Shannon McKernan, who swims for for Dick Shoulberg and Jeff Thompson at Germantown Academy where she is also a student, has made a verbal commitment to join the Auburn Tigers beginning with the 2015-16 season.
McKernan is a national-level freestyler and backstroker with US Open qualifying times in the 100 and 200 free, and Winter Nationals in the 50 free and 100 back. Her top swims include:
| 50y free: 23.39 | 50m free: 26.65 |
| 100y free: 49.93 | 100m free: 57.08 |
| 200y free: 1:46.93 | 200m free: 2:04.98 |
| 100y back: 56.59 | 100m back: 1:04.86 |
| 200y back: 2:02.28 | 200m back: 2:23.24 |
McKernan was voted Outstanding Female Swimmer at both the 2013 and 2014 Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships. At both meets she won the 100 and 200 free individual events and led off Germantown’s winning 200 and 400 free relays. In 2013 their 200 free relay set the meet record and their 400 free relay, which she led off in 49.93, broke the national prep high school record.
McKernan’s 200 free is already B-final-worthy at SECs and her 100 free isn’t far off the 2014 C-final cutoff. Auburn didn’t put any swimmers in the A-final of the either the 100 or 200 free at conference championships this past year. In the 200 free, the Tigers had one B-finalist and one C-finalist, although they fared better in the 100 with 2-and-2. Auburn typically does well in backstroke, but the 100/200 free are events where they could use some talent. Not only should McKernan help the Tigers with individual points as a freshman but she should be a big asset to their relays as well.
Auburn has had great success with sprint freestyle on the men’s side over the years. They have loaded up the finals of the 50 and 100 frees at SECs and they’ve gotten their share of finalists in the 200 as well. Perhaps McKernan will be the recruiting bump the Tigers needed to get the women’s program on that same track.