2022 W. NCAA Previews: Huske and MacNeil Meet Again In 100 Fly

2022 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, March 16 – Saturday, March 19, 2021
• Where: McAuley Aquatics Center / Georgia Tech / Atlanta, GA (Eastern Time Zone)
• Short course yards (SCY) format
• Defending champion: Virginia (1x) – Meet Results
• Psych Sheets

WOMEN’S 100 Butterfly

• NCAA: 48.89 3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil Michigan
• Meet: 48.89 3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil Michigan
• American: 49.24 2/10/2022 Claire Curzan
• US Open: 48.89 3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil Michigan
• 2021 Champion: 48.89 3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil Michigan

Last year, Maggie MacNeil and Kate Douglass battled it out in the 100 butterfly. Douglass had the fastest prelims time of 49.94, but MacNeil swam a 48.89 in finals to win the event and set an NCAA record as the first woman under 49 seconds. 

This year, US Olympian Torri Huske enters the mix though. Huske and MacNeil already have raced each other at the international level, but this will be their first meeting at the collegiate level. 

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Huske was slightly faster than MacNeil in prelims with a time of 56.29 compared to MacNeil’s 56.55. The same happened in the semi-finals as Huske swam a 56.51 compared to MacNeil’s 56.56. In the final, though, MacNeil swam to gold winning in a time of 55.59. Huske was fourth in a time of 55.73. 

More recently, the two met at the 2021 SC World Championships in December. Once again, Huske had the faster time between the two in the heats, 56.59 to MacNeil’s 57.32. In the semi-finals, MacNeil swam a time of 55.45 compared to Huske’s 56.13. In the final, MacNeil won the event in a time of 55.04, and Huske was fourth in a time of 55.75.

Huske is the top seed entering the meet with a time of 49.43, MacNeil is second with a seed time of 49.74, and Douglass is third with a seed time of 49.86. The three are the only seed times under 50 seconds. 

While these three are most likely going to be the top three, based on her track record, don’t expect MacNeil to be the top seed heading into finals (again). 

Almost all of last year’s ‘A’ final will be back to race the event again as none of the 16 swimmers that earned a second swim in 2021 were senors. The only difference is that Cal senior Isabel Ivey has opted to not swim the race as she is entered in the 200 IM, 200 freestyle, and 100 freestyle instead. 

The fourth seed Tennessee freshman Ellen Walshe is competing in back-to-back events with the 400 IM first and the 100 butterfly right after. Although it is hard to predict exactly what effect this will have on her, it most likely will have at least some. She did prove though that she could win both events at SECs when they were back to back as well. The biggest difference here is that there will not be men swimming in between, making the turnaround time even shorter. 

Another person doing two events in one day is Alabama’s Rhyan White. White competed in both the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly last year, and is the 9th seed in the fly and the 4th seed in the back this year. This shouldn’t make as big of a difference though as the 100 backstroke is after the 100 butterfly. 

NC State’s Kylee Alons improved upon her seed time of 50.74 last year to finish third in a time of 50.35. This year she is entered with a slightly slower time of 50.82 but is still the sixth seed. 

Michigan’s Olivia Carter also improved upon her seed time of 51.44 last year to finish sixth in a 51.19. Carter is more known for her 200 butterfly as she won NCAA title in the event last year, but she still shows her speed both on Michigan’s 200 freestyle and medley relays. 

Emma Sticklen is entered as the fifth seed with a time of 50.76. The Texas sophomore was 11th last year swimming a time of 51.91 in finals. Her seed time was a 51.49 last year, but now she has a year of experience under her belt. 

Darkhorse: Katherine Zenick (Ohio St)- Zenick is the 12th seed this year with an entry time of 51.35. This is a huge improvement from last year as she was entered with a 52.73 then, but was able to improve by almost half of a second to finish 22nd in a time of 52.26. Although she did not make finals last year, if she improves by almost half of a second again, she has the potential to make the A final.