As the women’s collegiate season transitions from conference championships into the NCAA Championship portion of the season, it’s worth looking back at one event from the women’s Pac-12 Championships that could have major impacts on a different event at NCAAs later this month.
The former event is the individual 200 freestyle and the latter event the 800 freestyle relay.
That’s because Stanford’s individual dominance in the 200 free adds up to something potentially greater. The current composite time of the Cardinal’s individual 200 freestylers into an 800 free relay is more than a second faster than the NCAA record they set at Pac-12s, and almost two seconds faster than any other relay in history.
Here’s a look at Stanford’s individual 200 free swimmers with times added up from the Pac-12 final:
| TOTAL | 6:48.27 |
| Simone Manuel | 1:40.37 |
| Katie Ledecky | 1:40.50 |
| Lia Neal | 1:43.62 |
| Katie Drabot | 1:43.78 |
That foursome took 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th at Pac-12s, with Drabot just .03 out of 4th place. Manuel and Ledecky sit #1 and #2 in the current NCAA ranks, and Neal is #10 and Drabot #15.
A 6:48.27 would be an unheard-of fast time. At Pac-12s, the Cardinal 800 free relay went 6:49.42, breaking the American record and becoming the first relay ever under 6:50. Yet this composite time is a full second faster than that. If Stanford chooses to load this relay at NCAAs, we could be seeing a historically insane result, especially considering relay exchanges could theoretically take a second or more off that projected time.
The previous American and NCAA records were 6:50.18 set by Cal at Pac-12s in 2015. That relay included a nearly-peak Missy Franklin, who split 1:40.68 on the anchor leg. Franklin would go on to go 1:39.10 in the individual 200 free at NCAAs, but with the 800 free relay falling on the same night, an exhausted Franklin was only 1:40.0 on the anchor leg. With the NCAA moving to the four-day format and the 800 free relay moving to opening night, Stanford could have four relatively fresh legs for this event nationally.
Part of the reason the relay didn’t go 6:48 at Pac-12s was because Stanford left Manuel off the relay to focus on the other four relay events. Manuel is the team’s best sprinter, and should be a lock for the 200 and 400 free relays. She’s also a game-changing leg on the 200 and 400 medleys, which makes it tough to justify using her on this relay, which leads the NCAA by four seconds.
From a team perspective, the smartest move is probably to use Manuel on the other four relays. But could you really pass up a 200 free relay that could have two 1:39 splits, perhaps even a 1:39 leadoff leg? Stanford will have to think hard about subbing in Lia Neal (no sprint slouch herself) into a medley relay to give Manuel a shot at an incredible 800 free relay record.
How do you tell Lia Neal we are going to ask you to swim on the 4×200 free, but not ask the number one ranked 200 swimmer to do so because we want her to swim on both medley relays and we don’t want you to swim on either one?
I say put Manuel on this relay and put Lia Neal in one of the medley relays to sub for Manuel. Then, use Ella Eastin as the 4th leg instead of Neal since she most likely won’t be on any other relays.
The race I’m excited about is the 200Free with a Both Ledecky and Manuel, Tampered AND scheduling to only swim that one race that day. Manuel appears to be the only swimmer capable of really challenging Ledecky. That will be a great race. A classic.
Should we have 150 LCM competition I think Simone Manuel would be on the top together with Sarah Sjostrom and maybe Penny Oleksiak. With this extra distance Simone’s power fades away very quickly. That are exactly those last 20m where Ledecky got over Sjostrom at practically even race. At 200yards that is just 180m and with much longer underwater part of the race Ledecky may not has advantage of stronger finish.
It will be exciting indeed if they decide to race each other. In this case it will be interesting what racing tactic will be undertaken by each swimmer.
I personally would prefer they not compete against each other. So they can swim this distance in most convenient… Read more »
SCY is a different critter than LCM for sure. It will be quite something to see.
Maybe it is the selfish coach/swim fan in me – I would LOVE to see Manuel in that 800 FR. They seem to have the depth to handle putting Neal in one of those 400 relays and Lia is a seasoned veteran!
It is still beyond my comprehension what Missy Franklin did in 2015 college season. 1:40.68 relay start that followed by 1:39.10 individual race. 2sec difference (!?). Has it happened at the same meet? And as many people stated here the 200 free race wasn’t the one she was focused on and was trained for during the season.
Oops. Should’ve read the article more carefully. Franklin’s relay and individual races are more or less inline.
They also have someone by the name of Eastin…? They won’t even need drabot and they’ll go 6:47
Heard it here first.
“Only” 1:40.00
I watch throw lia Neal on the end of the 400 medley, she’s still a stud split, and use Manuel in the 800 free just so this record goes to a crazy level