If you look at the collegeswimming.com rankings for the class of 2012, Maclin Davis’ #49 ranking might not jump off the page at you. But here’s a number that might get USC fans a bit more excited: 47. That would be 47.14 to be exact, which is easily the best time in the class of 2012 in the 100 fly. That time leaves him just .06 away from the National High School Record (set by Sean Fletcher in 2009 at 47.08).
Davis sealed his status as one of the top youth butterfliers in the world by winning both the 50 and 100 at the 2011 FINA Junior World Championships.
Davis also has decent sprint-freestyle numbers with bests of 20.7/45.8, and in Dave Salo’s capable hands (and what seems to be a natural propensity for sprinting), he should be able to get those times way down. He’s solid through all 4 strokes (49.9 in the 100 back, 1:03.7 in the 100 breast on a non-taper meet) and could also become a very capable IM’er down the line too.
But it all comes back to that 100 fly. Davis hasn’t had huge exposure to the national-scene like some of the other top young swimmers, and that has to make his potential very exciting. Coach Salo was so interest in Davis that he actually took a trip out to Nashville just a few days before leaving for the World Championships to meet Davis and his family in person.
