5 Women To Watch At USA Swimming Nationals

Commentary by Jeff Commings

PHOENIX – This week’s USA Swimming nationals (short course) is going to be big. As in knock-your-socks-off, jaw-on-the-floor big. My Spidey senses are telling me that we’re going to see Katie Ledecky put another exclamation mark on an incredible year, and a few college swimmers are going to make some big statements before holiday training starts.

We’re going to see a lot of names make headlines in Greensboro at the USA Swimming nationals, but here are five ladies who will have us talking all week.

Katie Ledecky

I still get goosebumps when I recall Ledecky’s otherworldly assault on the 1500 freestyle at the Pan Pacific championships, where she lowered her world record by six seconds. I shudder to think what we could see from her this week, and not just in the mile. Ledecky will be on a mission to establish herself firmly as the top female in the world in distances of 200 yards/meters and up, and this week’s performances will go a long way toward that. Ledecky is also entered in the 400 IM (as the second seed!) so that might make her a bit worn out for a major swim in the 200 free, which she can still win handily. Will Ledecky also be able to break Katie Hoff’s American record of 9:10.77 during the mile? Since there is no 1000 freestyle at nationals, that is the only place she can make that happen.

Clara Smiddy

Smiddy has been swimming well in her freshman year at Michigan, and I am picking her to upset Brooklynn Snodgrass in one or both of the backstroke events. Smiddy is more of a 200 backstroker, but she has been having an excellent fall semester leading off Michigan medley relays. Snodgrass has also been having a good season so far, posting some of the nation’s fastest times, but Smiddy has the bigger potential for improvement. Could we see a 1:49 or better from this college freshman in the 200 back? That would be astounding.

Natalie Hinds

Though it’s almost safe to say that Simone Manuel has the 50 and 100 freestyle NCAA titles secured, Natalie Hinds could be the runner-up in both events. With Elizabeth Beisel now in the postgraduate phase of her career, the Florida Gators have looked to Hinds for leadership in and out of the pool. Even in the dual meet losses, Hinds has been a key player. She’s seeded first in the sprint freestyles this week and could be celebrating one or two national titles by week’s end.

Emily McClellan

Now a postgrad after helping give the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee some exposure during her collegiate career, Emily McClellan comes to nationals as the top seed in both breaststrokes. After a subpar long course nationals this summer, McClellan could be hungry to prove that she deserves to be on the radar in the pre-Olympic Trials push. Though she has found most of her success in the short course pool (including second in the 100 breast at the 2014 NCAAs), a win or two this week could help reinvigorate her confidence for next year’s long course campaign.

Meghan Small

Meghan Small is the only other high school swimmer besides Ledecky to enjoy a top seed going into the event. With a 1:56.16 in the 200 IM, she’ll most likely need a lifetime best to hold off such college stalwarts as Marni Oldershaw and Tanja Kylliainen. After years of dominating at YMCA nationals, Small gets a different taste of competition against a field of veterans who will make her experience vastly different from a YMCA nationals, but no less impactful. If nerves and negative thoughts don’t invade her mindset at the meet, this could be a breakout for the 16-year-old.

USA SWIMMING NATIONALS PSYCH SHEET