Top 10 Names in Swimming: Reader Submissions

We got a ton of great feedback to our “Off the Deep End: The 10 Greatest Names in Swimming Today” feature that we posted two weeks ago. Apparently, there were even more awesome swimming names than we knew about. As a result, we will now share with you our favorite reader-submitted additions to the list, in no particular order.

Yumi So – This was probably our most popular reader-submitted name. It’s made especially great by the fact that heat sheets and scoreboards typically list it as “So, Yumi” which implies that she might be the tastiest swimmer this side of Troy Burger (a high school junior out of Katy, Texas with Division-1 potential). So just completed her sophomore year at the NCAA Championships with a 13th-place finish in the 100 butterfly. I’ll say this much: I will be greatly disappointed if no USC fan starts a “She’s so Yumi *clap clap, clap clap clap*” chant at a meet next season.

Ally Rockett – Rockett is a rising tar at Wilson Highschool in Pennsylvania – one of the state’s top programs. Appropriately enough – she’s a sprinter, which might put her down in history as the best sprinter name ever. She’s very young (only a freshman), but the Olympic Trials cuts are within reach for her. Imagine the PR campaign that could be launched if Rockett ever made the Olympic Team.

Spindrift Beck – I’m disappointed in myself for missing this one on the first go around. Spindrift, more commonly known as “Spin,” is another Texas girl (like Nuffy Swanson) on this list. Beck is a sophomore at the University of Texas, and in 2007 set the National Independent High School Record in the 100 breaststroke at 1:00.66. Perhaps ironically, Beck rarely swims backstroke, which is the stroke that is most commonly associated with visions of “spinning”.

Cotton and Barley Fields – These two are relative newcomers on the Texas Age Group swimming scene, and if they don’t quickly become known for their names, they will for their times. Cotton and Barley don’t appear to be their real names (Wyatt and Robert, respectively, are listed in the USA-Swimming database), but they do actually use the names “Cotton” and “Barley” for meet entries and everyday usage. Cotton, 8, is the second-fastest 8 & under 500 freestyler in the country (already at an amazing 6:20) and the top-ranked 8 & under 100 butterflier (1:13.16) in the country. He also packs a mean 50 free at 30.65. Older brother Barley, who’s 11, ranks 4th nationally in the 200 fly for his age (2:14.41) and 13th in the 500 free (5:20.42).

Jessica Fullalove – This sounds like a perfect name for a femme fatale in a James Bond movie (or, as Tom Willdridge put it, a seductive character from a Roger Rabbit movie). Either way, this is a name that I am “full of love” for. The 14-year old backstroker placed 5th at last week’s British World Championship trials in the 100 back (1:02.7) and 4th in the 50 back; and has been identified as one of the future stars of Britain’s increasingly-impressive backstroke program. Among other backstroke finalists at the meet: 15-year old Phoebe Lenderyou. It also begs the question: who has more heart? Jessica Fullalove, or University of Houston diver Lacey Truelove? (I’ll stop myself now, because when you look through the list of British swimmers, there’s an endless list of bad puns available for you. It’s incredible).

Dan Ketchum – This is a name that can serve to connect different generations of swimmers. The group that is currently in their late 20’s remember Ketchum best as an NCAA Champion while at Michigan and an 800 free relay gold medalist (prelims) from Athens in 2004. The current generation can relate to him as the obvious namesake for the Pokemon hero Ash Ketchum. He is currently the head coach at Loveland High School in Ohio, where he is coaching the next generation of swimmers to Ketchum All!

Maria Papadopoulos – Ever since I saw this name first flash across my inbox, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. Apparently, “Papadopoulos” isn’t all that uncommon of a name in the Mediterranean region, but I still can’t stop saying it. It just flows so smoothly off of my tongue. It almost sounds like a name that belongs in a Shel Silverstein poem–“Once there was a Papadopoulos, who thought she was a…” Papadopoulos is a three-time Olympian in the 100 fly representing the small island nation of Cyprus.

Keith Beavers – If I gave you only one guess to pick which country Mr. Beavers hails from for a million dollars, there’s only one guess that anybody should have: Canada. And you’d be right-on-the-money, so to speak. From any other country, a swimmer with the last name Beavers is mildly amusing. From Canada, a swimmer named Beavers is absolutely brilliant. In our original top 10, we honored Meredith Cavalier from Virginia for matching the name of her University’s mascot…well Beaver’s got one even better, as he has matched the mascot for his entire nation’s mascot. The recently retired swimmer competed for Canada in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, with his most successful swim coming in Beijing where he finaled and placed 7th in the 200 IM.