In this episode of Social Kick, we welcome IU standout swimmer Owen McDonald. We delve into his journey from Atlanta to Arizona State, and finally to Indiana University. Owen shares his training secrets, including his favorite event to watch (the 200 IM!), and reveals some hilarious stories about his teammates and coaches.

We also discuss his eating habits (hint: it involves a lot of food!), and his intense training regimen with his brother and legendary coach Ray Looze. Plus, Owen gives his predictions for the upcoming NCAA Championships, where he believes it will be a tight race between IU and Texas.

Don't miss this insightful and entertaining conversation with one of the brightest young stars in college swimming!

Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for weekly podcasts and daily shorts!

In this special year-end episode, the Social Kick crew recaps the most memorable moments of 2024 in swimming. We discuss the best individual swims (including Jordan Crooks's historic sub-20 50 free and Leon Marchand's 4:02 500 free), the most thrilling relays (like the US Women's Medley and the Great Britain Men's 4x200 free), and the most exciting meets (including the NCAA Championships and the Paris Olympics). We also delve into breakout performances from swimmers like Gretchen Walsh and discuss the impact of records like Pan Zhanle's 46.40 100 free.

Join us for a lively and insightful discussion as we reflect on a year filled with incredible swims and unforgettable moments. Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for weekly podcasts and daily shorts!

So that’s a thing now. Rex Maurer has shown the world that even college-aged swimmers can drop nearly 7 seconds in their best event as if he hit a growth spurt. Maybe he did.

The Texas sophomore is only a summer and fall semester into his time in Austin following his transfer from Stanford where he had a solid freshman year. But this Longhorn mid-distance crew is different. It is stacked with hitters, as demonstrated with Carson Foster breaking the American Record in the 500 about an hour before Rex decided he’d like that title on his CV. Maybe this reset the 500 freestyle has seen in recent years (see also Leon Marchand’s otherworldly underwater freak show 4:02 from 2023) will translate to the long course 400 and finally deliver the much-awaited sub 3:40 that has eluded the world’s greatest swimmers since Thorpee.

Rex Maurer, the son of an Olympic swimmer and head USC coach Lea Maurer, swam lifetime bests in the 400IM, 1650, and 200 freestyle, all at a mid-season invite, and he is now expected to haul in points for Texas at the 2025 NCAAs as one of THE swimmers to watch in March.