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Marie Landrenau has announced her decision to begin her college career at the University of Georgia in fall 2024, changing her verbal commitment from the University of Alabama.
Landreneau is a rising high school senior and committed relatively-early, in fall 2022, though she won’t begin school until fall 2024. A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, she was named the 2022 Louisiana Swimming Swimmer of the Year.
Swimming for St. Thomas More High School, she is a perfect 6-for-6 in Lousiana High School State Championships individually so far. Representing City of Lafayette Aquatics, she also has dozens of LSC titles.
That makes her one of the top recruits to come out of the state in recent years, and she’s even better in long course at this point of her career. That includes a 4th-place finish in the 200 meter free (2:02.25) at the 2022 NCSA Summer Junior Nationals.
Best Times Progression:
| Best Times When Committing to Alabama |
Best Times When Committing to Georgia
|
|
| 100 free | 50.55 | 50.32 |
| 200 free | 1:47.50 | 1:47.50 |
| 500 free | 4:50.71 | 4:50.71 |
| 200 IM | 2:03.14 | 2:03.14 |
| 400 IM | 4:23.36 | 4:20.46 |
| 100 breast | 1:03.21 | 1:03.21 |
She has a wide set of skills, but because of transfers and graduations, her sprint freestyles are an area of need for both Georgia and Alabama, so this is a pretty significant shift within the SEC.
Georgia’s 4th-best 100 freestyler last season was Bri Roberson at 49.77, and their 4th-best 200 freestyler was Shea Furse at 1:46.55.
Besides Landreneau, they’ll also bring in Elizabeth Tilt (22.6/49.1/1:47.1) and Helena Jones (22.5/49.0/1:47.1) to help with that in 2023, and Katie Belle Sikes (22.1/49.4) to help with that in the next two classes. The Bulldogs once built a dynasty around freestylers, and they’re now battling to rebuild that legacy in the post-Jack Bauerle era.
The Alabama women were 4th at the 2023 SEC Championship meet while the Georgia women were 6th. Georgia only scored 6 points in the 100 free, so they need all of the depth they can get moving forward.
Alabama, meanwhile, takes another hit, after losing a few big names to retirement and transfer this year. The Crimson Tide lost two assistant coaches: Ozzie Quevedo took the head coaching job at SMU, while James Barber also left the program.
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My child who is another UA commit and this poor girl and all the commits were mislead and things were not as they seemed. After two of the coaches left and one it was very unclear what happened, these kids felt uneasy and had a lot of questions. No real answers were given, no explanation for what was happening next. And yes when people on the team are telling to leave that is alarming. If there had been more explanation or communication things may have been different but there was not. Then when kids called to say they were opening things up, they received called from coaching staff and the AD depending names of swimmers be given. That didn’t leave… Read more »
You made the right choice! If anyone else considering swimming for Margo RUN!!!! They are begging the current team members to stay over the summer, and the majority decided to go home. That speaks volumes of what’s going on there.
It’s a shame! Great School, Great Football, Great Facilities. However, it is all overshadowed by terrible coaches excluding Reed. He will eventually gain the experience to be a great HC in the future
Will the last person left in Tuscaloosa please turn out the lights?
Welcome! So excited to have you. GO Dawgs!
I’m really not sure what is going on with Alabama swimming. Seems like there have been transfers and and swimmers changing their decision. Can anyone explain?
Four words: The Coley Stickels Effect
It’s a mess. It is only going to get worse. They can put as much lip stick as they want on that pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig!
From where this level of frustration mate? I believe that the Alabama staff has a pretty good reason to do what they’re doing, sometimes you have to make a 180 to really change things.
Def need to right the ship and get rid of the rats. And when current team members are telling recruits not to come. If you’re gonna stay man (and woman) up and be on the team. If you’re that miserable then leave.
So, if you want to make a complete change, making changes to the coaching staff (supposedly asking some not to come back) etc, maybe do that a little earlier and not as close to the portal closing so that the people that want to leave have a little more of a chance to do so. That way the people you want to get rid of have more of a chance to leave (change your culture within the team).
Totally agree with you. Big changes needed. But current swimmer that was cut then talked their way back and cannot stop bad mouthing the program on here and to recruits. If you hate it then why are you staying? Current swimmers whose moms have been stoking fires with the other parents on social media – long before any coaches left and yet they’re still on the team. Again I ask if you hate it so much why are you still here? The school nor the team has handled any of this with any decency or consideration. Can’t argue they have but if you chose to stay then you made your decision. It’s sad to see this program fall so mightily… Read more »
They were 4th last year on the women’s side. In what world does that necessitate a 180? What does a 180 even look like from that position?
Mate,
Obviously the ship has hit a berg and is going down at the bow. Give it to the Captain that she is staying with the ship as it sinks, but it will sink. There may come some life rafts her way that she will try to get onto, while pushing others to their peril in the icy waters…
It’s rather entertaining learning from my kid there the daily news!
From a complete outsider’s perspective, it seems like the program is falling apart due to their head coach being totally unqualified for the position and having no idea how to run the ship.
Your correct…Your complete outsider with zero clue about UA!
*”you’re”
Posting facts in the comment section seems to be downvoted a lot, but if you have inside information (including opinion) it could have been helpful to have included some of that to show people outside UA what is going on.
Two time NCAA champion is staying at UA to train pro! Must not be as bad has your throwing out there!
?
All swimmers are not the same so that person might like it there or might be treated differently than others.
As much as everyone will dog on Alabamas current culture on this, another COLA alum Jill Barczyk performed at a high level and improved quite a bit at UGA