fewer |
This provides a good measure for DIII
https://swimswam.com/time-standards-for-2024-ncaa-division-iii-swimming-diving-championships-released/ |
Did you look it up on NCSA? Because they have this and a lot of other great information about swim recruiting.
https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-swimming/college-swimming-recruiting-times |
The last two posts are interesting. The first link posted above: https://swimswam.com/time-standards-for-2024-ncaa-division-iii-swimming-diving-championships-released/
Says the Div III A cut for the men’s 1650 is a 15:14.69 and for Div I in this link (the second one posted above): https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-swimming/college-swimming-recruiting-times for the top Tier I is a 15:26.10. |
NSCA sports does not really know swimming. They are a for-profit company that does all sports. Trust Swimswam. |
Thanks - I’m still confused. I know the article was released before the swim season, but is it automatic cuts for the championship meet or best times? Here is Div 1 (not even 3) for the Ivy League. https://www.swimcloud.com/results/272583/event/10/ Here is a div III championship for the 400 IM prelims. Not a single swimmer had that time. Same meet, none made it at finals, either. Only the fastest top 4 400 IM male swimmer would have made the Div 3 qualifying time from the link. So, no, this link isn’t what is needed to swim in college. Its like saying the states cut is what’s needed to swim in HS. |
Disclaimer: I know very little about college recruiting. I think that the swim swam times are times to swim at the ncaa championship meet. The ncsa times are representative ranges of what it takes to be recruited onto one of those teams in that category. The ncaa champs times would naturally be much faster, as not every teammate is going to make that meet. (Could be wrong but I presume this is why they’re so different.) |
Unless it’s a top 10 team most coaches recruit based upon who can help them win CONFERENCE titles, meaning who can score points at the conference meet. ASU, Virginia, Florida, Cal, etc recruit for NCAAs but that’s not the most typical scenario. There aren’t cut times for conference meets but you can look up the results on swimcloud and see what the times looked like for last year’s meet. That gives you a good idea of where a swimmer would fit in.
Also coaches recruit in cycles. If they recruited two strong breaststrokers the last two years they probably won’t recruit another one for a couple years. Typically they shoot to have a strong senior, up and coming sophomore and 1-2 developing freshman in the wings to take over when that senior graduates. Look for teams with graduating seniors or juniors in your swimmer’s stroke to get an idea of where the coaches have gaps that will need to be filled. |
My kid is swimming D3 starting next year. The coach provided charts of cuts, but college coaches judge swimmers on form after they see that a swimmer is making cuts to make their final recruit list. I saw the form they use once and it’s complicated to me. I’m a swim official.
Don’t push. If your kid has a good coach, they will figure out their strengths and coach them to the cuts. DS is graduating hs this year and he is the only swimmer who has signed. He would have gotten into this school academically anyway and received a small merit scholarship. Swimming is a big reason he chose his school but not the main reason. |
That is so true. |
This is true. |
Would also add that many coaches look for kids who are still developing and have room to grow as a swimmer versus super stars who have maybe plateaued. When looking at their races and strokes is they think there is room for improvement they might be more inclined to recruit over someone with perfected technique who might be maxed out. For boys, they’re also looking at whether they’re still growing and filling out. DS was a butterflier and all coaches looked at his wingspan, shoulder mobility and flexibility, ratio of shoulder to waist & waist to ankles, foot size. |
Coaches measured your kid this way? Never heard of such a thing. |
NP. What do you think happens at the NFL combine? |
Absolutely....different body types lend themselves to different strokes. Elite butterflies generally have a wider wingspan than their height and longer torsos. Backstrokers tend to be the tallest swimmers, etc. https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/what-makes-the-perfect-swimmers-body/ |