‘Bama’s Liam Bell Scratches from NCAA Championships; Re-Enters Transfer Portal

2021 NCAA MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

University of Alabama swimmer Liam Bell has withdrawn from the NCAA Championship meet, but because the withdrawal was done more than 24 hours after invites were sent, he was not replaced.

The NCAA’s new COVID-rules for this season say that alternates will only be called up to the meet if the scratched swimmer is dropped within 24 hours of the invitations being announced. We learned from the Florida women this week that there is an apparent loophole if the scratched swimmer is the result of qualifying divers to NCAAs, but we also learned from Daria Pyshnenko of Michigan that they’re enforcing the rule otherwise.

Like Pyshnenko, Bell’s absence could have been predicted before the scratch deadline: Bell, a sophomore at Alabama, re-entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 2.

This is Bell’s second time in the portal. Last year, after the cancellation of the NCAA Championships, Bell entered his name into the portal. He ultimately decided to stay at Alabama, but has now put his name back in.

This time, Bell is marked with a “do not contact” notice, which often, but not always, means that an athlete has their transfer destination already chosen.

In 2020, as a freshman, Bell finished as the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke at the SEC Championships and was seeded 6th in that event for the NCAA Championships before they were canceled.

At this year’s SEC Championship meet, Bell won the C final of the 100 breaststroke in 53.21 and missed scoring in the 50 and 100 freestyles, his other two individual events. He swam a leg on Alabama’s 8th-place 800 free relay, but was bumped from the medley relays by fellow sophomore Derek Maas.

His in-season 100 breaststroke time of 52.05 made him the 24th seed in the 100 breaststroke. He was also entered in the 50 free (43rd seed – 19.64) and 200 breast (1:55.81 – 42nd seed).

Alabama will have a new head coach next season: Coley Stickels resigned mid-year after just 18 months leading the program, and Margo Geer, who only recently ended her competitive career, will take over in her first full-time college coaching job.

The current first alternate for the NCAA Championships is Navy’s Micah Oh and the second alternate is Indiana’s Michael Calvillo. It’s likely that Oh will get a callup when Texas scratches at least one, and possibly two, swimmers to make room for their diving qualifiers.

34
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

34 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ex Swimmer
3 years ago

Best of luck to Liam. He’s quite a talented swimmer and a kind, determined young man. Clearly he’s had injuries and a tough season, but I hope the very best for him. It’s true what SameSame said – not kind to throw shade on these young swimmers. Go Liam!

TiredSwimmer24
3 years ago

My understanding is that he had a bad groin pull prior to SEC. He swam to help the team but ended up making the injury worse. His free and breast times were way slower. Because he is supposed to still be injured, he can’t score points at ncaa. Why risk a worse injury for no chance of points? The guy went for one coach, and one month before school started, all the swimmers were given a new coaching staff with a very different style (Nothing taken away from them. They are great coaches). Now the team has yet another head coach and about to have still another.

Heather Watkins
3 years ago

Amazingly talented and beyond that a great all around young man! Cannot say enough about him. The next school to have the privilege of getting him will not only be getting an AMAZING swimmer, but a teammate who is encouraging and supportive! Best of luck Liam!!!

Same Same
Reply to  Heather Watkins
3 years ago

Good for you for defending him (I don’t know him at all). But I think it’s never kind to throw shade at these young swimmers on this forum. No-one knows his own personal circumstances except for him. There are just so many factors that go into making a program the right or wrong place for an athlete.

CurrentSwimMom
3 years ago

The kid has his sites set on bigger things. With the groin injury, it is unlikely he would have scored well at NCAAs. Why risk re-injury? Better to fully recover and focus on trials.

Best of luck to him wherever he lands. Hopefully the program will have more stability and consistency. He is an incredible swimmer, but even better person. It’s sad that people are so judgmental without really knowing a person.

Swimnerd
3 years ago

Sounds like he had a pulled groin at SEC’s probably why he didn’t go for the 2breast and was conservative on the 100 breast.

Talent is undeniable, whatever school gets him is looking at a top 8 100 breastroker for the next two years

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Swimnerd
3 years ago

How can any school count on him for two years? Dude’s a bailer.

swimapologist
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

I think you’re discounting the “Coley effect,” and what that can do to a swimmer.

He only stuck around because he was promised he would no longer have to train under Coley. Can you blame a swimmer for then not wanting to train for one of Coley’s favorite trainees, who has zero relevant experience to take over the job?

Normally I’d agree with you, but this circumstance is unusual to say the least.

KeepTryin
Reply to  swimapologist
3 years ago

You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Liam was always only staying for one more year while he waited to get into the academic program he was looking for.

Also, not training with Coley this season was due to an injury caused midway thru the season (overtraining with another coach on staff).

Nice job trying to take shots at a good coach tho.

Carol
Reply to  KeepTryin
3 years ago

The Coley effect lives on… Heard he has been telling others that he is quitting coaching after this coming Olympics. Maybe that is for the best.

PappaSnurf
Reply to  Carol
3 years ago

Do you and your husband have anything better to do than smear a really awesome coach/person? Have you ever met Coley or seen him coach? Maybe you should stop listening to hearsay and unsubstantiated rumor and reserve judgment and get a life.

DrSwimPhil
Reply to  Swimnerd
3 years ago

If that’s the case, then he and/or Bama screwed someone else out of an NCAA Championship experience

Stewie
Reply to  Swimnerd
3 years ago

I heard he injured it in prelims of 100 breast. If you look at his splits, that seems to be the case – the last 25 was very slow.

Perhaps he’s still rehabbing, and doesn’t want to risk reinjuring it?

He has the potential to be a great breaststroker/ free sprinter.

Joseph
3 years ago

He is a good kid and I hope the best for him. It would have been nice to his team to finish the season first though. Maybe there’s more to the story.

thezwimmer
3 years ago

I wonder what the team dynamic was since he essentially told his teammates he was leaving last year and then stayed an extra year…

DistanceSwimmer
3 years ago

*sips tea*

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »