Swimming & Diving
Max Berg - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

MaxBerg

  • position Freestyle/IM
  • class Fifth Year
  • Hometown Montpellier, France
  • Major Economics
  • High school Lycee Jean Mermoz

Top Times (SCY):
50 Freestyle: 19.36 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/15/23)
100 Freestyle: 42.11 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/18/23)
200 Freestyle: 1:32.67 (2022 SEC Championships, 2/14/23)
100 Backstroke: 46.22 (SEC Championships, 2/17/23)

Top Times (LCM):
50 Freestyle: 22.72 (Championnats de France Elite, 6/15/23)
100 Freestyle: 49.02 (Championnats de France Elite, 6/13/23)
200 Freestyle: 1:48.37 (Championnats de France Elite, 6/12/23)
100 Backstroke: 56.24 (Iles Championnats de France Open d’Ete, 7/25/23) 

Career Notes:

  • 2023 NCAA qualifier
  • 2022 SEC bronze medalist in 800 free relay
  • 2022 All-SEC Second Team
  • 2022 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll

In the Record Book:

  • No. 1 in 100 free (2023), 200 free (2023), 100 back (2023), 100m free (2023), 200m free (2023), 800 free relay (2022)
  • No. 2 in 50 free (2023)
  • No. 8 in 200 IM (2021)

2023-24 (Senior): Made three finals at the SEC Championships … Finished 10th in the 200 free (1:33.28), 12th in the 100 free (42.54), and 21st in the 50 free (19.74) … Won the 200 IM in dual meet vs. Cincinnati (1:49.68) … Earned first place in the 100 free style in dual meet vs. Alabama (43.27) … Competed at the Toyota U.S. Open Championships … Strong showing at the midseason Tennessee Invitational taking 5th in the 200 free (1:35.28), 8th in the 100 free (43.38) and 8th in the 200 IM (1:48.60).

2022-23 (Junior): Qualified for his first NCAA Championships as an individual, finishing 29th in the 100 free (42.47) and 31st in the 200 free (1:33.59) … Had breakout performance at the SEC Championships setting personal bests in three events … Placed fourth in the 200 free (1:33.00), 10th in the 50 free (19.36) and sixth in the 100 free (42.11) … set program record in the 100 freestyle (42.11) … Also set new program best marks with his leadoff splits on the 800 free relay (1:32.67) and 400 medley relay (46.22) … Won first in the 50 free (20.91) and 200 IM (1:49.58) in dual meet win over Cincinnati … Finished in the top three in the 50 free (20.96), 100 free (45.70) and 200 free (1:38.21) vs. Georgia … Was eighth in the 200 free (1:35.90) at the Ohio State Invitational … Placed second in the 50 free (20.88) at Texas A&M … Was third in the 100 free (44.88) vs. Indiana … Won Wildcat of the Year at the end of season banquet. 

2021-22 (Sophomore): Named to the All-SEC Second Team … Earned bronze at the SEC Championships as a member of the 800 free relay that broke the school record … Leadoff split of 1:33.17 also set a new program standard … Placed 10th in the 200 free (1:33.99), 14th in the 100 free (43.13) and 14th in the 50 free (19.75) at SECs … Had a 1:33.86 leadoff split on the 800 free relay that finished 17th at the NCAA Championships … Finished sixth in the 200 free (1:36.04), ninth in the 100 free (43.98) and 10th in the 200 IM (1:48.91) at the midseason Ohio State Invitational … Had 15 top-5 finishes throughout the dual meet season, including sweeping the 50 free (20.45) and 100 free (44.68) versus Miami Ohio … Also won both the 100 free (44.31) and 200 free (1:36.59) against Cincinnati … Was the runner-up in the 200 free (1:40.01) in the season opener at Indiana … Took second in the 100 free (45.25) and third in the 200 free (1:39.28) in a tri-meet with Auburn and NC State … Raced to third in both the 50 free (20.63) and 200 free (1:38.30) in a battle with Tennessee … Posted a second-place showing in the 200 free (1:35.80) at Louisville.

2020-21 (Freshman): Finished 21st in the 100 free (43.88) and 27th in both the 50 free (20.02) and 200 free (1:36.92) at the 2021 SEC Championships … Split 1:35.15 on the 800 free relay that took sixth, was the leadoff on the eighth-place 400 free relay in 43.55, anchored the 400 medley relay in 43.24 that placed ninth, and led off the 200 free relay in 19.60 that placed 10th at SECs … Placed fifth in the 50 free (20.21), seventh in the 100 free (44.56), and eighth in the 200 free (1:38.54) at the Missouri Invitational … Recorded 12 top-5 finishes throughout the dual meet season … Won the 50 free (20.78) and was the runner-up in the 100 free (46.00) in his Wildcat debut against Vanderbilt … Raced to third in the 200 free (1:39.65) and fourth in both the 50 free (20.49) and 100 free (45.17) at Alabama … Took third in the 100 free (45.08) and fifth in the 200 free (1:39.90) against Tennessee.

Prior to UK: Trained with Montpellier Metropole Natation … Was a member of the French Junior National Team … Represented France at the 2019 LEN European Junior Championships where he qualified for the semifinals of the 50m back, taking 10th overall … Advanced to the B-final of the 100m IM at the 2019 French Short Course National Championships.

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