Top Three Times In Each NCAA Event Before Midseason Invites: Women’s Edition

It’s been a fast first term of NCAA racing and before the midseason invitationals kick off in earnest next week, it’s time to take stock of where we’re at by looking at the top three swimmers in each event leading into this week.

Note that we’re only considering yards times, which mainly affects the Virginia and Florida women who raced their season-opener in short-course meters.

Only factoring in yards times “undervalues” how fast swimmers like Gretchen Walsh and Claire Curzan have been this season as it took Walsh off the board once and Curzan twice. But, they are two swimmers who have been the backbone of the Virginia women’s undefeated campaign this season. They’ve only raced once in yards, but will surely be ready to drop some fast times at the Tennessee Invite.

One of the biggest takeaways from this table is how much value newcomers are adding to their teams. Freshmen Erika Pelaez and Leah Shackley have helped kickstart the Wolfpack women in what seemed like a rebuilding year after losing Katherine Berkoff and Miriam Sheehan. But both swimmers have been exceptional in their first season with NC State.

Pelaez has hit lifetime bests in four NCAA events and makes this table in four events: the 100 free (47.81), 200 free (1:43.14), 100 back (50.55), and 200 back (1:50.71). Shackley is right behind her with three entries courtesy of her efforts in the 100 back (50.22), 200 back (1:50.81), and 100 fly (51.08). Shackley leads the 100 backstroke and is one of three freshmen to be top of the table in an event. The others are redshirt freshman Jillian Cox with her Texas school record of 4:34.41 in the 500 free and Michigan’s Rebecca Diaconescu in the 1650 freestyle (16:19.43).

Other swimmers making early impacts on their new programs are transfers Mia Cheatwood and Miranda Grana. Cheatwood transferred to Louisville this season and has already swum lifetime bests in the 100/200 breaststroke. Her 58.77 and 2:07.74 are fast enough to rank her on this table in both events. Meanwhile, Grana leads the NCAA with the fastest 200 backstroke yards swim, a 1:50.50.

Along with Walsh, Paris U.S. Olympians Torri Huske, Emma Weyant, Emma Weber, and Erin Gemmell all have entries on this list. In her return to the NCAA after an Olympic redshirt, Huske currently matches Shackley with three entries on this table, after swimming 21.71/47.62 in the 50/100 free and 1:54.90 in the 200 IM. Weyant ranks third in both the 500 free (4:37.85) and 400 IM (4:08.90) while Gemmell holds third in the 200 free (1:43.22). Weber is tied with Cheatwood for second overall in the 100 breaststroke.

Texas leads all programs with five NCAA-leading times. In addition to Cox’s 500 free, they own the top times in the 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, and 400 medley relay. That’s an offshoot of how fast they’ve been swimming this term, though it should be noted that if SCM-converted times were included, Virginia would lead.