Get ready for an exciting second semester in college swimming! The addition of some incredible swimmers to NCAA teams is set to shake things up, and we're about to dive into the impact they'll have.
The Most Impactful Addition?
In a recent SwimSwam Pulse poll, an impressive 54.4% of voters chose Alex Shackell as the swimmer who will make the biggest difference for their college team in the postseason. But here's where it gets controversial...
Shackell, a former Cal commit who now swims for Indiana, is a potential NCAA title contender in the 200 fly. Her impressive time of 1:50.15 would have secured her a spot on the podium at the 2025 NCAAs, and with the top two swimmers from last year now graduated, she's in a prime position.
In the 100 fly, Shackell's personal best of 49.49 ranks her second among returning swimmers, just behind the favorite, Torri Huske. Shackell's versatility extends to the relays, where she's a proven medal winner, having claimed four relay medals at the 2024 Short Course World Championships.
But Shackell isn't the only new addition making waves. Anastasia Gorbenko, Mizuki Hirai, and Ksawery Masiuk also received a significant portion of the votes, with Gorbenko leading the pack at 16.2%.
Gorbenko, a short course world champion in the 50 breast and 100 IM, and a three-time European LC title holder in the 200 IM, is an incredibly versatile swimmer who should boost Louisville's performance in multiple events.
Hirai, another short course specialist, holds the girls' SCM World Junior Records in the 50 back and 100 fly, and is also an elite freestyle sprinter. Masiuk, who finally joined Texas after a delayed commitment, brings an impressive backstroke ability and strong sprint free and fly skills.
So, who will score the most NCAA points? Will Shackell live up to the hype, or will one of the other talented swimmers surprise us?
Vote in the A3 Performance Poll and let us know your thoughts!
And this is the part most people miss... it's not just about individual events. The impact of these swimmers on their team's relay performances could be the difference between a podium finish and a disappointing result.
What do you think? Who will be the most impactful addition, and why? We'd love to hear your predictions and insights in the comments!
