The SwimSwam Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Coleman McCreery on Committing to 2 Swim Programs That Got Cut, Taking Gap Year Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with North Carolina native and high school senior Coleman McCreery, who has had a bit of a bumpy road in terms of finding a swim program. He originally committed to East Carolina in April of 2020 (as a junior), about a month before the program was announced as getting cut. After dealing with that blow, McCreery got back into the recruiting pool and landed on Michigan State, signing in October 2020 (as a senior) just weeks before their program also announced it would be getting cut.

Taking more time to recover from this second blow, McCreery came around to the realization that he was on a good trajectory with his swimming, and reclassified to the high school class of 2022. Even though McCreery is hoping to have committed to a school by April-May of 2021, he's hoping the gap year will give him more time to develop as a swimmer while taking community college courses from home.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Emma McKeon on Retiring Twice After Major Intl. Meets In her Teenage Years Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with Olympic, World, Pan Pacific, and Commonwealth champion Emma Mckeon to talk about the pandemic, how her 2021 Olympic prep is going, and dive into her swimming story a bit. Emma has been on the Australian national team for over a decade now but admits she wasn't always in love with pushing herself to the limit. Mckeon reveals when she was younger and went to her first major international meet (2010 short course world championships), she decided she wanted to focus on her social life instead and retired from swimming. Since then, however, she has found her rhythm in the sport and her results speak for themself.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Grace Countie Details Action-Packed Condensed Dual Meet Season for UNC Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with NCAA All-American Grace Countie to talk about the 2-week stint in which UNC raced 4 dual meets. Countie particularly shined in the last of these against Duke, where she won the 100 back and 100 free and was a part of the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Countie discusses that she gained confidence racing back-to-back like this, getting the opportunity to make small adjustments and fine-tune the details of her races.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Dave Durden Explains How Cal Men Focus on Qualifying for NCAA's Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with head coach for the Cal men and for the 2021 Men's US Olympic team, Dave Durden. We've seen some exceptional swimming from the bears in the last few months, and Durden breaks down the purpose behind each race since November. Durden also speaks on the uncertainty moving forward in the season and how that he helped to mold their mindsets into focusing more on the here-and-now.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Will Swim Star Shaine Casas Make the U.S. Olympic Team? Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

Shaine Casas is the swimmer to watch. His star is rising fast! Shaine can swim backstroke, butterfly, IM, and freestyle at the elite level. Sounds like he even wants to make a run at breaststroke.

Shaine’s consistently racing fast—making improvements like an age grouper. At the college level, he's pure gold, but can he net hardware this summer? Can he make the U.S. Olympic Team?

WAY TO EARLY 2021 SWIMMING PREDICTIONS

I see this Texas A&M swimmer making the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team in the 100 back, 200 back, and maybe even the 200 IM. He’s probably going to final at U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha in a few more events. But who cares what I think? I’d like know what you think in the comments. Give me your best swimming analyst?

Shaine Casas SwimSwam BIO + Personal Best Times:

100 yard back - 43.87
200 yard back - 1:36.54
100 yard fly - 44.98
200 yard fly - 1:39.23
200 yard IM - 1:38.95
100 meter back - 52.72 (from 2019!)
200 meter back - 1:55.79 (from 2019!)

Izzy Ivey Reflects on Discovering Who She Was Outside of "Isabel the Swimmer" Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with NCAA All-American Izzy Ivey, who is coming off of an electric 3-day, 4-session dual meet performance in which she broke Cal dual meet records in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 4 relays. Ivey reflects on the racing that she and the bears have gotten to get in this year as well as the heavy training they've done throughout the fall and winter.

Ivey also delves into the perspective she's gained through the COVID-19 pandemic, admitting that the 2020 NCAA's getting cancelled was a tipping point for her in terms of having to discover who she was outside of swimming.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Pavel Sankovich Shares Tips and Tricks to Develop Elite-Level Underwaters Feb 07, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with NCAA All-American turned coach, Pavel Sankovich. Pavel shared what worked for him when he was an age-group, collegiate, and professional swimmer when trying to develop the best underwater in the world. Sankovich delves into his focuses, his kick counts, and even a few of his favorite sets. One in particular he shared is simple in make-up but much trickier in execution: 3x300 on 3:30, descend 1-3, must kick to 15yds off of every wall and maintain stroke & kick count throughout all 3 300s.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Emma Reaney: The More you Lean on Others, The Better Everything Else Will Be Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with NCAA champion and former van-lifer, Emma Reaney. Reaney had a full swim career and has had a full life since stepping away from swimming, taking us through both journeys in today's podcast. Reaney describes the joy of swimming in college and opening yourself up to an entire team, noting the best year of her swimming (junior year, when she won the 200 breast at the 2014 NCAA Championships in American record fashion) was also the year she was in the best headspace and living with 4 of her teammates.

Reaney also describes the adventures she was able to go on after her swimming career, including being an Au pair in Australia, traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania, and renovating/living in a van during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic Coach Ben Titley Shares Theories on Removing Lactic Acid for Swimmers Feb 05, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with the head coach for the HPC - Toronto, Ben Titley. Titley has been in the coaching game at the highest level for a long time now, both in Canada and his home country of Great Britain. He shares stories about coaching Olympic and world champions such as James Gibson, Mel Marshall, Penny Oleksiak, and more.

One topic Ben gets into that many maybe don't consider is lactic acid and what is the most successful way of removing it after a race for a swimmer. Titley notes that if you ever see Swim Canada at a Pro Swim in the US, they will do a full swim set after their racing session, as Titley sees this as an optimal way to flush the body of the lactic build-up.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Will Regan Smith Make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team in These Events? Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

World champion and World record holder Regan Smith came off of some brutal winter training to win the 100m back (59.75), 100m fly (58.55), and 200m fly (2:10.10) at the 2021 San Antonio Pro Swim (JAN). She scratched out of the 200 back final, but swam the 200 free notching second (1:59.49). By my math, Regan is exactly where she needs to be this early in the season. I see Regan back at her 2020 Des Moines Pro Swim times as she works through Feb and March.

2020 DES MOINES PRO SWIM - REGAN SMITH times right before the COVID shutdown:

100 BACK - 58.1
200 BACK - 2:06.1
100 FLY - 57.34
200 FLY - 2:06.39

WAY TOO EARLY PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2021 SUMMER

I'm very optimistic the 2021 Olympics will happen, and I'm optimistic about Regan's performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha. Regan makes the U.S. Olympic Team in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and I think she make Team USA in 100 fly, dropping a 56.5, provided she swims it. She also makes the team in 200 fly, ripping a 2:05.1, provided she swims it.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected