Only six women have ever broken 50 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly at the NCAA Championships. There’s a strong possibility that more swimmers achieve the feat at this year’s meet alone.
The fact that the four fastest women in the history of the 100 fly (Virginia’s Kate Douglass, LSU’s Maggie MacNeil, and Stanford’s Torri Huske, and Claire Curzan) will likely compete for this year’s NCAA title has dominated headlines, but the depth of the event this season is almost as impressive.
Virginia sophomore Gretchen Walsh (49.34) and Texas junior Emma Sticklen (49.79) have also been sub-50 this season, while Louisville junior Gabi Albiero (50.04) and Texas junior Olivia Bray (50.07) are just a blink away after clocking lifetime bests at their respective conference championships.
If Douglass, MacNeil, Huske, Curzan, Walsh, and Sticklen can match their season-best times, and if Albiero and Bray can drop another tenth in the next month, it’s conceivable that the entire A-final could break the 50-second barrier.
A comparison of Bray’s previous bests illustrates just how much this event has progressed in the past four years. Her previous-best 50.19 from 2019 ranked her as the eighth-fastest performer ever at the time, but her new lifetime best of 50.07 on Friday night only ranks eighth this season.
Top 8 Performers This Season, 100 Fly
- Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 48.84
- Maggie MacNeil (LSU) – 48.99
- Torri Huske (Stanford) – 49.25
- Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 49.34
- Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 49.79
- Claire Curzan (Stanford) – 49.93
- Gabi Albiero (Louisville) – 50.04
- Olivia Bray (Texas) – 50.07
Cal star Natalie Coughlin went 50.01 back in 2002, but it took another 13 years before Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell became the first sub-50 swimmer in the 100 fly at the 2015 NCAA Championships with a 49.81. Besides Worrell, MacNeil, Douglass, and Huske, the only other two swimmers to have dipped under 50 seconds in the event at NCAAs are Louise Hansson and Katie McLaughlin.
| NCAA Championships | Number of Women Sub-50 in 100 Fly |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
UVA needs Walsh in the 100 back. They have Douglass who’s most likely going to punch a 48.5 or faster in the 100 fly, so it’s unlikely they are gonna use Walsh. Walsh could easily win the 100 back. 23.5, 25.0, 48.6
Curzan will also sit this one out, leaving just three certain sub 50s, and 3-4 others somewhere between likely and unlikely. I’d say 5 sub 50s, but would not be surprised with just 3-4.
What are the odds Walsh will choose the 100 fly over the 100 back and free combo?
0%
The #8 all-time to #8 this-season stat is incredible. A+ nerding!
“the only other two swimmers to have dipped under 50 seconds in the event are Louise Hansson and Katie McLaughlin.”
Regan Smith and Erika Brown have also done it, for 10 women total
oops I mean 11, the 6 women this season + Worell/Dahlia, Smith, Brown, McLaughlin, Hansson
I believe that sentence was referencing sub 50 at NCAAs.
Yeah, Regan Smith and Erika Brown have also gone sub-50, just not at NCAAs
especially since the 100 fly comes first, I don’t think Curzan or GWalsh are going to swim it at NCAAs. that being said I wonder if there are any women in the 50-point range who are primed to go a massive PB at the meet
Curzan maybe but now Walsh. Curzan 100/200 BK; 100 FL. Walsh 50/100 FR; 100 BK
The answer to this headline is… YES it will take sub-50 to A final