Disclaimer: Dolfin Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Dolfin Swim is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Pitt’s Blaise Vera has been one of the standout swimmers of the NCAA’s fall season.
The junior smashed a nation-leading 19.53 in the 50 free last week, part of a huge showing against ACC rival Notre Dame. Vera is just three tenths off his lifetime-best (19.24), which he put up at ACCs last year.
His improvement curve has been outstanding. Out of high school, he was 20.25 and 44.05 in the 50 and 100 freestyle. As a freshman in college, he cut to 20.0, though his 100 didn’t improve. Then last year, in a breakout sophomore campaign, he dropped all the way to 19.24 and 42.04.
During dual meet season, he was only 20.2/44.6 last year, and was 19.6/43.1 at Pitt’s mid-season invite at Ohio State. This season, he’s already been 19.53 and 43.15, with a 42.4 relay split to boot. Here were all of Vera’s swims in the two-day matchup with Notre Dame:
- 50 free (relay leadoff): 19.53
- 100 free: 43.30
- 100 free (relay split): 42.40
- 50 fly (relay split): 20.81
- 50 free: 19.75
- 100 free (relay leadoff): 43.15
If Vera can start to transition his best swims from relay leadoffs into individual events, he could be a real contender for major NCAA points. He didn’t score last year, taking 25th (19.35) in the 50 free, 28th (46.09) in the 100 fly and 24th (42.41) in the 100 free. It took 19.20 and 42.18 to score in the freestyles and 45.64 in the butterfly at last year’s NCAA Championships.
About Dolfin Swimwear
Dolfin Swimwear represents quality and value. We are committed to supplying our customers with a durable swim suit and an affordable price. We also will continue to be the innovaters for fun and unique practice/training suits which gives swimmers something to smile about…even during grueling workouts.
About Dolfin’s Tech Suit LightStrike
LightStrikeTM was developed after years of research in biomechanics, active drag analysis, fabric innovation, and compression analysis. This new FINA approved suit is supported by Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas, PhD in Biomechanics and former Performance Director with USA Swimming and Styku® 3D Biomapping Engineering.
Visit Dolfin to learn more.
Instagram @DolfinSwimwear
Twitter: @DolfinSwim
Facebook: DolfinSwimwear
Dolfin is a SwimSwam partner.
Thanks for hearing me out yall
wait wasn’t this just a Smith swim?
Yeah they had the 42.8 free guy in here, funny switch after a commentator pointed out a better option