Lady Vols Marred By Absences At Tennessee Invite

2022 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

The Tennessee Volunteers are playing host to some of the country’s top teams at the Tennessee Invite this week, but the women’s team is racing shorthanded with several key players missing.

One absence we already knew about was Ellen Walshe, who is staying home in Ireland through the fall semester after a breakout freshman campaign last year that included her winning three individual SEC titles and leading the team with 23 NCAA points.

But beyond Walshe, the Lady Vols are missing some important pieces this weekend, including 2022 NCAA scorers Kristen Stege and Julia Mrozinski, national qualifiers Jasmine Rumley and Summer Smith, along with freshman Regan Rathwell and senior Claire Nguyen.

Mrozinski is currently in her home country of Germany—she competed in the FINA World Cup stop in Berlin last month, and raced the 100 free this morning at German Nationals in a time of 56.83 (SCM).

Rumley has also not raced yet this season in the NCAA, but the others all have, though the university has declined to provide details on the reasoning behind their absences at this week’s invite.

Walshe is an all-around talent, with her best event probably being the 100 fly, while the absences of Rumley (sprints), Mrozinski (mid-distance) and Stege, Smith and Nguyen (all distance) really put Tennessee’s freestyle corps at a disadvantage. Smith is also an all-arounder who was an ‘A’ finalist last season at SECs in the 200 fly and 400 IM.

Rathwell is a top-tier backstroker and has impressed so far in her freshman season, including hitting a time of 1:55.47 in the 200 back in an October dual against NC State.

The Lady Vols are coming off a dominant SEC Championship victory last season, their second in the last three years, but will face a tall task this weekend. Not only are they missing several key names, but Tennessee will also go head-to-head with the two-time reigning national champions, the Virginia Cavaliers, along with Michigan and North Carolina, in the invite that will be scored in a dual meet format.

You can follow along with the opening preliminary session here.

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Meathead
1 year ago

Swimming needs to become more accountable to this stuff…Basketball or Football would give reason for an athlete not competing

Admin
Reply to  Meathead
1 year ago

It’s really bad. 90% of the time, when we ask, the response is something akin to “how dare you ask that! The nerve!”

VFL
Reply to  Meathead
1 year ago

Exactly. Makes being a fan really frustrating. What’s the harm in saying this swimmer has a shoulder injury and is day to day or this swimmer is suspended for this reason or what not…

VFL
1 year ago

Thanks for reaching out. Hoping we see all of them back soon. All huge pieces for us—Rumley especially with her relay value.

kazoo
1 year ago

Yes, very unfortunate. Team is missing half of its best swimmers. With all its competitors this team is very strong.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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