Splashbacks: Caeleb Dressel Tops Headlines for March-April

march-april-splashback-18

It’s been another amazing year of aquatics competition, including exciting trips to Glasgow for the European Championships and Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Championships, and Swimming World had our readers covered every step of the way.  During the next few days, we’ll take a look back in “Splashbacks”, the most read stories of 2018.

The top stories for March and April included many headlines with Caeleb Dressel’s name in the mix, while Katie Ledecky and Ella Eastin also made headlines.

1. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel Becomes First Man Under :40 in 100 Free

Caeleb Dressel broke many barriers throughout his final NCAA Championship meet, but the most viewed record was when he became the first man under :40 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle. Dressel split an 18.96 in the first 50 yards, before finishing the race in a stunning 39.90 seconds.

2. 10 Things Swimming Parents Do That Coaches Can’t Stand

A throwback post from March 2015 was the second-most-read post of the February-March 2018. Swimming World contributor, Wayne Goldsmith, examined 10 things that swimming parents do that coaches just can’t stand.

3. Essays, Education and Excellence: The Classroom Side of Katie Ledecky

Swimming World staff writer, David Rieder, examined the great Katie Ledecky and the impact she has been making outside of the pool in mid-March. Rieder interviewed Stanford professor, Judy Maxmin, to learn about Ledecky’s first impressions on the professor and the awe-inspiring essays that Ledecky crafted for her art history class.

4. Caeleb Dressel Becomes First Man to Break 18 in 50 Free; Smashes Records

Prior to delivering his record-breaking 100-yard free, Caeleb Dressel first took down the American and NCAA records in the 50-yard free. Dressel led off Florida’s 4×50 yard freestyle relay with a stunning 17.81 to become the first man to break 18 seconds in the 50-yard free.

5. Bandana, Kids and the Down-to-Earth Caeleb Dressel

Swimming World’s David Rieder interviewed Caeleb Dressel and his Florida coach Gregg Troy to learn more about Dressel’s calm persona on the pool deck. During the 2018 Men’s NCAA Division I Champsionships, Dressel could be seen wearing a blue bandana on his head prior to every race, which had belonged to a former high school teacher who had died of cancer.

6. USA Swimming Announces 2018 Zone Select Camp Roster

USA Swimming announced the rosters for the 2018 Zone Select camps early in March of 2018. The four camps were held in Cincinnati, Ohio; Lousville, Kentucky; Tempe, Arizona; and Charlottesville, Virginia.

7. How to Spot Terrible Coaches

Swimming World contributor, Wayne Goldsmith, penned a commentary about how parents can spot the difference between great and terrible coaches. Goldsmith’s sports thoughts list three very specific traits to look for to identify terrible coaches.

8. A Morning with the Master: On Deck with Coach Bill Sweetenham

Early in March, Swimming World contributor Wayne Goldsmith spent a morning on deck with legendary Coach Bill Sweetenham. While there, Goldsmith discussed with Sweetenham his philosophy of coaching and how he came to be known as a “hard” coach.

9. Ella Eastin Defeats Katie Ledecky in 400 IM; Destroys NCAA and American Records

Ella Eastin turned heads in March when she defeated Katie Ledecky in the 400 IM and over-turned Ledecky’s NCAA and American record of 3:56.53. Eastin posted a final time of 3:54.60 to claim her third straight NCAA title in the 400 IM, joining Tracy Caulkins (1982-1984), Maggie Bowen (2001-2003) and fellow Cardinal Julia Smit (2008-2010) as three time winners in the event.

10. 2018 USA Swimming Winter Nationals to be Long Course; Cuts Released

The top ten stories of March and April concluded with the announcement that USA Swimming’s Winter Nationals would be a long course meter swim meet. Additionally, USA Swimming announced the necessary cuts needed to qualify for Winter Nationals and the following Junior Nationals meets.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x