Q&A with Bailey Pons

Honors & Awards

• CSCAA Scholastic All-American (HM, 2012)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2012)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2012)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2011, 2012; Spring 2012)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2010; Spring 2011)

2011-12 (Sophomore)
Bailey Pons produced a strong sophomore season in the pool and in the classroom in 2011-12. The Cedar Falls, Iowa native earned 14 top-five finishes on the year, including eight event titles. Pons also swept the 1,000-yard freestyle, winning the event every time she competed (Iowa State, Illinois, South Dakota State). She set personal bests in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.52) and the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:34.75) at the 2012 Big Ten Championships. After the season, Pons qualified for and competed in the 400-yard freestyle at the Olympic Trials in Omaha.

A standout in the classroom, Pons joined Shannon Guy as honorable-mention CSCAA Scholastic All-America selections in 2012. Pons was also one of four Husker swimmers to earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards. She was also an academic All-Big Ten selection, while claiming a pair of spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters.

2010-11 (Freshman)
Pons stepped in for the Huskers and immediately became a go-to swimmer by capturing more than 20 top-five finishes to lead the team in 2010-11. Pons also exploded for a team-best 13 victories on the year. Pons tied with Kelsey Grushecky for best individual finish at the 2011 Big 12 Championships, finishing sixth in the 1,650 freestyle. Pons also set two top-five times in NU history at the Big 12 Championships in the 500 free (4:49.05) and the 1,650 free (16:38.14).

In the classroom, Pons earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters of 2010-11.

Previous
Pons came to Nebraska after being named the Iowa High School Swimmer of the Year by winning the 200- and 500-yard freestyles at the state meet in 2010. The high school All-American won the 1,000-yard freestyle title at the 2010 Spring Speedo Championship Series, while adding a runner-up finish in the 1,650 free.

Personal
Bailey was born on Nov. 9, 1991 in Waterloo, Iowa. She is the daughter of Melody and Kevin Pons, and has an older brother, Bo. She is an English and geology major at Nebraska and earned honorable-mention CSCAA Scholastic All-America recognition in 2012. She was also a 2012 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. The academic All-Big Ten selection also claimed spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2011 and 2012, and the spring semester of 2012. She was selected to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2010-11.

Career Best Times