Swimming and Diving

Lindsay Helferich

Event(s)FREE/BACK
ClassSenior
HometownOdessa, Texas

Honors & Awards

  • Four Letters (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 (First Team, 2019)
  • CSCAA Scholar All-American (HM, 2016, 2017)
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Nebraska Outstanding Scholar Award (2019)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; Spring 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Herman Team GPA Award (2016, 2017)
  • Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award (2016)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)

2018-19 (Senior)
Lindsay Helferich finished her Nebraska career with a solid senior season by capturing 10 top-five finishes, including two victories and six second-place showings. Helferich swam to a personal best in the 100-yard freestyle (49.83) at the Last Chance meet to earn second place. The four-time letterwinner competed at the long-course 2018 USA Swimming Winter Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. She placed 24th in the 100-meter backstroke (1:04.47). At the 2019 Big Ten Championships, Helferich competed in the 50 free (26th), 100 free (37th) and 100 back (45th). The Texan was a dominant contributor to the relay teams, including a third-place finish in the 400-yard free (Helferich, Clara Walstad, Allie Worrall, Autumn Haebig) at the Hawkeye Invite with a time of (3:23.64). Helferich excelled in the classroom as well as in the pool, claiming first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 honors to earn a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large ballot. She captured a Nebraska Outstanding Scholar Award, which was presented to nine student-athletes in their final season of eligibility and graduating with a 3.90 or better GPA. She was a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and academic All-Big Ten honoree, an eight-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection and a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. A civil engineering major, Helferich earned her bachelor's degree with a 4.0 GPA from Nebraska in May 2019.   

2017-18 (Junior)
Helferich had a strong junior season, producing 12 top-five finishes including three victories and three runner-up performances. She recorded three career bests at the 2018 Big Ten Championships. Helferich took 21st in the 100 back (53.83), 27th in the 100 free (50.19) and 27th in the 50 free (23.04). She produced a solid performance at the Mizzou Invite, accumulating three top-15 finishes in the 100 free (10th), 50 free (11th) and 100 back (12th). One of Nebraska’s top performers in the classroom, Helferich was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and an academic All-Big Ten choice for the second straight year. She also made her third appearance on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

2016-17 (Sophomore)
Helferich closed the 2016-17 campaign with 11 top-five finishes, including three victories. She set career bests at the 2017 Big Ten Championships in the 200-yard backstroke (1:58.39, 27th), the 100-yard backstroke (55.15, 35th) and the 50-yard freestyle (23.45, 43rd). Helferich also set a career best in the 100-yard freestyle (52.14) in the prelims at the Kansas Classic. In the classroom, Helferich was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and claimed academic All-Big Ten honors for the first time while earning a 4.0 GPA. She was also a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for the second consecutive year.

2015-16 (Freshman)
Helferich made her debut with eight top-five finishes, including one victory and three second-place showings as a freshman for the Huskers. She notched three of her top-five performances in Nebraska’s dual win over South Dakota State. Helferich won the 100-yard freestyle (53.95) against SDSU. She added a runner-up finish in the 50-yard freestyle (24.63) and a fourth-place showing in the 200 free (1:58.56) against the Jackrabbits. She set her career best in the 50 free (23.54) at the Big Challenge, after setting career bests in the 100 free (53.05) and 200 free (1:56.73) in a dual victory over Iowa State. At the Big Ten Championships, Helferich took 24th in the 200-yard backstroke, 38th in the 100 back and 62nd in the 50-yard freestyle. An outstanding contributor in the community, Helferich earned a prestigious Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award in 2016. She was also a member of the 2016 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She added recognition on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll with a perfect 4.0 GPA semester in the spring of 2016.

Previous
Helferich joined the Nebraska swimming and diving program after being part of a relay team that broke four Local Swim Committee records in 2015. While competing for City of Midland Aquatics, Helferich was a Futures and NCSA qualifier. She also placed at the NASA Junior National Championships. Helferich was a top-24 finalist at the 2014 Southern Zone Sectional Championships in the 200-yard freestyle and a top-16 finalist in the 200-yard backstroke. Helferich was named a Scholastic All-American for three years and graduated as the valedictorian at Odessa High School.

Personal
The daughter of Beverly and Mark Helferich, Lindsay was born Dec. 4, 1996, in Odessa, Texas. She has an older sister, Ashley. Lindsay majored in civil engineering and earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2019 with a 4.0 GPA. She was a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection. A two-time honorable-mention CSCAA Scholar All-American, Helferich was an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She earned a prestigious Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award in 2016, and is a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). She chose Nebraska over Illinois.

Career-Best Times 

Event Time Meet (Date)
100 Back 53.83 Big Ten Championships (2018)
200 Back 1:58.39 Big Ten Championships (2017)
50 Free 23.04 Big Ten Championships (2018)
100 Free 49.83 Last Chance Meet (2019)
200 Free 1:56.73 Iowa State (2015)