12-05-2019, 02:56 PM
Not to worry -- Stanford will be there at the end, but unlike previous years, everyone will have to perform well for the team to win NCAAs. No Manuel, Ledecky, Eastin, or Ruck to carry them.
Rankings of teams at this time of year tend to be done on the basis of superficial analyses, and those close to the sport take them with a pound of salt. If they are based on any data, it's either times that swimmers have produced this year, or results of dual meets. But teams, and the individuals on them, may or may not be rested in such meets, and rest is such a brobdingnagian factor in how a swimmer performs that any comparison of best times is apples and oranges.
The website swimswam, which is written and edited by ex-competitive swimmers, takes a much more knowledgeable approach to the rankings. Here's their latest:
https://swimswam.com/2019-2020-ncaa-wome...r-edition/
Rankings of teams at this time of year tend to be done on the basis of superficial analyses, and those close to the sport take them with a pound of salt. If they are based on any data, it's either times that swimmers have produced this year, or results of dual meets. But teams, and the individuals on them, may or may not be rested in such meets, and rest is such a brobdingnagian factor in how a swimmer performs that any comparison of best times is apples and oranges.
The website swimswam, which is written and edited by ex-competitive swimmers, takes a much more knowledgeable approach to the rankings. Here's their latest:
https://swimswam.com/2019-2020-ncaa-wome...r-edition/