Anna Pelowski is an American freestyler and backstroker. She has represented the US at World Championships and Indiana University at NCAA Championships.
Junior/High School Swimming
At the 2019 LC IL Senior Swimming championships, Peplowski had a massive time drop. Peplowski came into the meet with a 2:08.81 and ended up 2nd in finals with a 2:03.63. She also was 26.18 in the 50 free and 57.07 in the 100 free, both PBs.
Peplowski announced her verbal commitment to Indiana University for 2021-22. She joined her sister Noelle Peplowski on the Hoosiers’ roster for two years.
For the virtual 2020 IHSA Girls Swimming and Diving Championship*, Peplowski earned top-6 finishes in 4 events. She swam the fastest time in the field in the 100 free, touching in 50.10. In the 200 free, Peplowski was 2nd fastest overall, racing to a 1:48.07 finish, about a second off her personal best. Peplowski nearly swam a personal best in the 100 back, where she clocked the 3rd fastest time overall with a 55.44. She also swam the 50 free, touching with the 5th fastest time in 23.21.
*Due to COVID-19, the IHSA elected to not hold a state meet and so SwimSwam’s Spencer Penland compiled results from all the IHSA sectional meets to create an unofficial virtual state meet.
Peplowski popped in a big way at 2021 Indy Sectionals. She nabbed her first Olympic Trials cut with a 2:00.66 in the 200 free, under the Wave I time. She raked in another Wave I standard with a 1:02.64 100 back.
College Swimming (Indiana)
2021-22
Peplowski opened her season at the Crimson and Cream Intrasquad posting solid times of 50.91 and 1:49.84 in the 100 and 200 free. Against Kentucky, Peplowski edged Defending SEC Champions Riley Gaines. Peplowski touched in 1:48.21, edging out Gaines (1:48.44). Peplowski would go on to finish 3rd in the 50 free (23.19), while Gaines won the event in 23.06. Peplowski, touched 2nd in 50.30 in the 100 free.
Against Northwestern, Peplowski led 1-2 charges by Indiana in both the 200 free and 100 free. She was 1:48.48 in the 200 free and 50.19 in the 100 free. She also had the fastest split on the 400 free relay with a 49.65.
At the Ohio State Invite, Peplowski was an absolute revelation for the Hoosiers. First, in the 200 free, Peplowski had a series of huge best times with a 1:44.77 in prelims and a 1:44.34 in finals. The next day, she threw down a 1:53.98 200 back, a 4-second drop. She also put up a 22.44 50 free and boasted some solid relay splits including a 52.66 100 back.
Against Louisville, Peplowski was victorious in the 200 back (1:54.19) while against Purdue, in the 100 she finished in 50.22, off of her best time of 48.77. In the 500 she swam a 4:54.25.
If her big drops at mid-season were not enough, B1G Championships cemented her near the top of the conference. She opened the meet with a 1:43.53 200 free to lead-off IU’s 800 free relay. She took on the 200 free/100 back double on day 3. She was a bit off her lead-off with a 1:43.92 for 2nd in the 200 free. In the 100 back, she was 52.38 for 5th, the best time. She was runner-up again in the 200 back with a 1:53.30, a PB. Peplowski also boasted some solid relay splits with a 48.08 100 free anchor on the 400 medley and a 48.65 lead-off on the 400 free relay.
At NCAAs, Peplowski was 10th in the 200 free, just off her best in 1:43.57. In the 200 back, she was also just off her PB with a 1:53.63 for 20th. IU’s 800 free relay, powered by Peplowski’s 1:44.64 lead-off, placed 15th.
2022-23
Opening her season at IU’s Cream and Crimson Intrasquad, Peplowski won the 200 free (1:48.06) and 200 back (1:58.96) convincingly. Against Kentucky, she was a triple event winner with wins in the 100 back (53.48), 200 back (1:56.80), and 50 free (23.12).
In Austin against Texas and Texas A&M, Peplowski started off the night well with the fastest leadoff leg in the field during the 200 medley relay (25.09), and she kept the moment rolling, sweeping the backstrokes. First, she won a close battle with Texas’ Emma Sticklen in the 100, winning 53.27 to 53.42. Next, she came up with a win in the 200 in 1:55.97. Peplowski earned B1G Women’s Swimmer of the Week.
At the OSU Invite, she put up some solid times. She was 22.27 in the 50 free, a new PB. She helped see the Indiana 200 medley relay to an “A” cut with a 24.61 on the back. Now commonplace for Peplowski, she took on the 200 free/100 back double. She had great times of 1:44.19 and 52.12. The 100 back time was a PB. Peplowski shaved a second off her PB to become just the fourth Hoosier to hit 1:52 in her 200 back victory.
IU and Michigan faced off for the first time since 2021 and Peplowski helped lead the IU women to a dominant win: IU 208.5- Michigan 91.5. She won all three of her best events. With a 1:47.21, she leads the way for a 1-2-3 Indiana sweep in the 200 free. Peplowski then threw down a 53.84 100 back and a 1:46.93 200 back. She wrapped her day with a 50.11 lead-off on the victorious 400 free relay.
Closing out the regular season against Louisville, Peplowski won the 200 free (1:47.35) and 200 back (1:56.47) while also placing third in the 100 back.
Heading into B1G Conference Championships, Peplowski was a favorite in both the 200 free and back. The Indiana women pulled off the win in the 800 free relay by hitting a 6:58.44 pool record. Peplowski started off with a 1:43.50, a PB which was also the second-fastest split in the field behind Amy Fulmer‘s 1:42.94 for Ohio State. The next night, Peplowski just had relay duties and made the most of that with a 51.62 100 back lead-off, a new PB.
Peplowski avenged her 200 free runner-up to Fulmer in 2022 by throwing down a 1:43.33 PB for the win. The two were neck and neck the whole way, separated by just .12 seconds at the finish. She nearly won a 2nd event in the same session but came up .20 seconds short with a 51.72 for 2nd in the 100 back. She wrapped her meet with a 1:51.81 200 back PB and B1G title. For her 2 wins and a runner-up, she earned Swimmer of the Championship.
At NCAA Championships, Peplowski dropped the 100 back from her line-up. She came up big on night 1. First, she put up a best time in the 50 back with a 24.34 to lead II to a 12th-place finish. She turned around a few minutes later and threw down another PB with a 1:42.86 200 free lead-off, the 3rd fastest in the field. IU was 7th in the 800 free relay.
She returned to the pool on day 3 prelims to tie 4th in the 200 free prelims with a 1:43.27. She added to a 1:43.57 in the final to earn 6th, her first individual first-team all-American honors. In the 200 back, she just missed the “A” final with a 1:51.32 for 9th. The bright side was that the swim was a PB. She stayed 9th in the final with a 1:51.84.
In addition to her individual 22 points (the same number her sister Noelle earned), Peplowski also helpt on the 200 free relay where she led off in a 22.13 as IU took 8th and the 400 free relay where she 48.46 to lead IU off to a 6th place finish. Both were PBs.
2023-24
Peplowski was in good form in an LCM dual vs. Kentucky. She took the 200 free in 2:00.86, winning by just over 2 seconds. Peplowski then went on to win the 200 back, swimming a 2:12.76. She even split the race, going 1:06.17 on the first 100m, then bringing it home in 1:06.59. Peplowski was also a member of the Indiana ‘A’ 400 medley relay, which won in 4:10.94. She led the team off in 1:01.41.
She was similarly solid against Auburn and Indiana, clocking a 1:46.31 200 free and a 1:52.34 200 back, both good for 1st place.
Peplowski indicated a shift in focus towards mid-distance free coming into the Olympic year, opting for the 200/500 free and 200 back at the Ohio State invite. The meet featured LCM prelims and SCY finals. In the 400 free prelims, Peplowski crushed a new PB with a 4:12.80. She turned some heads in the 500 free final, throwing down a 4:38.29 and shaving 10 seconds off her PB.
In the 200 free, Peplowsky was just 2 seconds off her OB with a 1:59.18 in prelims. Her swim featured very controlled splits of 27.95, 30.10, 30.56, and 30.57. In the final, Peplowski was just .09 seconds off her PB with a 1:42.97 for the win. She employed a similar strategy to her morning swim, splitting 24.43, 26.18, 26.10, and 26.26.
In the 200 back, Peplowski swam a 2:12.56 in prelims, just under what she swam earlier in the season against Kentucky. In the final, she clocked 1:52.94. The time was a season-best for Peplowski but was well shy of her 1:51.32 best time.
Against Michigan, Peplowski swam a loaded schedule, racing the 200 free, 200 back, 500 free, and 400 free relay at the end. She started out well with a 1:45.14. In the 200 Back, she pulled through for another win in 1:56.46. Just a few minutes later, she dove in again for the 500 free. Peplowski led through the 300 before teammate Ching Gan took over. Down the stretch, Michigan’s Katie Crom overtook both of them and Peplowski ended up 3rd in a 4:48.70. With the women’s meet coming down to the final 400 free relay, Peplowski got IU out to a strong start with a 49.01 to help IU clinch the meet.
With championship season fast approaching, Peplowski rounded into form against Louisville and Wisconsin. There, she posted a swift 1:42.20 200 free, a new PB and IU record. That moved Peplowski up to #3 in the nation. Peplowski also earned a 2nd place finish touched in a 47.89 in the 100 free, just behind Gabi Albiero who won in a 47.55. That was also a PB. She was 3rd in the 200 back with a 1:53.50.
Peplowski opened Big Ten Conference Championships with a bang on night 1. She led off Indiana’s 800 free relay quartet with a personal-best 1:42.04, taking more than a tenth off her previous best time. That lead proved insurmountable as IYU powered to the Big Ten title.
The next morning, Peplowski continued her hot streak, clocking a blazing 4:36.63 500 free to lead prelims by over 2 seconds. In the finals, Peplowski took her race out more controlled. By the 200 Peplowski and Crom separated themselves from the pack. The two traded the lead several times but Crom found just a little more on the final 50 and out-touched Peplowski 4:37.24 to 4:37.47. That marked another PB for Peplowski. In the 400 Medley relay, Peplowski had an early takeoff on the butterfly split, costing IU 64 points.
On day 3, Peplowski comfortably took the top seed in the 200 free with a 1:43.90. In the final, it was all Peplowski wire-to-wire for the win in 1:42.62, just off her days old PB. After the previous night’s DQ, IU’s luck turned around in the 200 free relay as Ohio State swam to a new Big Ten record but was later disqualified. The Hoosiers were also under the previous record and ended up in 1st place, in part thanks to Peplowski’s 21.97 leadoff. That time was a PB and Peplowski’s first time under the 22-second barrier.
Continuing her shift to free, Peplowki opted for the 100 free over the 200 back on the final day. She led prelims with a new PB of 47.45 but fell painstakingly short of a second title in the finals with a 47.53 for 2nd. Peplowski’s prelims mark would have beat out winner Amy Fulmer’s 47.48.
In what might be the most dramatic finish to a team battle in recent memory, IU and OSU’s fight came down to the final relay. Peplowski led off in a 47.72 but IU sat in 3rd at the 300. A brilliant anchor by Kristina Paegle pulled IU past OSU for 2nd behind Michigan. That 2nd place secured IU the team title by a mere .5 points over OSU, snapping their 4-year win streak.
Peplowski stuck to the same lineup as Big Tens for NCAAs. Despite a fifth-place finish as a team in the 800 free relay on night 1, Peplowski led off in a 1:41.16 200 freestyle, a new best time by almost a second. That was the 2nd fastest split of the entire field, regardless of start.
The next morning, Peplowski dropped the hammer, putting up a 4:34.72 500 free, nearly a 3-second drop. That secured her the 3rd seed in the final. There, Peplowski took things out quickly, sitting 2nd at the 100. It seemed this was too much as she fell back to 5th at the 350 but a massive final 50 of 26.32 propelled Peplowski past 2 swimmers to touch the wall 3rd in a 4:34.06. Then, she led off IU’s 8th-place 200 free relay in another PB of 21.91.
On day 3, Peplowski moved confidently through the 200 free prelims with a 1:41.85 to outduel Bella Sims for pole position in the finals. In the final, Sims got out to a characteristically swift start with Peplowski sitting in 4th in a pack at the 50 with a 23.91. A strong second 50 of 25.76 moved her past into 3rd while another sub-26 split of 25.78 moved her into 2nd. With Sims still .72 seconds ahead, Peplowski dug deep and split an absurd 25.52 coming home but just ran out of room, finishing .07 seconds back of Sims in 1:40.97.
Peplowski wrapped her individual swims up in the 100 free, posting a PB of 47.27 in prelims for 7th. She added a hair to 47.31 in the final but maintained seed. Peplowski made the most of another shot at a PB, leading off the IU 400 free relay in 47.18, helping IU to an 8th-place finish and 7th-place finish overall. Peplowski ended up with 45 points.
National/International Swimming
2020(1) Wave I Olympic Team Trials (Omaha, Nebraska)
In the 200 free, Peplowski was off her best with a 2:02.64 but it was enough to qualify her 4th for the final. In the final, she was a bit better with a 2:02.52 for 5th, short of making Wave II Trials.
2022 International Team Trials (Greensboro, North Carolina)
With a tight turnaround from NCAAs, Peplowsky managed some PBs in her back events. She was 20th in the 100 back with a 1:01.68 and 9th in the 200 back with a 2:11.21.
2022 Summer National Championships (Irvine, California)
Peplowski was a lot faster than trials at Summer Nationals. She took on the tough 200 free/back double. She ended up 7th in both. Her 1:59.87 200 free was her first under 2:00. She was just off her best in the 200 back with a 2:11.56. She was also 7th in the 100 back with a 1:00.94.
2023 Pro Swim Series (Westmont, Illinois)
Turning around from NCAAs, Peplowski got some long course reps back home in Illinois at the PSS stop in Westmont. She had several impressive swims. On the first full day of racing, Peplowski clocked a 1:58.43 200 free PB to lead qualifying. She came back that night and posted another lifetime best in 1:58.08 for the win. Peplowski was 28.85 in the 50 back also that night for 9th in another PB. The next night, Peplowski threw down a 1:00.59 100 back for 3rd in another PB. She wrapped her meet with a 2:09.82 200 back for 3rd and another lifetime best.
Indy Spring Cup (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Peplowski’s free was on point, just a month from trials. She put up a best time of 54.81 in the 100 free, a .73-second drop. More crucially, Peplowski threw down a 1:57.02, then the #2 time in the nation, and another big PB. She was also 1:00.74 in the 100 back.
2023 International Team Trials (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Peplowski continued her 200 free success with a 1:57.33 in prelims to qualify 6th. In the final, Peplowski was a little slower with a 1:57.59 for 7th. Usually, her finish would mean heartbreak but Katie Ledecky decided to drop the event individually, meaning Peplowski was the last relay qualifier for Worlds. Controversially, USA Swimming has been inconsistent in these situations in the past. Last year, when Ledecky also scratched the 200 free at Worlds, 7th place finisher Erin Gemmell was not called up for the relay. In addition to her 200 free, Peplowski was just under her best in the 100 free (54.63) and a hair under her PB in the 100 back (1:00.57).
2023 World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka, Japan)
On the 800 free relay, Peplowski performed admirably, anchoring the prelims squad with a 1:56.88. The finals team finished 2nd.
2024 Pro Swim Series–San Antonio
Peplowski had a notable 200 free. She was second in prelims with a 1:57.93 before lowering that to a 1:56.99 in the finals. That mark was a new personal best for Peplowski, undercutting her 1:57.02 from May 2023.
2024 US Olympic Team Trials (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Peplowski was clearly on good form after she clocked a 4:09.20 for 6th in the 400 free. In the 200 free, Peplowski moved through prelims with a 1:57.37, not far off her best. She split her race more conservatively and nearly missed the final, placing 7th with a 1:57.55. In the final, Peplowski was 4th at the 50 with a 27.30, she surged to 3rd with a 28.73 split but fell back to 4th again with a 30.29. Down the stretch, Erin Gemmell passed her as Peplowski closed in 30.72 for a 1:57.04, just .05 seconds off her PB. That time was good for 5th, putting her in contention for an Olympic berth depending on roster size limits.
–This biography was originally developed by Lucas Caswell