2026 NCAA Qualifer
2026 CSCAA All-American
2026 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar Atthlete of the Year Nominee
2025 NCAA Qualifier
2024 NCAA Qualifier
2023 SEC Champion (400-Free Relay)
2023 NCAA Qualifier
Barnes’ Top Times
50-free: 22.89 2023 Art Adamson Invitational
500-free: 4:39.51 2026 SEC Championships
200-free: 1:43.26 2026 SEC Championships
100-free: 48.56 2023 Art Adamson Invitational
1000-free: 10:38.33 2022 South Carolina
SENIOR SEASON (2025-26)
Represented the Tigers at the NCAA Championships in five events; she was a member of the All-American 13th-place 200-free relay (1:27.65; 22.38 split) and 15th-place 400-free relay teams (3:13.41; 48.48 split), as well as the 19th-place 800-free relay team (7:05.09; 1:44.25); individually, she placed 38th in the 200-free (1:46.19) and 42nd in the 500-free (4:44.77) … At the SEC Championships, Barnes took sixth in the 200-free with a personal best (1:43.26), ninth in the 500-free with a personal best (4:39.51), 32nd in the 100-free (49.31), as well as being on the 4th-place 200-free realy and 400-free relay teams and 7th-place 800-free relay team … Opened her senior season at the SMU Classic by placing second in the 200-free (1:46.03), second in the 500-free (4:49.08), and ninth in the 100-free (50.36) … At the Air Force Invitational, she finished second in the 200-free (1:52.57), ninth in the 500-free (5:13.21), and 13th in the 100-free (53.41) … In the home opener against Kentucky, she took the top spot in the 200-free (1:45.18) and in the 500-free (4:43.93) … Took the top spots again in the 200-free (1:45.71) and the 500-free (4:42.82) against Alabama/FSU … In the quad meet victory over Rice, Houston, and Tulane, she won the 200-free (1:47.05) and the 500-free (4:47.55) … At midseasons, the senior placed fourth in the 200-free (1:44:39), ninth in the 500-free (4:41.50), and 14th in the 100-free (49.26) … Against Florida, Barnes notched second in the 200-free (1:49.59) and sixth in the 500-free (5:06.23) … At the end of her Tiger career, she holds school records in the 200-free and 500-free.
JUNIOR SEASON (2024-25)
Qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championships in the 100-free, 200-free, and 500-free … She placed 19th in the 200-free (1:43.61), 48th in the 500-free (4:44.44), and 60th in the 100-free (49.01) … At the 2025 SEC Championships, she competed in one B final (200-free) and two C finals (100-free; 500-free); She placed 10th in the 200-free (1:43.94), 17th in the 500-free (4:40.64), and 22nd in the 100-free (48.92 – Prelims: 48.79) … Against Texas to open the season, she placed third in the 200-free (1:46.36) and fourth in the 500-free (4:46.90) … Won the 200-free (1:47.47) and 500-free (4:51.91) in the quad-team meet featuring Navy, George Mason, and Loyola (Md.) … In a tri-team meet with Houston and Tulane, she touched second in the 500-free (4:50.30) and fourth in the 50-free (23.38) … In another tri-team meet with Alabama and Florida State, she claimed second in the 200-free (1:47.04) and fourth in the 500-free (4:52.90) … At the Tigers’ midseason meet, finished ninth in the 200-free (1:44.90), 11th in the 100-free (49.41), and 15th in the 500-free (4:48.46) … Against Texas A&M, placed second in the 200-free (1:45.77) and third in the 500-free (4:52.97)
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023-24)
Invited to swim at the 2024 NCAA Championships in the 200-free (42nd – 1:46.35), 100-free (29th – 48.21) and 500-free (26th – 4:41.01)… Her time in the 500-free at NCAAs is an LSU record… also competed in the 200-free relay, 400-free relay, and 800-free relay… Earned second-team All-American honors in the 200-free and 400-free relays for her contribution to finishing in the top-16 spots… Broke the LSU school record in the 200-free at the 2024 SEC meet with a time of 1:44.39 in the finals… Opened her second season at LSU with a win in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.16); also placed fifth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:08.41… In the home opener vs. Arkansas had two fourth place finishes in the 200-free (1:52.81) and 500-free (5:10.76); also claimed first as a member of the 400-free relay team that clocked a time of 3:22.74… During a tri-team meet with FSU & Alabama, placed sixth in the 200-free with a time of 1:51.55 and 12th in the 500-free with a time of 5:06.22… At the Tiger’s midseason meet in the Art Adamson Invitational, placed ninth in the 50-free (22.89), second in the 100-free (48.56 – B cut), second in the 200-free (1:45.40 – B cut), and ninth in the 500-free (4:45.66 – B cut)… was also a member of the winning 200-free relay (1:28.88 – B cut) and 400-yard free relay (3:15.66 – B cut)… Against Texas A&M, had two third place finishes in the 200-free (1:50.17) and 500-free (5:00.99)… In a dual meet with Tennessee, claimed third in the 500-free (4:45.21) and fifth in the 200-free (1:47.18)… At the 2024 SEC Championships, placed 10th in the 200-free (1:44.39), 21st in the 500-free (4:46.08), and 11th in the 100-free (48.59)
FRESHMAN SEASON (2022-23)
SEC Champion Relay member in the 400-yard free relay event… In the opening meet against Vanderbilt and Tulane, she claimed fourth place in the 500-free with a time of 5:07.79 and sixth place in the 200-free with a time of 1:52.71… During the first SEC dual meet of the year, claimed third in the 500-free at South Carolina with a time of 5:02.92 and seventh in the 1000-free with a time of 10:38.33… In a tri-meet against Denver and Air Force, won the 200-free with a time of 1:52.86 and got fourth in the 100-free with a time of 52.39… For Auburn, took fourth place in the 200-free with a time of 1:50.66 and seventh place in the 500-free with a time of 5:02.60… At the Art Adamson Invitational, finished in ninth place in the 100-free with a time of 49.04, second in the 200-free with a time of 1:45.26 and ninth in the 500-free with a time of 4:45.38… Against FSU, won the 200-free with a time of 1:49.56… In the regular-season finale vs. Texas A&M, placed third in the 500-free with a time of 4:53.75 and fourth in the 200-free with a time of 1:49.89… At the 2023 SEC Championships, claimed 29th in the 500-free (4:47.50), 11th in the 200-free (1:45.85), and 19th in the 100-free (48.96)
HIGH SCHOOL
Prepped at Mount Kelly College located in Tavistock, England
PERSONAL
Full name is Megan McKenzie Barnes… Born on Sept. 19, 2003, in her hometown of London… Parents names are Ali and Gordon Barnes; has two sisters… Her mother, Ali, rowed at the international level… Her planned major upon arriving to Baton Rouge was mathematics… Chose LSU because “I admired the work ethic of the team and knew I wanted to be a part of it.”