Student-Athlete Features
VUCommodores.com — Go the Distance
Vanderbilt Hustler — Fighting through adversity: How Mercedes Traba overcame injury en route to becoming a Commodore phenom
Career Honors
• 2023-24 second-team CSCAA Scholar All-American
• 2024-25 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2023-24 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2022-23 SEC Academic Honor Roll
Career-Best Times (collegiate)
200 Free: 1:51.14 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.21.24
500 Free: 4:49.32 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.20.24
1,000 Free: 10:03.16 at Little Rock/North Texas, 1.27.24
1,650 Free: 17:03.27 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.17.23
100 Fly: 57.81 at SEC Championships, 2.22.24
200 Fly: 2:01.52 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.22.24
400 IM: 4:16.87 at SEC Championships, 2.22.24
Commodore Record Watch
• Owns school records in the 500 and 1,000 free
• Also holds the Commodores’ top overall and freshman marks in the 400 IM
• Stands seventh in Vandy history in the 1,650 free and is eighth in the 200 fly
• Swam the anchor leg in helping the Dores set a program record in the 800 free relay
As a Senior (2024-25)
• Met the CSCAA NIC B cut in the 500 and 1,000 free, 200 fly and 400 IM
• Topped Vandy’s season performer list in the 500 free and 400 IM, also ranking third in the 1,000 free and 200 fly as well as fourth in the 200 free
• Led the Commodores in the 500 free (4:50.13) and 400 IM (4:19.84) at the SEC Championships (Feb. 18-22), also swimming the 200 fly (2:02.17)
• Competed in the A Final of the 200 fly and 400 IM (4:19.07) and B Final of the 500 free—with career-best times in the fly and free—at the Gamecock Invitational (Nov. 20-22)
• Posted lowest marks of the campaign at the time in the 200 (1:51.19) and 500 (4:55.56) free in meet against South Carolina and 13th-ranked Georgia (Oct. 11)
• Claimed the 500 free (4:51.52) by a six-second margin and was runner-up in the 400 IM (4:21.13) on Senior Day against Southern Illinois (Feb. 1)
• Won the 1,000 free (10:18.58) while also placing second in the 500 free (5:07.02) in opening meet at Tulane (Sept. 27)
• Touched the wall second in the 1,000 free (10:26.62) and was third in the 500 free (5:06.08) in home match-up with Kentucky (Jan. 3)
• Earned a third-place finish in the 500 free (5:04.11) and was fourth in the 200 free (1:55.28) in dual meet against Arkansas (Jan. 17)
• Placed third in the 400 IM (4:29.22), and led Vandy in the 200 (1:54.80) and 1,000 (10:23.92) free at the House of ’Paign Invite hosted by Illinois (Oct. 25-26)
As a Junior (2023-24)
• Best times in the 500, 1,000, 1,650 free and 400 IM met the CSCAA National Invitational B standard
• Led the Commodores in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 free as well as the 400 IM, and was third on the team’s season performer list in the 200 free
• Set new school standard while placing fourth in the C Final of the 400 IM at the SEC Championships (Feb. 20-24), adding a season-low 4:51.66 mark in the 500 free and also swimming the 1,650 free at the competition
• Broke her own school record and earned her first victory of the season in the 1,000 free to help the Commodores defeat both Little Rock and North Texas (Jan. 27)
• Came in fifth place with a career-best time in the 1,650 free and was third in the B Final of the 200 free (1:51.35) at the Gamecock Invitational (Nov. 15-17)
• Also posted a fifth-place finish in the 500 free (4:52.60) A Final at the meet
• Touched the wall first in the 500 free (5:03.59), adding a second-place result in the 200 free (1:54.45) in the Dores’ win over Tulane (Feb. 2)
• Ended up second in the 500 (5:02.60) as well as the 1,000 (10:22.12) free at Arkansas (Jan. 20)
• Placed in the top five in both the 500 (5:07.36) and 1,000 (10:28.33) free in tri-meet with Miami (Fla.) and Iowa (Jan. 2)
• Was third in the 400 IM (4:23.82), fifth in the 500 free (4:54.25) and just missed her best time of the season in the 200 free (1:51.40) against Georgia and Florida State (Jan. 13)
• Led the Dores with a top-five result in the 1,000 free (10:31.83) in season-opening match-up with Florida (Sept. 29)
• Placed fifth in the 200 free (1:53.91) in Vandy’s win over Iowa (Oct. 28)
As a Sophomore (2022-23)
• Met the NIC B standard in the 500 and 1,000 free, the 200 fly and 400 IM
• Recorded the top marks on the squad in the 500 and 1,000 free as well as the 400 IM—ranking among the top 30 in the SEC in the 1,000 free—while standing second in the 200 fly
• Just missed finals in the 400 IM at the CSCAA National Invitational (March 9-11) after touching the wall in 4:26.60 while also swimming in the 200 fly (2:04.53) at the meet
• Broke the school record in the 500 free, adding a season-best times in the 200 fly (2:02.58) and 400 IM (4:20.11) at the SEC Championships (Feb. 14-18)
• Set new Vanderbilt school record in the 1,000 free (10:04.12) in meet against Auburn (Oct. 7), placing second in both that race and the 500 free (4:57.90)
• Won both the 500 free (4:59.72) and 400 IM (4:30.52) at Iowa (Jan. 21)
• Led Vandy after placing first in the 500 free (5:02.83) and second in the 1,000 free (10:13.34) in season-opening meet against LSU and Tulane (Sept. 23)
• Touched the wall in 2:03.59 in the 200 fly and 5:02.17 in the 500 free, placing first in both events, in victory over North Florida and Georgia Southern (Oct. 15)
• Claimed the 300 free (2:54.78) while finishing second in the 300 IM (3:16.20) in tri-meet with Arkansas and Little Rock (Jan. 28)
As a Freshman (2021-22)
• Met the NIC B standard in the 500 and 1,650 free, 200 fly and 400 IM her first season at the collegiate level
• Had the team’s best time in three events — 500 and 1,000 free and 400 IM — while ranking second on the squad in the 1,650 free and 200 fly as well
• Set a school freshman record in the 400 IM (4:19.81) at the SEC Championships (Feb. 15-19), also recording a personal best in the 200 fly at the meet
• Part of team that posted Vandy’s fastest mark in the 800 free relay at the SEC Championships as well
• Finished third in the A Final in the 500 (4:56.81) and 1,650 free (17:16.17) as well as the 400 IM at the Miami Invitational (Nov. 18-20), adding a fourth-place finish in the A Final in the 200 fly
• Won 500 (5:05.93) and 1,000 free in victory at Florida Gulf Coast (Oct. 16), adding a top-five result in the 400 IM (4:38.08) as well
• Also claimed 500 free (5:04.61) vs. Arkansas and Drury (Oct. 9) and 1,000 free (10:20.19) vs. Illinois (Oct. 30)
• Added a second-place result in the 500 free (5:03.62) in the Dores’ victory over the Illini
• Recorded best 200 free (1:55.36) time of the season in win over Tulane (Nov. 6), adding a third-place finish in the 500 free (5:00.80)
• Was third in the 1,000 and fourth in the 500 (5:05.40) free against Tennessee (Jan. 20)
The Traba File
• Majors are child development and psychology
• Prepped at Sarasota High under head coach Andrew Eckhart
• Two-time Junior National qualifier and finalist
• Four-time state finalist
• Two-time Sarasota High swim team MVP
• 2018 and 2021 High Point Award winner
• Letterwinner in swimming
• Scholastic All-American
• Daughter of Betsy and Fernando Traba
• Has an older sister, Isabel
• Born in Sarasota, Fla.
• Instagram: @mercedes_traba
• Twitter: @MercedesTraba
• Favorite animal is an elephant
• Cannot sleep without socks on
• Has seen all of the Marvel movies at least three times
Why Vanderbilt: “I chose Vanderbilt because I know getting a degree from a world-class university will open doors for me, and my future, that wouldn’t have been open otherwise. The coaches and teammates create such a welcoming environment and I simply couldn’t turn down this incredible opportunity.”