World Junior Championships Medalist Jack Armstrong Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

2019 World Junior Championship team member Jack Armstrong has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Armstrong swam his freshman season at Auburn in 2019-2020, where he scored 1 point via a 24th-place finish at the 2020 SEC Championship meet.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Auburn,” Armstrong said of his decision. “Auburn is an up and coming program with an enthusiastic coaching staff, so leaving was a very difficult decision.”

In high school in Manvel, Texas, Armstrong was a 4-time Texas 5A (smaller schools) State Champion individually, winning the 50 and 100 free in both his junior and senior seasons. In 2018, he was also the Winter Juniors – West champion in both the 50 and 100 free.

As a freshman at Auburn, Armstrong shaved .08 seconds off his best time in the 50 free (19.79 to 19.71), but missed his lifetime best in the 100 free by half a second. He was 43.35 in high school in the 100 free and just 43.87 at the SEC Championships as a freshman. He also hit a best time in his 3rd event, the 100 fly, where he swam 48.36 at the SEC Championships, which cut 7-tenths of a seconds from his previous best time.

During his senior season of high school, Armstrong represented the United States at the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary. There, he won a gold medal as a prelims-only swimmer on the American 400 free relay and a silver medal as a prelims-only swimmer on the American 400 medley relay.

“Now that I am back in Houston, I plan to begin training with my club team,” Armstrong said about his future plans. “Once I can start racing again, I will then see what steps I want to make moving forward.”

Best Times

High School Best College Best
50 Yard Free 19.79 19.71
100 Yard Free 43.35 43.68
100 Yard Fly 49.06 48.36
50 Meter Free 23.03 N/A
100 Meter Free 50.05 N/A
100 Meter Fly 55.00 N/A

The Auburn men finished 8th out of 10 teams at the 2020 SEC Championship meet. While the Auburn women’s sprint group showed big sparks in year 2 under the administration of head coach Gary Taylor, sweeping the 200 and 400 free relays in SEC Meet Records in both, the men’s sprint relays were improved, but not at that same level. Including a legal-start 19.35 split from Armstrong, the 200 free relay was disqualified after touching the wall 4th, while the 400 free relay was tied for 5th.

Auburn’s top sprinter, Santiago Grassi, has exhausted his NCAA eligibility. Among the incoming freshman next season are sprinters Logan Tirheimer (20.25/44.46), Ty Wingfield (20.18/45.86), and Ryan Husband (20.77/44.64).

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Dcswim
4 years ago

Auburn did not pass the vibe check

swimgeek
4 years ago

If he was 19.3 relay leadoff, that’s a world of difference from 19.7. Aren’t you kind of burying the lede?

swimgeek
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Thanks for clarification! Sorry for misunderstanding what you meant by “legal start”

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Very subtle shade thrown.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Your shade denial is not credible.

war damn?
4 years ago

I believe he’s at least the second Auburn Freshman to enter the portal?!

Bama
Reply to  war damn?
4 years ago

Yeah… I would guess lots of transfers coming in the next few years.

Coach
Reply to  war damn?
4 years ago

Freshmen transfers are common these days. Let’s just wish the kid good luck.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Coach
4 years ago

It was probably pretty tough for him watching that previously no-name LSU freshman light it up at SECs, when he didn’t really improve.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  war damn?
4 years ago

Yes. Social distancing now means the transfer route is going to be Auburn to ASU to Indiana and then maybe back to Auburn.

Horninco
4 years ago

Wants to come home to Aggie?

Texas A&M Swim Fan
Reply to  Horninco
4 years ago

Possibly…, 4 seniors graduate; we have 8 incoming freshmen that I’m definitely aware of (could be a couple more that I’ve either overlooked or am not aware of). Doubtful that there is very much scholarship money left in the pot but hopefully I’m wrong about that!!!

Erik
Reply to  Texas A&M Swim Fan
4 years ago

In-state tuition is relatively low.. May balance out given he was out of state at Auburn on a partial ride?

Texas A&M Swim Fan
Reply to  Erik
4 years ago

Hoping you are right!

Speed Racer
Reply to  Texas A&M Swim Fan
4 years ago

SEC to SEC would that not force a year of sitting out?

Texas A&M Swim Fan
Reply to  Speed Racer
4 years ago

Not sure (& nothing against you) but hope you are not right about that☹️

Escalade
Reply to  Speed Racer
4 years ago

Correct

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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