat? What is going on

Kevin
Reply to  SwimFan76
2 years ago

They’re likely worn out after resting for dual meets against Cal & Texas

Taa
Reply to  SwimFan76
2 years ago

I’ll steal a comment someone else made: you can’t just throw on a tech suit and expect to swim fast

Admin
Reply to  Taa
2 years ago

Okay but every time a team suits in a dual meet, their opponents rush to the comments to claim that you can.

Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
Reply to  SwimFan76
2 years ago

They aren’t flat though?? Kate Douglass has been insane

Last edited 2 years ago by Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
Say's Phoebe
Reply to  Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
2 years ago

1:49.49 for Douglass in the 200 free this morning.
23.92/27.38/28.63/29.56

Absolutely no sarcasm or judgement on my part here, I just have no idea what that is.

Mr. Sir
Reply to  Say's Phoebe
2 years ago

Looks like pain.

Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
Reply to  Say's Phoebe
2 years ago

Or maybe maaaybe it’s because she’s hasnt swam the event since high school

Last edited 2 years ago by Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
Mr. Sir
Reply to  SwimFan76
2 years ago

Seems to be all relative. They are dropping time from dual meet times but Bama and UT are swimming lights out.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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