Linnea Mack: Finishing Up Strong at UCLA

You probably haven’t ever heard of Linnea Mack. She’s a senior at UCLA vying for a podium spot at the 2017 Women’s NCAA Swimming Championships. 

She’s seeded 7th in the 50 Free (21.67), 12th in the 100 Free (47.77), and 4th in the 100 Back (50.56).

Being seeded 4th in arguably the most stacked event is awe-inspiring. She’s seeded in front of…

• Olivia Smoliga of Georgia who won an Olympic gold medal in Rio and a smattering of individual NCAA titles
• Alexia Zevnik of NC State who won two gold medals at SC World Championships in Canada for Canada
• Hannah Stevens of Missouri who was 5th at OT’s in the 100 Back last year
• Amy Bilquist of Cal who we spoke about here

If every swimmer progressed at the rate that Linnea Mack has, we wouldn’t have any unhappy swimmers anywhere. She’s improved almost every year — with 2015 being the anomaly. Which, I’m sure if asked, she’d have a good answer. It’s very difficult for any college swimmer to remain healthy and injury free for all four years. Consistent progression is what its all about, though.

Progressions are very telling. The data tells a story and can be useful for both swimmers and coaches, especially in recruitment. 

Check out Linnea’s progressions. There is nothing staggering here. She’s not an over night success. It took years to get to where she is right now: the final meet of her NCAA career. 

50 Backstroke

100 Backstroke

50 Freestyle

100 Freestyle