SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers whether more or fewer NCAA records would be set at the NCAA Championships in 2021 compared to 2019.
RESULTS
Question: Will we have more or fewer NCAA records set at the 2021 Championships than the 10 set at the 2019 Championships?
- Fewer NCAA records – 63.5%
- More NCAA records – 36.5%
In a pandemic-adjusted year, fans are a bit skeptical of the potential for NCAA records at this year’s NCAA Championships. 63.5% predicted fewer total NCAA records than the 10 set at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
The pandemic has affected the season in several ways. The most obvious have been the stops, starts, and pauses in training amid COVID-19 outbreaks and close contacts on college swim teams. But there’s also been an element of talent drain, with a number of top international athletes staying in their home nations rather than heading to the U.S. to swim in the NCAA.
Then, too, there’s the Olympic year, which typically leads to a handful of key swimmers taking redshirt seasons.
It’s probably a fair bet that fewer records will fall. All of the individual record-breakers from 2019 (Abbey Weitzeil, Louise Hansson, Lilly King, Beata Nelson, Townley Haas, Dean Farris) are out of the NCAA this season. And while we’ve got a few new names rising into NCAA record range (Kieran Smith, Bobby Finke, Maggie MacNeil, Kate Douglass, Shane Casas, Rhyan White, Max McHugh, Reece Whitley, Isabelle Stadden, among others), it would take a pretty great season across the board for that crew to combine for ten records, especially with several of them competing for the same records.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters whether NCAA invite times will be slower or faster in the pandemic season.
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
Based off of what we saw with the ISL season i’d say it’ll be one of the fastest seasons. 2nd chance olympic year, lots of motivated swimmers and lots of swimmers realizing what swimming means to them. It’ll be fast
Overall slower but there are a few top guys going obscenely fast. Freshman cracking 18’s, 4:06s, Casas and more.