Mona McSharry, a senior at the University of Tennessee, neared success at the US collegiate swimming championship, though she fell just short. In each of two notable races, she placed second, still noteworthy performances.
Her journey to the NCAA Championships saw her as the leading contestant in the women’s 100-yard breaststroke. This was the same event in which she was been defeated and became second last year. However, her hopes were dashed when Jasmine Nocentini, a fifth-year senior, won, recording the second quickest time in the history of the event.
The championships took place at the University of Georgia, Athens, where Nocentini gained victory, recording a personal best of 56.06 seconds. Nocentini, originally from Italy, represents Virginia in the US collegiate swimming using yards as the measurement. Although McSharry finished strong, it wasn’t strong enough, clocking second with 56.64 seconds and joining the NCAA’s third-fastest all-time record. Lydia Jacoby, Olympic gold medalist who swims for Texas, squared off at fifth.
McSharry then competed on Saturday, setting the quickest qualifying record in the 200 breaststroke just ahead of Alex Walsh, another Virginia swimmer. In the final, Walsh shifted gears and clinched victory with a time of 2:02.07. However, McSharry demonstrated great determination in the ultimate 50m, securing second place with a time of 2:04.07.
Playing for Tennessee 400 relay team, the 23-year-old Sligo native contributed to their fifth-place finish, leading to the team’s overall fourth place. Having gained her fourth NCAA second-place finish through her time in Tennessee, McSharry will now direct her focus towards the Paris Olympics in July.