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
RESULTS
Question: Which event should Kate Douglass swim at NCAAs?
- 200 breast – 66.3%
- 100 free – 33.7%
Two-thirds of voters said Virginia star Kate Douglass should swim the 200 breast over the 100 free at NCAAs next month.
It’s hard to argue with the record potential in the breaststroke. Douglass went 2:03.93 in the 200 breast last month, the 9th-fastest time ever swum in the event. She became just the fifth swimmer ever to crack 2:04 in the event. With a full NCAA taper, Douglass could join Lilly King as the only swimmers ever under 2:03, and could even challenge King’s 2:02.60 American record.
Fans are also excited for a potentially historic event domination by Virginia. The Cavaliers currently have five of the top twelve 200 breaststrokers nationwide this season, with Douglass sitting #1 ahead of Alex Walsh (#4), Ella Nelson (#9), Anna Keating (#10) and Alexis Wenger (#12). That means Virginia could theoretically stack the A final with four or five swimmers at NCAAs – a historic event that fans remember for a long time. Just see how many fans still bring up the year Texas put 6 men into the 100 fly A final at NCAAs – that was six years ago.
On the flip side, it might be better for Virginia to spread out its scorers to avoid the risk of bumping their own teammates into the B final. Douglass is the #1-ranked 100 freestyler in the NCAA by four tenths of a second, and UVA has no one else ranked in the top 45 there.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters whether we’ll see more or fewer NCAA swimming records set at the 2021 NCAA Championships than we did at the last edition of the event in 2019. Nine NCAA records were set that year, 6 on the women’s side and 3 on the men’s side.
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
She also has NC2’s coming up for the 200 breast if she wishes.
She should swim the 100 since 6 people can qualify. Only 2 make it in the 200 breast
This is not it chief
This is NCAAs not Trials
This is my favorite comment today