The Auburn Tigers women’s program has landed another backstroker that they’ve been loading up on for the last few years in Erin Falconer from the Patriot Aquatic Club in Illinois.
Falconer, though, brings a twist, as she’s also a very good short freestyler along the lines of where Auburn has made its mark for decades.
In yards, her best times are:
- 50 free – 23.28
- 100 free – 50.16
- 200 free – 1:46.40
- 100 back – 54.55
- 200 back – 1:57.32
Those times indicate that Falconer could contribute to Auburn at the SEC level immediately as a freshman in many different areas, and most significantly at the NCAA level in the 200 free. Her flat-start time in that event is faster than any of the four swimmers went at NCAA’s last year on Auburn’s 25th-place 800 free relay.
Appropriately, among the freestyle events it’s that 200 free where Falconer made the most progress as a junior, improving her lifetime best by two-and-a-half seconds. She also dropped two full seconds in the 100 back and almost four in the 200 back, while her sprint freestyles saw more modest improvements.
Falconer was the Illinois state runner-up last season in the 200 free and 100 free. If she swims her best times at that meet, she would be the favorite to win both events this season.
Best decision announcement pic yet! WDE!