Lindsay Looney is an American 200 butterflyer. She has qualified for the U.S. World Championship Team and earned all-American honors representing ASU in her signature event.
High School/Junior Swimming
As a freshman, Looney won the 200 IM (2:02.68) and was runner-up in the 100 fly (55.38) at the Texas 5A State Championships. As a sophomore, she won both the 200 IM (2:01.70) and 100 fly (54.41). The fly was a class record.
At the 2017 Summer Junior Nationals, Looney scored lane 5 in the 200 fly finals after throwing down a 2:12.59 for 2nd in the heats. Not to be outdone by her personal best in the heats, Looney dropped a further 3 seconds with a 2:09.22 for 2nd in the final. She had another best the next morning with a 4:50.74 400 IM for the 3rd seed in finals. In the finals, the winner, Olivia Carter, was disqualified, leaving Looney as the champ in 4:47.42. Looney also placed 4th in the 200 IM (2:15.74) and 9th in the 100 fly (1:00.64).
As a junior, Looney cracked her own class record with a 54.40 to defend her 100 fly 5A title. She also won the 200 IM with a 2:00.54. A few months later, Looney committed to Arizona State University’s class of 2023.
At 2018 Summer Nationals, which also served as International Team Trials, Looney placed 9th in the 200 fly with a 2:10.03 and 32nd in the 400 IM with a 4:55.44. The 200 fly earned her a spot at Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Looney made a return to form at 2018 Winter Juniors – West. In the 400 IM, she was 3rd with a 4:11.27. In the 200 fly, she was 1:56.20 for 3rd again. She also put up a best time of 54.03 in the 100 fly and a 1:59.57 in the 200 IM.
At her final 5A State Championship, Looney twice cracked her 100 fly record. In prelims, she recorded a 53.59. In finals, she dropped it further to a 53.59. In finals, she also cracked the 5A record of 1:59.42 held by Madisyn Cox with a 1:59.33.
In SwimSwam’s final ranking of the class of 2019, Looney moved from unranked to the #18 recruit.
College (ASU)
2019-20
Looney won the 200 fly in 1:59.62 against USC. At the NC State Invitational, Looney clocked a 54.50 season best in the 100 fly and a personal best in the 500 free of 4:49.83. Her best swim was 1:56.49, just a hair off her best.
In a long course dual against Kansas, Looney had a stroke sweep with wins in both the 100 fly (1:01.62) and 200 fly (2:11.09). Ahead of Pac-12s, ASU suited up against in-state rival Arizona. Loony showed her progress at ASU by cracking the school record in the 200 fly. Her 1:55.39 was a lifetime best by almost a second and broke an 11-year-old former record held by Ashton Aubry. In the 100 fly, she was 53.65 while she set another best time in the 100 free, leading off the 400 free relay in 49.94. She earned Pac-12 swimmer of the week for her efforts.
At Pac-12 Conference Championships, Looney clocked a big personal best of 4:43.88 in the 500 free, a 6-second drop and an NCAA “B” cut. She went another best time in the 100 fly with a 53.23. Looney was a bit off her best in the 200 fly but her 1:55.49 was good for 4th.
The 2020 NCAA Championships were canceled because of COVID-19.
2020-21
The entire ASU swim and dive team was redshirted for the 2020-21 season.
2021-22
In the home opener against UCLA, Looney topped the field in the 200 fly (1:58.97) and was 2nd in the 100 fly (55.07). Against USC, Looney put up a 1:58.89 in the 200 IM for the win. In what was supposed to be a dual against Utah but what became an intrasquad because of COVID, Looney put up a new best time in the 200 fly. Her 1:54.17 was a huge drop.
Against Arizona, she put up a 1:55.50 200 fly. At the same meet, she also split 48.52 on a 400 free relay, well under her best.
Looney was just off her best time in the 200 fly at Pac-12 Championships. Her 1:54.26 was good for 4th. She also put up a 4:14.40 for 7th in the 400 IM and a 4:49.28.
At NCAAs, Looney was in excellent form. She put up a 1:54.04 in the 200 fly in prelims for 12th. She hacked a huge hunk of time off in finals to place 10th with a 1:53.25. She also put up a 1:45.79 200 free for 24th and split 1:44.96 on ASU’s 11th place 800 free relay.
2022-23
Looney made some noise at ASU’s intrasquad pentathlon. She was second overall with a combined time of 4:39.16. The most impressive of her 5 100s were her 100 fly and 100 free with 52.80 and 49.60, both under her best time. Perhaps most remarkable is that all 5 of her 100s were best times with a 55.77 in the back, a 1:04.81 in the breast, and a 56.16 in the IM.
Looney was the sole multi-event winner for the women’s team against USC. She won the 100 fly (54.07) and 200 fly with a season-best time of 1:57.78.
While the strides Looney had made were clear at the pentathlon, they were massive at the NC State Invite. There, she won the 500 free on night 1 with a 4:40.71, a 3-second drop off her best. The next day she tried on both the 100 fly and 200 free for size. She scratched the 200 free final after posting 1:46.41 in prelims. In the 100 fly, she was 52.50 in prelims and 52.09 in finals, a huge drop from her bonafide competition best time of 53.23. On the last night, she put up a solid 1:53.42 in the 200 fly.
In a rare long-course dual meet against Washington State, Looney turned heads with a 2:08.81 200 fly. She was terrific on the opening 100, splitting 1:01.36, then faded a bit, splitting 1:07.45 on the final 100. She also went 2;00.94 in the 200 free.
Against Stanford, she beat Claire Curzan, 1:53.48 to 1:54.05, just off her season best. She also dropped a 49.34 to lead a tightly packed 100 free.
With most of the eyes on the men’s side, Looney had some great times against Cal. Looney had a big swim in this 200 free race, as she shaved 0.14 seconds off her personal best with a 1:45.65. The swim was right in the neighborhood of what earned an invite in 2022. She clocked her third 1:53 of the season with a 1:53.97 in the 200 fly for the win. Next, she won the 500 free in a 4:45.90. And finally, she led off the 400 free relay in 49.51.
After an already impressive season, Looney continued to wow at Pac-12 Championships. On night 1, she threw down a 1:44.74 split on the 800 free relay, over a second under her best time. She was just off her best with a 4:41.03 the next morning in the 500 free. Looney really dropped the hammer in finals with a 4:38.29 best time. It was a thrilling race as Looney split a 26.73 to steal the win down the stretch. She also led of ASU’s 200 free relay in a massive best of 22.91. She was a bit more subdued on day 3 with a 52.59 in the 100 fly final followed by a 48.47 anchor on the 400 medley relay. She came back swinging on the final day as she put up a best time of 1:52.68 in the 200 fly to claim a Pac-12 title. It was also Looney’s first-ever “A” cut.
At NCAAs, looney barely made it back in the 500 free after placing 16th in the 500 free prelims with a 4:40.81. She cobbled together a slightly better race and was 13th in finals with a 4:40.72. It was a similar story in the 200 fly. Looney was 1:53.19 in prelims, this time good enough for 5th. Loonney was able to move up a place as she went a best time of 1:52.25 in the finals for 4th.
National/International Swimming
2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships (Suva, Fiji)
Looney was 9th in the 200 fly (2:12.26) after going 2:11.98 in prelims. She was 15th in the 100 fly (1:01.98) and 10th in the 400 IM (4:53.67) after a 4:50.46 in prelims.
2020(1) U.S. Olympic Trials (Omaha, Nebraska)
Looney had one heck of a 200 fly. She cruised through prelims with a 2:10.66. In semis, she squeaked through with a 2:09.56. She made the most of her finals berth by posting a personal best of 2:08.40 for 4th. She also posted a personal best of 1:00.14 in the 100 fly. She was named to the 2021-22 National Team roster.
2022 International Team Trials (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Looney put up a solid 2:08.99 in the 200 fly for 6th.
2022 Pro Swim Series (Mission Viejo, California)
Looney was on excellent form in Mission Viejo. She posted a season-best 2:08.86 in the 200 fly, a personal best 4:44.12 in the 400 IM, another best of 2:00.03 in the 200 free, and yet another one with a 55.55 in the 100 free. Looney also put up a 2:16.15 200 IM.
2022 Summer National Championships (Irvine, California)
At Summer Nationals, Looney crushed a best time in her signature event, the 200 fly. Her 2:07.25 was a huge lifetime best, she came into the meet with a 2:08.40. In the 400 IM, she also had a big swim with a 4:42.80 for 4th, just .01 back from a medal.
2022 U.S. Open Championships (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Looney took a quick break from NCAA racing to post a solid 2:10.25 200 fly for 2nd. She also put up a PB in the 100 fly with a 1:00.09 to undercut her best time from 2020(1) Olympic Team Trials.
2023 International Team Trials (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Right out of the gate, Looney put up a 2:08.67 in the 200 fly prelims to qualify 7th. In the final, Looney was out with the field at the 100, moved towards the front of the pack chasing Regan Smith at the 150, and powered home to a 2:07.35 for 2nd. The swim qualified Looney for her first-ever senior international team. Looney also put up a 59.88 100 fly later in the meet.
–This biography was originally developed by Lucas Caswell
