Yesterday, we shared a press release recapping what would typically a pretty under-the-radar meet between the women of Cal and San Jose State. Yet, one result stuck out: an apparent 20.92 anchor leg by freshman Abbey Weitzeil on Cal’s “C” 200 free relay, which would be one of the fastest times in history.
Now, you do occasionally see some pretty outrageous relay splits due to various touch pad issues, and it seemed pretty crazy that Weitzeil would be that fast at a relatively low-key duel meet, almost certainly untapered and in a training suit.
However, we reached out to Cal for confirmation, and they responded that it was a confirmed split, with no touchpad malfunction. While we can never be 100% sure, especially as there is still the possibility of something like a bad exchange that wasn’t caught by the officials, this appears to be the third-fastest relay split ever, and the only sub-21 split done outside of a championship meet.
Our astute readers pointed out the other five sub-21 splits that we’ve been able to confirm, and here they are with links to the original stories:
Anna Vanderpool-Wallace – 20.80
Kelsi Worrell – 20.84
Ivy Martin – 20.96
Margo Geer – 20.98
Megan Romano – 20.99
On one hand, that a swimmer could go this fast in season is simply mind-blowing. On the other hand, Weitzeil is the American Record holder in the 50 free, boasting a time of 21.12. If you assume a flying start gives you an extra 0.5 to 0.7 seconds, that means that it’s certainly reasonable to expect Weitzeil to be able to go somewhere around on a relay start 20.5 come championship season.
The bottom line to all of this: swimmers continue to get faster, and we should be set for an absolutely epic 50 free battle come March at the NCAA championships.
I didn’t know you were allowed to wear your club cap at college meets. That picture is great.
I guess Abbey will split somewhere around 19 at NCAAs !!!!
You have a tech timing system (not hand watch) confirming this, an eye witness here in the chain, and then Cal coaches confirming. If u don’t believe still then you don’t want to believe. Bye haters!
Hardly. The 3rd swimmer supposedly split 25 mid (slowest split on any of Cal’s relays by a second). More likely the 3rd swimmer did not hit the pad accurately or had a delayed touch as indicated by her unusually slow split and Abbey’s unusually fast one. Happens often on timing systems.
^This!
Obvious what really happened here. No way the 3rd gal whos a freestyler split a 25! 23 high would be more consistant with the other splits from her team.
That would mean Weitzel did a 23 low. Ho hum split which Simone Manuel can drop in her sleep. With her hands tied!
Typical of the Kal coach desparately trying to whitewash this timing error.
The girl who split a 25 on that relay is a distance swimmer and just had gotten out of the 200IM right before. A 25 for her is possible.
More on Chenoa (who swam 3rd leg)
Chenoa was recruited as a a pure distance swimmer; she doesn’t even have a recorded 50 free time on her collegeswimming.com. recruiting profile. The relay swim was her 4th event of the day and followed both the 200 breast. A two SJS state sprinters who raced in the 50 free earlier were time 25.49 and 25.62. It happens.
I was also at the meet. The majority of Cal swims were in off events just to make it fun and challenging for the Cal women.
Not sure why “Coach” is so bitter that he would ignore facts, but certainly not uncommon on the this board for McKeever haters to vent.
Whether Abby split… Read more »
With Cal’s relative depth in the strokes, there is a greater than zero chance that Weitzeil will swim 50 breaststroke on the medley.
Agreed. Even if they don’t swim Marina Garcia (who has been swimming well this season) they have other options…Kathleen Baker and Celina Li come to mind
Wait, lol, I just u said greater than zero. More like less than zero lol
*realized. Idk what going on with me ha
I just love how everyone thinks swimming is linear and that just because something happened at one point means this or that. Swimming isn’t linear, there are so many variables to take into consideration what makes a fast split. Ex maybe she hit her start and turn perfectly… and lastly whoever said they are probably not in hard training is ridiculous lol
Thanks for the confirmation. It looks crazy.
Unrested. In a training suit. And especially after swimming a 100 IM, a 100 breast and a 100 back earlier in the session!
I know a swimmer can surpass him/herself in a relay but in that case it’s crazy.
It means Abbey is ready to go around 20.50 tapered and suited flat start in March and can split a 19.90 in the relay. And I don’t talk about the 100 free! Simone is warned. The women’s sprint races at NCAAs will be insane to watch! 😎
I am not sure a coach saying it’s true completely confirms this? Of course they will say it’s true? Video evidence? Coincidence that the slowest relay split is before the fastest split? (timing malfunction?) 59 in the 100 back, 1:06 100 breast and then 20.9 free? Not sure I buy it.
In any case, it would be sweet if it really is true, as that would be pretty incredible. Im skeptical, however. Guess we’ll have to wait till the next meet!
Those are her off events, I’m sure she was just focusing on the split for the relay.
Also she swam the 100 IM before the backstroke
True. Except that in September she went 57 back and 1:04 breast during the pentathlon. I just think there will some disappointed fans come March.
Please someone come forward with a video!
They’re probably in much harder training now.. She’ll be fine, don’t jinx anything please!!
That’s my point! It seems unlikely that given they are probably in hard training over xmas and the slower other performances, a 1.3 second drop (22.2 relay split against WSU) in a relay split seems strange.
There are a lot of factors. It could have been cold when she split a 22, she could have had a bad turn, you never know. She also went 22.0 flat start in a practice suit at one of the first dual meets and considering she has gone 21.1 untapered before, Weitzeil is fast. And I wouldn’t put it past her to go a 20.9 in a practice suit especially at the end of a relay, she is a fantastic relay swimmer especially coming from behind. No doubt in her.
She went a 1:00 in the 100 breast at Georgia invite and she has been 53 in the 100 back before. They must just be in hard training right now it is winter training season. I think she will be fine in march especially on the relays. 20.9 right now with a training suit is very fast
I don’t know if there were any breaks, but she swam event 2, 5, 6.. I’m not saying her times could be better, but the pace of the meet might have been such where they were extremely tight turn arounds, especially given two events were back to back.
from the result link in this article, she swam event 2 (100IM – #1), event 4 (100bk – #4) and event 5 (100br – #4), then she had no swim until the relay which was event 16. I don’t know how long the two diving events took, but she did have a decent gap between her last individual swim and the relay.
And I also agree she is a great relay swimmer – their team was 6th when she jumped in and she caught up to 3rd (despite their time/position not counting toward score) when she touched the wall.
As I stated in comments on the another article on the meet here on SWIMSWAM, I was at the meet and she really “flew” in the last 25 yards. Also, there were 4 Cal relay teams in the event, not 3, so she was the anchor on the “D” team, not “C” team. Coach McKeever probably did this to spur Weitzel and make the relays a lot more fun for all the swimmers.By the time Weitzel hit the water there was too much of a gap in 50 yards for her to help her team pull out the win.
So because an unamed source from Cal confirmed the split it’s official? Hardly an unbiased source.
Abbey’s times throughout the meet were not particularly impressive and don’t indicate 20.9 type speed, though she did go a 21.1 flat start last year and she was apparently unrested and unshaved.