Season's best
Kenyon's Jennah Fadely just posted the single best swim so far in the 2024-25 season
Mike Trout Day
In baseball analytics, there used to be an informal holiday called “Mike Trout Day.” The logic behind this floating holiday went like this: small sample sizes produce unreliable results. At some point in the season, enough data accumulates for us to make more meaningful observations. But what would be a good shorthand for knowing when that point is reached—when batters have had enough plate appearances and pitchers have thrown enough innings?
The simple answer was: on the day when Mike Trout first leads the major leagues in WAR, then the numbers matter. The logic was both amusing and (for a while) irrefutable: Mike Trout was so clearly the best position player in baseball that when the comprehensive measure of player value declared him the most valuable player, the numbers could finally be trusted. It became the unofficial opening day for baseball analytics, the moment when analysts could discuss the current season’s trends and developments with a straight face.
Kaley McIntyre Day
Over the past two seasons, a women’s Division III equivalent might have been called “Kaley McIntyre Day.” In the first month and a half of each new season, exciting things would happen, but it often felt too early to identify trends or meaningful leaders. Then Kaley McIntyre would swim at the Phoenix Fall Classic (held each season just before Thanksgiving) and emerge with a performance that dominated the single swim SRS standings for all of women’s Division III. This moment heralded the arrival of meaningful data for the season.
Last season, it was her 200 Free, which kept Ms. McIntyre atop the single swim SRS table until mid-February. This season, Ms. McIntyre’s 100 Free at the Phoenix Fall Classic took the single swim lead with a whopping 3.69 SRS points, a lead we thought would last at least until UAAs or NCACs.
Jennah Fadely’s Day
Then this happened.
At a dual-dual meet involving Kenyon, the Naval Academy, and Princeton, Jennah Fadely swam the women’s 100 Breast faster than any athlete in the history of Division III.
As of January 10, the single swim SRS lead in women’s Division III belongs to someone other than Kaley McIntyre. Jennah Fadely is now atop the single swim SRS table, and she is your new Division III record holder in the women’s 100 Breast.
For a brief overview of the record she broke, go here.
Over the past several seasons, particularly in the NESCAC, suiting and even resting for January swims has become common place. Some of my D1 swimmers are “suiting up” every meet. I do wonder if lighting up these January dual meets doesn’t take something off later meets including NCAAs. No doubt it is a huge accomplishment to break an NCAA record, never mind in January, and likely Fadely will win the 100 breast handily in March. Will it take anything away from her other swims at NCAAs?
Creative and entertaining as always and so great to recognize a great swim. Would you consider a permanent link somewhere on the site to the current SRS tables? Thanks!