Swimming & Diving
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Olivia Mendenhall - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

OliviaMendenhall

  • position Breast
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Springfield, Mo.
  • Major Dietetics
  • High school Kickapoo High School
BIO

Top Times (SCY):
100 Breaststroke: 1:00.66 (2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Championship, 3/17/23)
200 Breaststroke: 2:09.37 (Ohio State Last Chance, 2/26/23)
200 IM: 2:02.43 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/15/23)

Top Times (LCM):
100 Breaststroke: 1:10.28 (Jenks Speedo Sectionals, 3/13/21)
200 Breaststroke: 2:33.39 (Phillips 66 National Championships, 7/27/22)
200 IM: 2:25.09 (Jenks Speedo Sectionals, 3/14/21)

Career Notes:

  • 2023 NCAA Qualifier
  • 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
  • 2023 CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team
  • 2022 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention

In the Record Book:

  • No. 7 in 100 breast (2023)
  • No. 8 in 200 breast (2023)

2022-23 (Sophomore): NCAA qualifier … Placed 30th in the 200 breast (2:10.47) and 44th in the 100 breast (1:00.66) … Posted a personal best time in the 200 breast at the Ohio State Last Chance qualifier (2:09.37) … Was a finalist in the 200 breast at the SEC Championships, placing 12th (2:10.49) … Placed second in the 100 breast against Cincinnati (1:03.61) … Took third in the 100 breast in dual meet against Georgia (1:02.73) … Reached the finals in the 100 breast (13th, 1:01.45) and 200 breast (13th, 2:14.50) at Ohio State Invitational.

2021-22 (Freshman): Finished 13th in the 200 breast (2:11.29) and 23rd in the 100 breast (1:01.15) at the SEC Championships, earning lifetime bests in both events … Placed 13th in the 200 breast (2:13.38) and 17th in the 100 breast (1:02.05) at the midseason Ohio State Invitational … Had 10 top-8 finishes throughout the dual meet season … Was the runner-up in both the 100 breast (1:02.65) and 200 breast (2:17.11) versus Cincinnati … Raced to second in the 100 breast (1:04.03) and third in the 200 breast (2:20.23) against Ohio … Took second in the 100 breast (1:03.00) in a tilt with Marshall … Won the Freshman Award at the program’s annual award banquet.

Prior to UK: Swam for Springfield Aquatics where she was a 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, placing 21st in the 100-meter breaststroke at Wave I in Omaha, Neb. … Finaled in the 100-meter breaststroke at both the Junior National Championships and Toyota U.S. Open in 2019 … Finished 20th in both breaststroke events at the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville … Has posted eight top-5 finishes at Sectional Championships … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. 

Personal: Daughter of Bridgette and Brian Mendenhall … Has a younger brother, Brock … Was her high school’s valedictorian.

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