NCAA Swim of 2014: Felicia Lee’s 100 Fly Victory

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Commentary by Jeff Commings

TUCSON – Felicia Lee has been on the brink of doing something great for about six years, and that potential materialized last March when she got her hands on the wall first to win the 100-yard butterfly at the Women’s NCAA Division I swimming and diving championships.

The swim was a big breakthrough for Lee, and it signaled not only a shift in her career, but also cemented a superb season for the Stanford women’s team. Dating back to her time at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, Lee was known as a spectacular butterflyer and was a well-known name on a couple of junior national teams. Prognosticators said Lee was going to be a multiple NCAA champion, in the 100 and 200 butterfly events.

But Lee was on the outside looking into the championship finals at the NCAAs in her freshman and junior year. Injuries held her back in those two years, as she was unable to earn second swims at the 2012 Olympic Trials. But Lee worked through her physical and mental issues to get fourth in the 100 back at the 2013 NCAAs, setting herself back on the path.

At the 2013 USA Swimming nationals, Lee got a lane in the championship final of the 100 fly and finished third behind two Olympians. Clearly, the first season of work with new coach Greg Meehan was just what Lee needed. But how would it translate to the short course pool?

Fast forward to the 2014 NCAA championships, where Lee was in lane three in the 100 fly final. She had just helped the Cardinal win the 200 medley relay about 20 minutes earlier, and was deemed the underdog in an event that was supposed to go to Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell. But a blistering opening 50 yards hurt Worrell in the end, and she was passed in the final stroke by Lee to give the senior her first individual national championship title.

It was likely the biggest upset in individual events at the meet, but based on the way Stanford had been swimming up to that point, I guess Lee’s win should not have been a surprise. Meehan was one of the few coaches to get all of his swimmers firing on all cylinders at the meet, and Lee was right at the top of the list.

What about Missy Franklin’s American record in the 200 free or Brittany MacLean’s NCAA record in the 1650 freestyle? And in the men’s meet, Kevin Cordes’ 1:48 in the 200 breast was certainly an awesome swim, right?

Agreed on all counts, but those wins and times were pretty much expected. When you look at the journey Felicia Lee took to her 100 fly win, it trumps anything anyone else did to get to the top of the podium last spring. We’ll see if she can carry this success to another 100 fly victory this summer at the World University Games.

Felicia Lee NCAA Championships Photo Gallery

DiRado,M., Lee F. — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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