A PAINFULL DEPARTURE: VOLS coach has decided to wave unexpected goodbye due to 4-major reasons…

Mona McSharry broke the 56-second barrier in the 100 breast relay split, becoming just the second woman in history to do it after Lilly King. Historical image courtesy of Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography.

On Friday night, Mona McSharry achieved a remarkable feat, becoming just the second woman in history to clock a sub-56 second breaststroke split on a medley relay. Competing in the second heat of the 400 medley relay timed final at the SEC Championships, McSharry delivered an impressive time of 55.95, propelling Tennessee into the lead, a position they maintained until the end. This performance saw the Vols shave 1.72 seconds off both the SEC and meet records, finishing with a time of 3:24.94, narrowly surpassing Florida by .24 seconds, with the Gators also surpassing the previous records.

Before this event, McSharry’s best rolling start 100 breaststroke time stood at 56.57, securing her fourth place on the all-time performer list. However, her outstanding performance on this occasion now elevates her to the second position, trailing only behind Lilly King, who set a record of 55.66 while representing Indiana. Additionally, McSharry now sits at fourth place on the all-time performance list, with the top three spots being held by King.