In a surprising turn of events, NCAA All-American and SEC Champion Andrew Taylor has decided to take a break from competitive swimming for personal reasons, as confirmed by Arizona State's head coach Herbie Behm in a conversation with SwimSwam. Taylor, who joined Arizona State this past fall after two seasons at the University of Florida, has made quite an impression during his brief time with the Sun Devils.
Behm expressed his admiration for Taylor, stating, "Andrew is one of the best individuals I've ever encountered, and we were fortunate to have him here at ASU, even if just for a short while." This sentiment speaks volumes about Taylor’s character and impact on the team.
During the fall semester, Taylor participated in various events, including the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge held in November. Here, he achieved a personal season best of 4:19.03 in the 500 freestyle during a competition against Virginia. Additionally, he recorded an impressive time of 15:01.41 in the 1650 freestyle at the Tennessee Invite, coinciding with the same weekend as the Dual Meet Challenge.
Previously, before his transfer to Arizona State, Taylor gained recognition by clinching the SEC title in the 1650 freestyle during his freshman year in 2024, clocking in at an outstanding 14:38.41. He continued to shine at the 2024 NCAA Championships, where he finished third in the same event with a time of 14:37.80. However, his sophomore year was marred by injuries, which prevented him from qualifying for the NCAA Championships; he concluded his season at the SECs with a time of 15:01.05 in the 1650 freestyle, placing 20th overall.
As of now, Taylor stood out as the top 1650 freestyler for Arizona State this season, particularly highlighted by his performance at the Tennessee Invite. Currently, Reece Grady holds the second best time on the roster with 15:10.55. To qualify for the 2025 NCAA Championships in the 1650 freestyle, a swimmer needs a time of 14:48.88. Last year, Daniel Matheson was the only representative for the Sun Devils in the 1650 freestyle at the 2025 NCAAs, where he secured a 10th place finish with a time of 14:35.58. Matheson has since graduated and is now part of the coaching staff at Arizona State.
About Anya Pelshaw: Anya Pelshaw has contributed to SwimSwam since June 2021, taking on roles as both a writer and social media coordinator. She has actively covered significant events such as the Women's NCAA Championships in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, and has also participated in the 2023 US Summer Nationals and the 2024 European Championships.
