The Ohio State women’s swimming & diving team, on paper, was looking thin for next season in their butterfly and backstroke groups. After multiple 5th years announced their comeback and a good recruiting class, that situation is looking much better for the Buckeyes.
The latest returnee according to head coach Bill Dorenkott is Tristan Harrison, a senior from Suffolk, Virginia. Last season, Harrison finished 5th at the Big Ten Championships in the 200 back, 5th in the 100 fly, and 8th in the 100 back, scoring 77 individual points to contribute to Ohio State’s 4th-straight Big Ten Championship.
She is also a 2022 CSCAA National Invitational Championship winner in the 100 back and qualified for the 2023 NCAA Championships, where her best finish was 35th in the 100 back (52.71).
She will join Kit Kat Zenick, the defending Big Ten Champion in the 100 fly and 50 free and NCAA All-American, as seniors scheduled to return to the Buckeyes next season.
Ohio State has at least 9 women committed for next season, including more for that butterfly group like Elise Nardozzi (54.8 100 fly), Danika Varda (55.8 100 fly), and Erin Little (1:02.40 100 fly LCM), with Harrison and Zenick providing a bit of a bridge for the Buckeyes next season.
Harrison’s Development at Ohio State:
| Before Ohio State | At Ohio State | |
| 50 free | 23.95 | 22.43 |
| 100 free | 50.68 | 49.42 |
| 100 fly | 54.63 | 52.31 |
| 100 back | 55.17 | 52.05 |
| 200 back | 1:58.00 | 1:54.04 |
Harrison has made significant drops at Ohio State relative to her pre-collegiate best times. Note that while her senior year of high school did end with COVID-19, she did swim at the Virginia Swimming LSC Championships the week before most of the United States shut down for the oncoming pandemic, so she did get a final taper meet before matriculating to Ohio State.
Harrison, like everyone who swam in D1 in the 2020-2021 season, was awarded a 5th year of eligibility because of the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrison’s class is the last one that will receive the eligibility waiver.
This season, Harrison ranks 3rd on the Ohio State team in the 100 fly (behind Zenick and 5th year Morgan Kraus); 2nd in the 100 back (behind 5th year Amy Fulmer); 4th in the 100 free (behind Zenick, Fulmer, and junior Teresa Ivan); and 5th in the 50 free. That means she might contribute to a free relay this year, but next season could find herself on a free relay after graduations.
Ohio State has one dual meet remaining on Friday against Pitt before racing at the Ohio State Winter Invitational from February 16-18 (partial squad) and the Big Ten Championships from February 21-24.