Olympic gold medalist Maggie MacNeil will reunite with former Michigan coach Rick Bishop for her fifth year of eligibility at LSU after signing a National Letter of Intent.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Maggie again,” said Bishop, who served as her primary coach during her NCAA record performance in 2021 and preparation for the Tokyo Olympics last summer before leaving for LSU. “She is one of the greats in swimming today, and she will make an immediate impact for the Tigers. Maggie has an infectious drive for success that elevates those around her.”
The 22-year-old MacNeil initially announced Cal as her fifth-year destination following the NCAA Championships in March. Then last week, her name resurfaced in the transfer portal after current and former Cal swimmers came forward claiming that they suffered verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of longtime head coach Teri McKeever.
MacNeil figures to be a game-changer in Baton Rouge as an expected contender for three national titles. As a junior at Michigan in 2021, she was the NCAA champion in both the 100-yard fly and 100 free while earning a runner-up finish in the 50 free. Her 48.89 in the 100 fly set an NCAA and U.S. Open record.
As a senior, she finished 3rd in the 50 free, 3rd in the 100 fly, and 10th in the 100 free. While at those NCAA Championships, she slipped on deck and fractured her elbow. She still swam at the Canadian Trials in April, but has announced that she will focus on relays at the World Championships.
“After thinking long and hard about my future in the sport with Paris only two short years away, I have decided to return to what I know and feel confident with,” MacNeil wrote on Instagram. “The focus is 2024, and as I am now closer to the end of my career than the beginning, it is time for me to take charge of my swimming. Since the Olympics I have struggled with finding my groove again, and I am excited for this next chapter.”
SEC titles in MacNeil’s three top individual events would have boosted LSU from 8th place (541 points) to 6th (637 points) last season – and that’s not factoring in her relay swims. At the NCAA Championships, where the LSU women scored eight points last season (placing 32nd out of 39 teams), the addition of MacNeil will likely be enough to catapult the Tigers into the top 20 just off her individual swims, let alone her relay impact.
At the 2019 World Championships, MacNeil burst onto the scene in the 100-meter butterfly by rallying to upset world record holder and Olympic champion Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden. The Canadian phenom continued her international success in Tokyo, where she took gold in the 100 fly with a 55.59 and became the second-fastest performer in history. She also added a silver and bronze medal as part of the 400-meter free and 400 medley relays.
Winning the 100-meter butterfly made her only the second swimmer in history to simultaneously hold the long-course meter championship (2019), NCAA Championship (2021), Olympic gold (2020), and short course meter championship in the event.
Big Mac #1 wherever she goes
is anyone ever gonna bring up how bishop cut many swimmers at the beginning of last season but lets his son walk on with the times he has?
Family first! Good Father.
Who cares. It’s his son.
Exactly, it’s his son, he gets all the special treatment even though he doesn’t deserve a spot on the team. Oh don’t worry that his fastest times won’t even be competitive in an exhibition heat, we’ll just kick some hard working (and much faster) kids off to make space for his royal highness
Nothing wrong with that
Nothing wrong with him being over a half second slower than the slowest 50 at SECs? Or how about nearly a second slower than the slowest 100 free, and 2 seconds slower than the slowest 100 back? “Family first” isn’t a good enough reason to screw over other kids that actually deserved a spot on the team, nepotism isn’t good or healthy for a team environment… especially when it doesn’t take a genius to see his son won’t belong. The SEC isn’t a place for everyone
What are the kids times?
Two best events are 100 free and 100 back, he goes 47.6 and 52.1…..
Nepotism goes a long way.
Depends. Did that free up money to get a world/Olympic champion?
Spill it
I knew killian when he was in Michigan, seems like a decent kid.
Geux Maggie!
Did you mean geaux?
She’s Canadian, they spell it without the A
Maggie being smart as she should. Paris is definitely her goal so leaving a messy situation because of Teri even when she’s not in Cal yet to choose the place of the coach that brings her best out.
Ha! I called this
Interesting, I wonder what program she is doing.
I know that Some of that schools Graduate and professional programs (med school for example) are not located in Baton Rouge.
What do swimmers/athletes do when their courses are in a location in other part of town from the athletic facilities?
Based on Maggie previously mentioning medical school, it sounds as if her plan could be:
2022-23: Swim and masters (psychology?) at LSU
2023-24: Focus on swimming in an Olympic year while applying to medical schools
2024-: Retire right after the Paris Olympics, then medical school
That makes sense. Just take what classes she can at LSU Baton Rouge for the year and move to New Orleans for med school.
she will also have a bagel at 9:12 AM
Is this even worth a reply?
Not sure what’s “unlikeable” about Maggie McNeil, so maybe keep this nonsense to yourself.