Swimming and Diving

Anna McDonald

Event(s)BACK/IM
ClassSenior
HometownEvergreen, Colo.

Honors & Awards

  • Four Letters (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • CSCAA Scholar All-American (HM, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2018, 2019)
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; Spring 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Herman Team GPA Award (2016, 2017)
  • Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award (2019)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)

2018-19 (Senior)
Anna McDonald had an impressive final season as a Husker with 16 top-five finishes, including four victories and five runner-up finishes. She earned a pair of first-place finishes at Iowa State in the 200 back and 200 IM. McDonald swam to a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke at the 2018 Hawkeye Invite and a 21st-place finish in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2018 USA Swimming Winter Nationals. At the 2019 Big Ten Championships, McDonald aided the Huskers to their highest conference championship placing since joining the league in 2012 by individually earning 20th in the 200 back (1:57.89) and 23rd in the 200 IM (1:59.94). The four-time letterwinner was an honorable-mention CSCAA Scholar All-American for three consecutive years and was a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She captured academic All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season. She is also an eight-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection. The Colorado native earned a prestigious Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award presented by Nebraska's Life Skills program. She was also a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

2017-18 (Junior)
McDonald amassed 15 top-five finishes, including two victories as a junior. She racked up a majority of her top-five finishes in the 100 backstroke. McDonald set a career best in the 200 IM (1:59.91) during prelims at the 2018 Big Ten Championships. At the conference meet, McDonald took 19th in the 200 back, 24th in the 200 IM and 27th in the 400 IM. She added a fourth-place finish (200 back) and a fifth-place effort (200 IM) at USA Winter Nationals. A standout in the classroom, McDonald was an honorable-mention CSCAA Scholar All-American and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

2016-17 (Sophomore)
McDonald ended her sophomore season with impressive results, closing the 2016-17 season with 15 top-five finishes, including three victories and three second-place showings. McDonald notched wins in duals against South Dakota State and Omaha as well as the Kansas Classic. She swam to a career-best time of 56.46 in the 100-yard backstroke at the Kansas Classic. McDonald finished 19th in the 200 backstroke (1:57.21) at the 2017 Big Ten Championships, setting a career best. She set two more career bests in the 200 individual medley (2:00.24) and the 400 individual medley (4:18.41) at the Big Ten Championships.

2015-16 (Freshman)
McDonald made a strong first impression with the Huskers, closing her freshman campaign with 23 top-five performances, including four runner-up finishes. She notched four career bests to help Nebraska to a team title at the Big Challenge. McDonald was the Big Challenge runner-up in the 200 (2:01.60) and 400-yard individual medley (4:21.48). She added a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.99. She also posted a career-best time of 56.69 in the 100 back. At the Big Ten Championships, McDonald finished 32nd in the 400 IM, 34th in the 200 backstroke and 36th in the 200 IM.

Previous
McDonald came to Nebraska following an outstanding career at Evergreen High School. McDonald’s team was crowned Colorado Class 4A state champions in both 2014 and 2015. She was the state runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley in 2015. Her 400-yard freestyle relay team also earned a state title. McDonald also swam for the Jeffco Hurricanes. She earned a top-eight finish at sectionals in the 200-yard backstroke, with her team capturing a second-place finish. McDonald was a standout in the classroom, earning a spot on Evergreen High School’s honor roll as well as being named a Scholastic All-American. McDonald was also a member of National Honor Society.

Personal
The daughter of Susan and John McDonald, Anna was born on Dec. 23, 1996, in San Antonio, Texas. She has two younger sisters, Kate and Maggie. Anna was a nutrition and health sciences major and earner her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in December 2019. A three-time honorable-mention CSCAA Scholar All-American, she was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2018 and 2019. She is a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection. She is an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She was also a four-time selection to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She chose Nebraska over Vermont, Utah, Bucknell and Villanova.

Career-Best Times

Event Times Meet (Date)
100 Back 56.46 Kansas Classic (2016)
200 Back 1:57.21 Big Ten Championships (2017)
200 IM 1:59.91 Big Ten Championships (2018)
400 IM 4:18.41 Big Ten Championships (2017)