After spending her undergraduate career at Ohio State, Libby Gilbert will transfer to Vanderbilt to use her COVID-19 fifth year.
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Gilbert finished her season at Bigs Tens with the Buckeyes. Although she was not officially on the scoring roster, her swims in prelims would have made the finals if she had been on the scoring roster. She had the 19th fastest swim of the morning in the 200 free swimming a 1:47.95 and swam a 4:50.76 in the 500 free prelims. Her best swim came in the 200 back as she swam a 1:54.42, a personal best time. Although she was unable to make finals, she had the 6th fastest swim of the morning and would have been in the A final.
In addition to swimming a personal best time in the 200 back at Big Tens, she also swam best times in the 200 and 500 frees this season. At midseason, she swam a 1:47.27 in the 200 free and a 4:46.30 in the 500 free.
Gilbert’s best SCY times are:
- 200 free: 1:47.27
- 500 free: 4:46.30
- 200 back: 1:54.42
The Vanderbilt women finished 12th out of 12 teams at the 2024 SEC Championships. Gilbert’s best times would have made the SEC ‘B’ final of the 200 back and the ‘C’ final of the 500 free. The Vanderbilt women had zero finalists in either event.
Not only will Gilbert help at the conference level but she is just off of making NCAAs. This past season, Gilbert’s 200 backstroke time from Big Tens placed her at line 40 on the NCAA pre-selection psych sheets. Although the cutline was in the middle of line 37 this year, it has been higher before including entering line 39 just a year ago.
The Vanderbilt women were represented at NCAAs this season which was the first time the program has sent a swimmer to the meet since 1989. Kailia Utley earned the invite in the 200 fly after swimming a season best at the Bulldog Last Chance meet.
Gilbert told SwimSwam that “First of all, I want to say that It was and always will be an honor to be a buckeye. To be part of the people, the tradition, and the excellence for the past 4 years is something that I will appreciate for be rest of my life.
With that being said, I was a Covid redshirt, so when given the opportunity to make up for that with a 5th year, I made the difficult decision that it was best for me to go a different direction for my last year.
Vanderbilt was my dream school and I am so grateful for Jeremy, Chelsea, and Marina for giving me this opportunity to join the team while I study for my master’s of marketing.
Vandy is on the rise and I’m so excited to bring my undergrad experience to a great group of girls and supportive staff while studying at a world class institution. Anchor down!⚓️🖤”
It’s great the Covid 5th years are using the opportunity to further their education. Always a Buckeye, but Vanderbilt will be lucky to have Libby on their team.
How exactly is it furthering their education?
Getting a master’s degree…?
Getting a master’s degree in this case at one of the best schools in the country…