Baylor Teams Atop Swimming World's "Best of the Decade" List
Baylor Teams Atop Swimming World's "Best of the Decade" List
If a national high school swimming championship were held among independent schools, based on the results of the last decade, Baylor would be first in the combined meet, second in the boys' championship, and fourth in the girls' title hunt.
 
This is according to the September 2020 issue of Swimming World Magazine, who compiled the top high school times over the last decade (2010-2019) to create a time-based national championship heat sheet. Then, by compiling team scores, the magazine names the best teams of the decade or "mythical national high school champions." Baylor's combined team comes away with 180.5 points on the heat sheet, well ahead of runner-up Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla.
 
Baylor coach Dan Flack is quick to point out the difference in this ranking and other, more subjective ones. "The nice thing about the sport of swimming is the times are what they are," says Flack. "This is not a poll or opinion-based ranking, it's based on performance."
 
The heat sheet features some of the biggest names in Baylor swimming from 2010-2019.

200 medley relay, 2014

Trey Freeman ’18, one of the most accomplished swimmers in Baylor history, appears in both the 200 yard and 500 yard freestyle events. His 200 freestyle time of 1:33.06, posted during his senior year, is currently the national independent school record in the event. Sam McHugh ’14 is featured for his 4:17.76 performance in the 500 yard freestyle during the 2013-2014 season and for his place, along with Luke Kaliszak '14, Dustin Tynes '14, and Christian Selby '15, on the top-ranked 200 medley relay team that holds national independent school record of 1:27.74.

200 freestyle relay, 2012

On the girls’ heat sheet, Kristen Vredeveld ’13 appears in both the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events for performances during the 2011-2012 season. That same year, Vredeveld was also a part of Baylor’s 200 freestyle relay team that included Bria Deveaux '12, Kimberlee John-Williams '13, and Ashley Yearwood '13, a team that set and still holds the national independent high school record of 1:31.18. The 200 yard medley relay team of Ellie Waldrep '21, Jewel Gordon ’20, Addison Smith ’19, and Callie West '21 are featured in the championship final of the event with a 1:39.91 seed time posted in 2018. Waldrep also makes an individual appearance in 100 yard backstroke for her showing in 2019.

Swimming World Magazine is the longest-standing monthly magazine in aquatics and includes timely print, web, video, and social content.

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