Erika Brown and Alec Connolly announced their engagement via Instagram on Wednesday from Cancún, Mexico.
Brown and Connolly swam together at the University of Tennessee between 2016 and 2020 and both raced for the university at NCAA Championships in their freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons, having had the senior year NCAA Championships canceled in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Brown’s top performance nationally came at the 2018 NCAA Championships when she picked up a pair of silver medals in the 50 freestyle (21.51) and 100 butterfly (50.34). That year she also earned sixth in the 100 freestyle with a 47.08.
In 2019, Brown returned to the 50 freestyle NCAA podium when she finished third with a 21.23. Adding to that medal, Brown notched a fourth-place finish in the 100 fly and fifth in the 100 freestyle.
At her last college meet, the 2020 SEC Championships, Brown broke the American Record in the 100 fly, swimming 49.38.
During the 2021 US Olympic Trials qualifying period, Brown ranks 9th in the 200 free and 4th in the 100 free, with 6 swimmers usually earning an Olympic berth in each of those events.
While Connolly never swam individually at NCAAs, he contributed to a number of point-scoring relays for Tennessee. In 2017, he helped Tennessee to a 15th-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay. In 2018 he contributed to 12th in the 200 freestyle relay and 14th in the 400 freestyle relay and in 2019, another 14th place finish in the 400 freestyle relay.
Upon graduating from Tennessee, Erika Brown made the transition to professional swimming and joined the Cali Condors for the 2020 ISL season. Brown helped the Condors to their victory and finished 40th overall in team standings with 134 points.
Brown, along with Condors Lilly King, Olivia Smoliga, and Kelsi Dahlia broke a world record in the short course 4×100 medley relay at the ISL 2020 finals. Brown swam the freestyle split on the relay in a 51.73, contributing to the team’s 3:44.52 which lowered the record from a 3:45.20 set by Courtney Bartholomew, Katie Meili, Kelsi Dahlia, and Simone Manuel in 2015.
In addition to professional swimming Brown works as a real estate agent with Knoxville Real Estate.
Idk if it’s just because I’m not American, but to me it feels wrong to call a SCY American record holder the World Record holder..
Keep reading, friend.
Brown, along with Condors Lilly King, Olivia Smoliga, and Kelsi Dahlia broke a world record in the short course 4×100 medley relay at the ISL 2020 finals. Brown swam the freestyle split on the relay in a 51.73, contributing to the team’s 3:44.52 which lowered the record from a 3:45.20 set by Courtney Bartholomew, Katie Meili, Kelsi Dahlia, and Simone Manuel in 2015.
Sorry totally forgot about that thanks for clarifying!
I saw “Erika brown announces” and my first thought was retirement. Glad it was happy news instead of that
Same, scared me for a second
Travelling during a pandemic, classy!
Congrats to the couple, nonetheless.
Lots of people have been traveling, for better or worse. Congrats to a great Vol swimmer!
Congrats! Also didn’t conger get engaged as well?
Congrats!! Small correction, Brown swam 100 fly at NCAAs (not 400 IM).