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Disclaimer: Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Swim of the Week is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Northwestern University sophomore Jasmine Nocentini has been lights out for the Wildcats this season since coming over as a transfer from FIU, and further elevated her game last weekend at the Big Ten quad meet in Minneapolis.
Nocentini, an Italian native who has also spent time living in Panama, was a driving force behind the Northwestern women earning victories over both Minnesota (188.5-164.5) and Purdue (201-151) at the meet, winning both of her individual events while also playing a key role on relays.
Nocentini’s top performance came in the 50 free, which earns Swim of the Week honors.
The 19-year-old dropped a staggering 36 one-hundredths from her best time to touch first in 21.92, moving into 10th in the NCAA this season.
Nocentini’s previous best time was 22.28, set at the 2021 Conference USA Championships last February where she won the gold medal. This season, her fastest time previously was the 22.38 she swam at the Purdue Invite.
That was just one of six noteworthy swims from Nocentini at the two-day meet. The others were:
- Anchored the winning 200 medley relay with a 50 free split of 21.48.
- Split 21.59 swimming second on the runner-up 200 free relay.
- Anchored the winning 800 free relay with a 1:46.11 split.
- Won the 100 free in 48.46, improving on her previous best time of 48.86 set at the Purdue Invite. She now ranks 19th in the NCAA.
- Anchored the winning 400 free relay with a 47.57 split.
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