Mallory Comerford’s Ideal NCAA Lineup (Video)

2019 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday-Sauturday, February 20-23rd
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Virginia (1x)
• 2019 Champion: NC State
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University of Louisville senior standout Mallory Comerford is best known for her sprint and middle-distance freestyle prowess, though Comerford has also demonstrated a high aptitude for butterfly.

At the 2017 Winter National Championships, Comerford swam her lifetime best of 50.92 in the 100 yard butterfly. This season, at the 2018 IU Invitational in November, Comerford nearly equaled that time with a 50.94, which ranks 6th in the NCAA this season, tied with Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff. Comerford’s butterfly times in long course are just as impressive: at the 2018 Summer National Championships, Comerford put up a 57.95, placing 4th. She also has a best time of 26.65 in the 50 LCM butterfly, established at the 2018 Mesa PSS.

At the 2019 ACC Championships, Comerford swam a 46.57 in the 100 free, a 1:41.60 in the 200 free, and a 4:34.63 in the 500 free. Comerford’s current NCAA ranking in each of those events is 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, respectively. Because Comerford is likely to swap the 500 for the 50 at NCAAs, it’s worth noting that she ranks 11th in the NCAA this season in that event, tied with Michigan’s Catie DeLoof.

Though the 100 fly might be a “safer” NCAA event for Comerford than the 50 free, given her current ranking in each and the precarious nature of the 50, it is not practical due to the current event order. At NCAAs, both the 100 fly and 200 free fall on the same day and are back-to-back, with the 100 fly coming first.

There’s no doubt Comerford’s best event in short course yards is the 200 freestyle. Her personal best time of 1:39.80 stands as the 2nd-fastest time in history, behind only Missy Franklin‘s American Record of 1:39.10, set at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Together, Comerford and Franklin are the only women to ever break 1:40 in the 200 yard freestyle from a flat start. If Comerford ever had a shot at the American Record, it would be at her final NCAA Championships next month.

Overall, Comerford scored 96 individual points at the 2019 ACC Championships, with three 1st-place finishes in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyles. Comerford also swam crucial legs on Louisville’s champion 400 freestyle relay, and 2nd-place 200 and 800 freestyle relays and 400 medley relay. Ultimately Louisville placed 3rd in the overall team standings with 1,146 points.

Final Team Scores:

1. North Carolina State University 1353
2. Virginia, University of 1282
3. Louisville, University of 1146
4. Notre Dame, University of 909.5
5. Duke University 764
6. Florida State University 727
7. North Carolina, University of, 700.5
8. VA Tech 477.5
9. Georgia Institute of Technology 360
10. Pittsburgh, University of 334
11. University of Miami (Florida) 293.5
12. Boston College 154