#NationalTeamNewbie: Q&A with Kelsi Worrell

Photo Courtesy: Peter Bick

By Peter Baugh, Swimming World College Intern

Kelsi Worrell, a senior at Louisville, is building quite a resume. Worrell qualified for her first U.S. National Team in three events: the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle. She represented Team USA at the Pan American Games, where she swam the fastest 100-meter butterfly (57.24) time of an American this year. Worrell also had a breakout NCAA Championships in March– she broke the American record in the 100-yard fly twice in one day (49.89 prelims, 49.81 finals) and became the first woman in history to crack the 50-second barrier.

Swimming World recently had the chance to catch up with Worrell…

SW: Could you take me through your experience at the Pan American Games?

They were awesome. (It was) my first trip obviously, I’ve never even been on a junior team trip. I really didn’t know what to expect and I was just really excited to try to learn as much as I could from the more experienced swimmers who I’ve pretty much looked up to for most of my swimming career. Swimming with Natalie Coughlin and Allison Schmitt and then being on a relay with them was pretty surreal, a dream come true. (I) just really enjoyed that and it was a blast being at the village.

SW: How does it feel to have the fastest 100-meter butterfly time in the country for the year?

It’s encouraging because I’d never really had a good long course season. I’ve had illnesses and injuries the past few years so it’s encouraging going into this year, but it really doesn’t mean anything. It just means that I know what lane I’ll be in going into Trials. Other than that it doesn’t mean anything. So I’ll have to work really hard this year and just stay composed and really enjoy the process, because if I’m not enjoying it then I’m not going to work hard and get better.

SW: Going into the summer did you expect to make the U.S. National Team? Was it a goal?

Not necessarily. I just really wanted to have fun and work hard and stay healthy, because I knew if I got to stay healthy that everything I had worked for this year, carrying from NCAAs on, was going to show and I was going to swim fast.

SW: How did it feel finding out you made the team?

I found out during practice, actually. My coach announced it to the entire team. It was a little bit emotional having my team cheer for me, finding out. It’s just exciting. I’ve just learning about everything that the national team provides and (I’m) excited to use those resources to get even better.

SW: What resources do they provide?

One of the national team sports performance people came and he … sent some resources just with nutrition and I think that’s the biggest area I can improve upon, just to feel my body better. Not that I need to lose any sort of weight, but just that I can eat foods that just can provide me with more fuel, more energy for practice so I have better practices and can swim faster. Just things like now getting to hang out in that national team tent at larger meets and it can help me with massages … and things that I never would have known about. Also blood testing, so I got to get blood work done and (it) showed me how my body is recovering or not recovering from practices and what kind of nutrients I need to work on getting in my diet.

Jul 16, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Kelsi Worrell dives in at the start of the women's swimming 100m butterfly final during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images

SW: How excited are you for Duel in the Pool?

I’m really excited. I actually just posted on Facebook that I was going and I feel like all my dreams are coming true.

SW: What are your goals for the NCAA season?

Obviously as a team we want to improve upon our finish from last year and we’re having a great season so far. I think that’s what I’m most excited about, to see how our team does. We would like to get a relay win and maybe even take home a trophy. That would be our number one goal. Individually, I just want to improve my times from last year. If I can do that, I think I can place pretty well.

SW: What are your goals for the Olympic year?

I guess the ultimate goal is to make the Olympic team, but from there I don’t just want to make it, I want to still do well … but first I have to focus on this June coming up. I just really have to focus on my own race and executing what we work on everyday, and thankfully we get to train long course a couple times a week, so that really helps us to prepare for next summer. In 2012, I swam the 100 fly there (at Trials in Omaha) and I think that will really help going into this year, just knowing what to expect because it’s a meet like any other. I’m just really excited, but there’s a lot that can happen before then.

SW: Is there anything you’d like to add?

I really just want to give God all the glory for everything that He’s provided for me. I’m just blessed to have this swimming ability, I get to have so much fun with it.

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Bill Bell

8 years ago

She’s off to a quick start this fall and if she stays healthy/motivated I think come NCAAs (ACCs?) she could get former Stanford star Elaine Breeden’s American/NCAA record in the 200 fly, where she’s a bit over a second off (1:49.92-1:51.11).

Breeden set the current record @ ’09 Pac-10s, then won NCAAs a month later w/a time a second slower (1:50.98).

Breeden’s times, though legit, were done in a fullbody suit which is no longer kosher. Breeden remains only woman sub-1:5.0 in 200 fly but that could change third weekend of March of ’16.