Rhyan White announced on her Instagram account today that she’ll be taking her 5th year of NCAA eligibility with Alabama. The 5th year of eligibility was granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Unfinished business to take care of next year with @alabamaswimdive. I’m proud of how far I’ve come wearing that 🅰️ cap and blessed with the chance to put it on for a #5thyear. The best is yet to come!” – Rhyan White
White has been nothing short of exceptional for the Crimson Tide, holding SEC Records in the women’s 100 and 200 back. She was the highest scoring SEC swimmer at the 2021 women’s NCAA Championships, totaling 48 points off a pair of 2nd place finishes in the backstroke events and 5th in the 100 fly.
This past season, White won the 100 and 200 back at the SEC Championships and helped the Alabama 200 medley and 400 medley relays to victory. She went on to take 3rd in the 200 back, 4th in the 100 back, and 10th in the 100 fly at the 2022 NCAAs. White also helped the UA 200 medley relay to a 4th place finish and the 400 medley to 6th.
Outside of her NCAA accomplishments, White has become on the top U.S. backstrokers. She qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last summer in both the 100 and 200 back, and would ultimately go on to finish 4th in both races in Tokyo. She also swam backstroke on prelims of the women’s 4×100 medley relay. The American relay would go on to win Silver in finals, giving White her first Olympic medal.
At the 2021 FINA SC World Championships, White won her first world title, winning the women’s 200 backstroke. She also competed on the U.S. women’s 4×50 medley relay, which won Silver.
As one of the top women’s swimmers in the SEC, and a top American backstroker, White is due to help Alabama to another round of great team showings at the 2023 SECs and NCAA Championships.
Mommy
Roll tide! Stoked for these girls next season.
Hope they can go top 2 or 3 next year. However, Alabama might be in big trouble when all those girls graduate after next year. It does not seem they have scored the quality recruits they need to reload that current roster. Not sure about the guys.
The HC has zero experience and inherited a monster class from the previous coach. I agree it will be tough to maintain after Rhyann and Morgan Scott leave.
Both Rhyan (and Kensey McMahon) were recruited two head coaches ago (Pursley/Skinner) and swam their first year under them.
What do you mean by zero experience? I have had some kids ask questions about swimming in the SEC (Auburn, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama), but honestly I do not know much about those schools being a smaller club in the Pacific NW.
I’ve never looked at the numbers of other swimmers to confirm, but I’d be willing to bet that Rhyan White has the most 50 point 100 backstrokes of all time for any swimmer that hasn’t been under 50
That might be because going :49 is hard?
Close! She has 17, Courtney Bartholomew has 18.
18 women have been 50-point but not 49-point, including Missy Franklin. Here’s the full list:
Here’s the full list:
Incidentally, the 1-2 stays the same even if you include swimmers who have been 49-point. Katharine Berkoff has the most sub-51 second swims total (21), but 6 of those are 49-points, so she only has 15 50-point swims.
In that case, I give it 8 months until she surpasses Bartholomew and takes the championship belt
So is Kensey McMahon
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeXD4ZeJOKW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=