Swimming & Diving
Kaitlynn Wheeler - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

KaitlynnWheeler

  • position Freestyle
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Loami, Ill.
  • High school Home School

Top Times (SCY):
50 Freestyle: 22.73 (vs. Louisville, 1/21/23)
100 Freestyle: 49.00 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/18/23)
200 Freestyle: 1:45.18 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/16/23)
500 Freestyle: 4:40.17 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/15/23)

Top Times (LCM):
50 Freestyle: 26.90 (Mizuno Atlanta Classic, 5/15/21)
100 Freestyle: 58.07 (Des Moines Futures, 8/3/19)
200 Freestyle: 2:03.45 (GA SA Mizuno Atlanta Classic, 5/14/21)
400 Freestyle: 4:17.70 (Ohio State Fall Invite, 11/21/19)

Career Notes:

  • 2021, 2023 NCAA qualifier
  • 2021 NCAA silver medalist in 800 free relay
  • 2023 All-America Honorable Mention in the 800 free relay
  • 2022 All-America Honorable Mention in 800 free relay
  • 2021 All-America in 800 free relay; All-America Honorable Mention in 200 free
  • 2022 SEC silver medalist in 800 free relay
  • 2021 SEC champion in 800 free relay
  • 2022 All-SEC Second Team
  • 2021 All-SEC First Team
  • 2020 SEC All-Freshman Team
  • 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team
  • 2022, 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
  • 2020 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

In the Record Book:

  • No. 5 in the 500 free (2023)
  • No. 6 in 100 free (2023), 200 free (2023)
  • No. 8 in the 50 free (2023)

2022-23 (Senior): NCAA qualifierPlaced 24th in the 200 free (1:45.29), 38th in the 500 free (4:43.97) and 52nd in the 100 free (49.20) … Had a strong SEC Championship performance, posting personal bests in three events … Placed sixth in the 500 free (4:40.17), 8th in the 200 free (1:45.18) and 22nd in the 100 free (49.20) … Had two victories in dual meet vs. Cincinnati, winning both the 50 free (23.68) and the 100 fly (56.02) … Came in first in the 200 free vs. Louisville (1:45.34) … Won first in the 500 freestyle at the Ohio State Invitational (4:40.56), also swam in A-finals in the 200 free (5th, 1:45.55) and 100 free (8th, 49.38)… Won Captain’s Award at the team banquet … Won Miss Wildcat at the CATSPY Awards.

2021-22 (Junior): Named to All-SEC Second Team … Won the C-final of the 200 free (1:46.26) at the SEC Championships, also racing the 100 free and 500 free … Earned silver at SECs in the 800 free relay with an anchor split of 1:45.91 … Anchored the 800 free relay that finished ninth at the NCAA Championships in 1:46.01 … Finished fifth in the 200 free (1:46.94) and 14th in the 100 free (49.86) at the midseason Ohio State Invitational … Had 11 top-6 finishes throughout the dual meet season, highlighted by wins in the 50 free (23.58) and 100 free (51.30) against Ohio … Was the runner-up in both the 100 fly (55.75) and 1000 free (10:15.90) versus Cincinnati … Placed third in the 500 free (5:04.28) in a tri-meet with Auburn and NC State … Raced to third in the 200 free (1:48.95) and fourth in the 500 free (4:53.53) in a battle with Tennessee … Took second in the 200 free (1:49.62) in a tilt with Marshall.

2020-21 (Sophomore): Named to the All-SEC First Team … Won the B-final of the 200 free in 1:45.19 at the 2021 SEC Championships, also taking 12th in the 500 free (4:43.78) and 23rd in the 100 free (49.42) … Split 1:45.12 on the 800 free relay that won UK’s first-ever SEC relay title, split 22.73 on the seventh-place 200 free relay, and led off the 11th-place 400 free relay in 49.56 as the Wildcats won their first conference title in program history … Qualified for the NCAA Championships in three events, placing 16th in the 200 free in a time of 1:45.99, and anchored the 800 free relay in 1:44.97 that was the national runner-up … Placed second in the 200 free (1:46.69), third in the 500 free (4:46.21), and ninth in the 100 free (49.76) at the Missouri Invitational … Recorded nine top-5 finishes throughout the dual meet season, highlighted by a win in the 50 free (23.59) against Vanderbilt … Was the runner-up in both the 100 free (50.14) and 500 free (4:47.42) against Louisville … Took third in the 500 free (4:57.60) at Alabama … Named to SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll … Named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team.

2019-20 (Freshman): Named to the 2020 SEC All-Freshman Team … Contributed 20 individual points at the 2020 SEC Championships … Finished in 12th place in the 500 freestyle in 4:42.55, a career best, at the SEC Championships … Finished in 21st place in the 200 freestyle in 1:46.40, a career best, at the SEC Championships … Finished in 24th place in the 1650 freestyle in 16:40.76 at the SEC Championships … Recorded a career best in the 1650 freestyle (16:53.29) at the Ohio State Winter Invite … Named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention … Named to the SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to UK: Competed for the Springfield YMCA Swim Team where she was a Junior National qualifier … Won the 200 IM at the 2018 YMCA Short Course National Championships and the 400 IM in 2015 … 2017 Austin Futures gold medalist in the 200m IM … Earned silver in the 200m free and bronze in the 200m IM at 2019 Des Moines Futures.

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