Morning, Nerd.

Welcome to the Swimnerd newsletter where each week we highlight the most interesting stuff going on in swimming.

• 🏊🏻‍♂️ Michael Phelps on Jay Glazer's Podcast + NCAA Invites Wave I

• 🤡 Swimming Meme of the Week

• 📜 Swimming Set of the Week

Michael Phelps 🐐 speaks on his "unbreakable" moment with long time friend, Jay Glazer

If you're a football fan, then you know who Jay Glazer is - Hall of Fame NFL reporter on FOX.

You might also remember him from those Subway commercials he did with Michael back in the day. You remember Subway, the official training restaurant of Michael Phelps.

Jay Glazer has become a staunch advocate for mental health. Earlier this year he revealed that he suffers from severe depression and anxiety. His new podcast, "Unbreakable", is centered around being open and honest about mental health. This is not an interview about the intricacies of his butterfly technique or some insane set Bob made him do.

MP discusses his experience with mental challenges including smashing himself in the head with a golf cleat and the strategies he uses to cope with what's going on between his ears.

His #1 coping mechanism? Working out.

The 🐐 does share a little BTS in regards to his schedule at the Olympic Games and aspects after racing that the typical viewer wouldn't understand, such as the massages, ready room, warming down, drug testing, lactate testing, ice baths, shutting down to sleep before tomorrow's races.

He was near robotic in following the process.

To listen to the full podcast episode, click here. JFYI, Phelpsy uses curse words IRL.

Surprise!

PS. Somebody get Jay Glazer a Rodecaster for Christmas.

🏊‍♀️ FAST NCAA INVITE SWIMS 🏊🏼

The legend Eddie Reese refers to November as "Slovember". But after this first wave of mid-season invites, he might need to come up with a new name.

Many of the top NCAA swimming superstars put on a show. The College Swimming Roundup with go in more depth tomorrow, but here are some of the fastest...

NC State GAC Fall Invite

Claire Curzan, Stanford, 200 Back: 1:48.50

Claire Curzan of Stanford swam the fastest 200 Backstroke in the nation with a time of 1:48.50. That time also beat the meet record of 1:48.91. Curzan continued her onslaught by swimming 50.12 in the 100 Back -- .02 of a second behind Maggie MacNeil's nation-leading time. Curzan also split a very impressive 21.15 in Stanford's 200 Free Relay and was 49.93 in the 100 Fly. With Regan Smith gone, Claire has solidified her spot on the Medley Relays as the backstroker with Torri Huske pulling fly duty.

Jack Dolan, Arizona State, 50 Free: 18.92

Jack Dolan of ASU swam a ⚡️ fast 50 Back split for ASU's medley relay in 20.86 - fastest in the nation. Dolan also posted a speedy 45.53 in the 100 Back and led-off ASU's 200 Freestyle Relay in the fastest time ever by a Sun Devil: 18.92.

Torri Huske, Stanford, 100 Fly: 49.25

Huske continues to crush.

Torri won the 100 Fly in 49.25, the fastest time in the nation. She also busted out a 1:53.27 in the 2 IM and 46.85 in the 100 Free. Both of those are also the fastest times in college swimming so far this season.

Torri Huske is vital to Team USA's success in Paris.

Leon Marchand, Arizona State, 400 IM: 3:33.65

Leon took the world by storm last year as a freshman and continued his wrath into the summer when he nearly broke Michael Phelps' legendary long course 400 IM WR.

3:33.65 is the fastest mid-season 400 IM in history by a mile. His breaststroke split, a minute point, seemed a little slow relative to the fact he split 50.85 👀 on the breaststroke leg for Arizona State's 400 MR.

He also slaughtered everyone in the 200 IM: 1:39.28 and 200 Butterfly: 1:39.57. Like Huske, all fastest times in the NCAA this year.

Tennessee Invite

Jordan Crooks, UTenn, 50 Free: 18.27

Jordan Crooks' underwaters and skills are insane. He is going to be so hard to beat in the short pool. Can Crooks pull of the sprint trifecta (50 & 100 Free and 100 Fly) at NCAA's?

He led-off the Tennessee Men's 200 Free Relay with 18.27 - tying Cal's Bjorn Seeliger's 2nd fastest time ever behind Dressel. Then, in the 100 Fly, he demolished his best time of 45.33 from SECs last year by swimming 44.79. Finally, on UTenn's 200 Medley Relay, he swam the fly leg and split the first 19 of the season (19.87).

Kate Douglass, UVA, 200 Breaststroke: 2:01.87 (NCAA+American Record)

This weekend, Kate wasn't swimming her best in Finals, adding time in the 50 Free and 100 Fly. But she saved her best for last, becoming the first woman under 2:02, leading many to believe she can pull a Steve Lundquist in the future.

Kate's splits:

27.94 58.76 (30.82) 1:30.25 (31.49) 2:01.87 (31.62)

Watch her and teammate Alex Walsh (2:03) go at it:

THE Ohio State Fall Invitational

Noelle Peplowski, IU, 200 Breaststroke: 2:05.52

IU senior Noelle Peplowski fired off an impressive 2:05.52 in the 200 Breast this week and scored 121.5 points for the Hoosiers. The significance of this is that it's the third fastest time in the nation this year AND it was her best time by almost two seconds (2:08.46 in prelims at last year's NCAA championships - she placed 21st). Her senior season is shaping up to be her best.

Josh Matheny, IU, 200 Breaststroke: 1:51.68

Though he didn't have the best NCAA meet last March, Josh Matheny has certainly come back to the fold with his swims this weekend. 1:51.68 in the 200 Breast ranks him among the top three in the country for now and that time was just off his personal best of 1:50.65 from last year's Big Ten Championships. Matheny also split a quick 51.11 in the breaststroke leg for the 400 MR, which placed 2nd last year at NCAA's.

Georgia Fall Invitational

Reid Mikuta, AU, 100 Breast: 51.14

Reid Mikuta of Auburn continues to progress under Head Coach Ryan Wochomurka, going best times in November. He swam a PB in the 100 Breast (51.14) which is the fastest in the nation. His previous best was from last year's NCAA where he was 9th in a time of 51.32. Mikuta also swam the 200 Breast this week missing his best time by .71 of a second.

Ian Grum, UGA, 200 Back: 1:38.84

Senior Ian Grum of the University of Georgia swam a nation-leading time in the 200 Back in 1:38.84. This swim was a huge improvement from his previous best time, 1:40.01 from the 2021 NCAA Championships 🔥.

Another product of SwimAtlanta, Grum is now the proud owner of the school record.

Zoie Hartman, UGA, 200 IM: 1:54.26

Georgia senior Zoie Hartman was far and away the most impressive female swimmer at this invite. She destroyed everyone in the 200 IM, winning by nearly 3 full seconds.

She split 58.2 on the 400 Medley Relay, 1:43.8 anchoring the 800 FR, and 48.1 anchoring the 4 Free Relay.

Aleksas Savickas, UF, 200 Breast: 1:51.29

In his first NCAA season, Aleksas Savickas (clearly Lithuanian) of Florida showed serious speed swimming the 3rd fastest time in the nation and achieving an "A" cut in the 200 Breast with 1:51.29 - just off the season's top times from Alex Sanchez and Andres Bustamante (1:51.09 and 1:51.14). The 200 Breast is shaping up to be as exciting as a breaststroke event can be.

Art Adamson Invitational

Maggie MacNeil, LSU, All Her Events

Earlier this year, Maggie MacNeil took a little break from swimming. It looks to have paid off.

The Canadian Olympic & World Champion won her individual 50 Free in a time of 21.04, the 2nd fastest time in the nation.

She won the 100 Back in an impressive 50.70 — no surprise coming from the fastest female swimmer in the history of the SCY & SCM 50 Back.

She won the 100 Fly in 49.40, the 2nd fastest time in the nation.

And on top of all that, she smashed 3 relay swims:

• 🔥 49.1 🔥 100 Fly split

• 🔥🔥 20.5 🔥🔥 50 Free split

• 🔥🔥🔥 21.8 🔥🔥🔥 50 Fly split

Maggie MacNeil is the greatest transfer pick-up of all time.

Victor Johansson, UA, 1650 freestyle: 14:39.63

The 24 year old Swede got 33rd at last year's NCAA championships in a time of 15:22.23 while representing the University of Southern California. After his transfer, Johansson seems to be on the warpath. This week he not only swam the fastest time in the country thus far, but he also swam a lifetime best by four seconds from the 2019 NCAA Championships. I'd say he's moving in the right direction.

Baylor Nelson, TAMU, 400 IM: 3:38.39

Another product of SwimMAC, this FRESHMAN put up the fastest 2nd fastest times in the country in the IM's: 1:41.83 and 3:38.39.

Baylor will be looking for medals come March.

BRETT HAWKE CLIPS OF THE WEEK

• What was it like coaching athletes during & after the super suit era?

• Ian Thorpe's black Adidas suit

• Women's 200 Backstroke Beijing Olympics with Margaret Hoelzer

• Teaching stroke technique with Olympic swim coach Ian Pope

• It’s Commitment, don’t fool yourself, with Adrian Radulescu

This week on INSIDE with BRETT HAWKE...

Matthew Broussard from Rice University Swim Team Manager to touring with Bert Kreischer

Matthew Broussard is a 3x Team Manager for the women's swim team at Rice University.

After graduating college, Matthew spent most of his time ferociously writing jokes while moonlighting as a Financial Analyst.

Today, Matthew is a stand-up comedian opening up for the likes of Bert Kreischer. He's also a burgeoning actor, most recently seen in Amazon's smash hit, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".

Matthew's long time girlfriend is Laura Sogar, retired World Champion medalist in the 200 Breaststroke.

Are you in Chicago, Toronto, Minneapolis, Detroit, or Washington DC? Go see him Matthew Broussard live! Here are his tour dates.

📝 SWIM SET OF THE WEEK 📝

Shane Ryan's SKINS Practice

This is one of Shane Ryan's favorite sets to practice for SKINS racing.

6x50's suited up & off the blocks

50 all out @ 6:0050 all out @ 5:0050 all out @ 4:0050 all out @ 3:0050 all out @ 2:0050 all out @ 1:00

🤡 SWIMMING MEME OF THE WEEK 🤡

Yo, Jake Swinn, stick to swimming. Crypto, football, and Oregon aren't as important. Better luck next week.

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