Mercedes Traba - Swimming - Vanderbilt University Athletics

Mercedes Traba Season 2023-24

Class Junior
Hometown Sarasota, Fla.
High School Sarasota
Major Child Development/Psychology
Bio

NIL on Opendorse

Student-Athlete Features
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
• 2023-24 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2022-23 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Career-Best Times (collegiate)
200 Free: 1:51.35 at Gamecock Invitational, 11.16.23
500 Free: 4:49.49 at SEC Championships, 2.15.23
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: 2:01.90 at SEC Championships, 2.18.22
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 sixth 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)
• Won the 1,000 free (10:18.58), meeting the CSCAA NIC B cut in the event, while also placing second in the 500 free (5:07.02) in opening meet at Tulane (Sept. 27)

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 in the 1,650 free and was third in the B Final of the 200 free with career-best times in both races 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.”