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NC State's Braden Holloway Speaks to Significance of Historic 2nd Place Finish Mar 21, 2021

Show notes

For the first time in program history, the Virginia Cavalier women are NCAA team champions, earning at least one A-finalist in every individual event. Taking team runner-up was the NC State Wolfpack, making the team rankings an ACC 1-2 finish. No ACC team, men’s or women’s, has ever finished higher than third place at NCAAs. Before this meet, Virginia’s best team finishes were a pair of 5th-place scores in 2015 and 2016. NC State’s best finish before 2021 was 7th place, achieved between 2017-2019.

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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Brooke Forde Walks Us Through Her Revamped 400 IM Training at Stanford Mar 20, 2021

Show notes

After the 200 fly/back of the 400 IM final, Stanford’s Brooke Forde was running 4th heading into the breaststroke. Forde then pulled ahead of the field into the 100 free, easily winning her first 400 IM NCAA title with a Greensboro pool record of 4:01.57. That was just four one-hundredths off her 2020 season best of 4:01.53. In 2018, Forde placed 4th in the final as a freshman followed by a third-place finish in 2019. Her title today is Stanford’s 5th-straight 400 IM title, following Ella Eastin‘s 2015-2019 sweep and the cancelled 2020 meet. Stanford now has 13 total 400 IM titles, the most of any program.

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Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Hansson Explain What Sets NC State Training Apart Mar 20, 2021

Show notes

Hansson (100 Breast) and Berkoff (100 breast) of NC State each won 2 NCAA titles last night, one in their individual events and 1 as a member of the winning 200 medley relay. They each explain how their training in Raleigh this season has led to this moment at the NCAA Championships.

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Alex Walsh Sees Benefits After Training Endurance Freestyle her Freshman Year Mar 20, 2021

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Freshman Alex Walsh is coming off a successful 2 days of competition, where she's been crowned NCAA champion twice in the 200 IM and as a member of the winning 800 free relay for Virginia. Walsh explains why mid-distance freestyle training has helped her reach the next level this season.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

NC State Women Break Down US Open, NCAA Record-Setting 400 Medley Relay Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

The women of NC State clocked a new US Open and American record in the 400 medley relay of 3:24.59. Katharine Berkoff (50.07), Sophie Hansson (57.01), Kylee Alons (49.29), and Julia Poole (48.22) combined to win the Wolfpack's first-ever relay title in program history. The 4 women talk through the lead-up to this relay and how they were able to get the job done.

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UVA Women Break Down Emotional First Relay Title in Program History Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

The Virginia women took home their first-ever NCAA relay title in the 800 free relay, clearing the rest of the field by over 4 seconds to put on a dominant display. The team comprised of senior Kyla Valls, senior Paige Madden, sophomore Ella Nelson, and freshman Alex Walsh.

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Sarah Sjostrom Doing 3 Leg Workouts Per Day, Kick is Stronger Than Ever Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

We sat down with world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom, who is on the road to recovery after breaking her elbow. Sjostrom gave us an update on her status, saying she's back in the pool and kicking about 3-3.5 kilometers daily. However, Sjostrom is also going to the gym and doing a heavy leg lift, then getting in a cycling workout daily as well, making her legs very tired by the end of the day. Sjostrom says she's never focused this much on her legs before and normally she just relies on her upper body strength in her swimming. This could be a revamped Sjostrom once she is allowed to swim 100%, a scary thought considering she already holds 6 individual world records.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Todd DeSorbo Offers Insight on Event Lineup, UVA Team Goals Before NCAAs Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

With the 2021 Women's NCAA Championships on the horizon, University of Virginia head coach Todd Desorbo sat down with the media to preview the meet. We asked about UVA's event lineup choices for 2 of their more versatile stars, Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh. For both swimmers, DeSorbo said the event choices came down to what they wanted to swim and what events excited them the most. Douglass will be taking on the 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free while Walsh will swim the 200 IM, 200 free, and 200 breast.

DeSorbo also emphasized the importance of his team staying loose and having fun while not forcing good swims. DeSorbo recalled that at the 2020 ACCs, the 200 medley relay squad had a year-long goal of breaking the US Open record in the 200 medley relay, but with the weight of that goal on their shoulders all year, the squad fell short of that time at the championships. This year, DeSorbo told the same squad to simply relax and have fun, and they ended up breaking the US Open record.

Event-by-Event Breakdowns & Predictions for the 2021 Women's NCAA Championships Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

I sat down with SwimSwam writers and swimming aficionados Robert Gibbs and Karl Ortegon to discuss and predict every event in the upcoming 2021 Women's NCAA Championships. From a team perspective, it looks like Virginia's year to finally take a women's crown. However, as Robert pointed out, they have a lot of points to lose from the psych sheets, and NC State and Cal also have very strong teams coming into the meet that could make a title run. It also still doesn't seem like we've seen what Stanford can really do with a full rest and I feel like you can never count them out. From an individual standpoint, the biggest storyline here is Kate Douglass and Maggie MacNeil getting in the ring and going 3 rounds in the form of 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free. With few defending champions from 2019, this is a very young field of talent with a lot of wide-open events, so look to see some surprise champions crowned this weekend.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

How Fast Will Katie Ledecky Swim at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials? Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

Olympic and World Champion distance swimming icon Katie Ledecky swam well at the San Antonio Pro Swim, but she was her own biggest critic unpacking her swims in the post race interviews. I thought Ledecky looked great considering she hasn't really traveled and competed in a year. Suiting up at home and running an elite meet schedule isn't the same experience. I think Ledecky knocked off some rust in San Antonio. What do you think? If you missed the meet coverage, see her times:

Ledecky - 2021 San Antonio Pro Swim

1500 free - 15:42.92
800 free - 8:13.64
400 free - 4:04.72
200 free - 1:56.62

For reference, see Ledecky's 2020 Des Moines Pro Swim Times:

1500 - 15:29.51
400 - 3:59.66
200 - 1:54.59

U.S. Olympic Trials Predictions?

Ledecky will swim fast, but not as fast as she will at the 2021 Olympic Games. At U.S. Olympic Trials I see a 1:54.5 200 free, 3:59.1 400 free, 8:09 800 free, and a 15:29 1500 free. I might be playing it a little too safe, but I don't see a reason for her to swim faster when making Team USA is all that's needed. Still, those would be solid swims in June for Ledecky, but the big question is will she swim the 100 free? I don’t know. I haven’t asked her, but I don’t think so. It’s been a weird year battling the pandemic. I think Ledeckey stays focused on her core schedule at U.S. Olympic Trials. But who cares what I think? I want to know what you think? Give me your best expert swimming analysis.

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