CAREER BESTS
| Event | Time | Date | Site/Opponent |
| 200 Free | 1:47.76 | 11/18/17 | Ohio State Invitational |
| 500 Free | 4:36.17* | 3/15/18 | NCAA Championships |
| 1000 Free | 9:30.09* | 3/17/18 | NCAA Championships |
| 1650 Free | 15:36.27* | 3/17/18 | NCAA Championships |
| 100 Back | 58.84 | 11/4/16 | Virginia/Michigan |
| 200 Back | 2:02.10 | 1/14/17 | Rutgers/Yale |
| 100 Breast | 1:05.73 | 10/31/15 | Michigan/UVa Tri Meet |
| 200 Breast | 2:19.68 | 12/6/15 | Georgia Fall Invite |
| 200 Fly | 2:03.54 | 2/3/17 | Villanova |
| 200 IM | 2:04.09 | 1/21/17 | Navy |
| 400 IM | 4:06.27* | 2/17/17 | Big Ten Championship |
* School Record
Career Accolades
- CSCAA Scholar All-America (2018)
- U.S. National Team Member (2017-pres.)
- Named to U.S. 2019 FINA World Championships Team (Gwangju, South Korea).
- Two-time U.S. National Championships medalist (2018 - gold, 400m IM; silver, 1500m freestyle).
- 2018 U.S. National Champion in the 400 IM.
- Penn State's first women's swimming U.S. National Champion.
- Five-time U.S. National Championships finalist in the 400m IM (2017, 2018), 1500m freestyle (2017, 2018) and 800m free (2018).
- Earned three top-10 finishes at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.
- NCAA Championships 1650 freestyle silver medalist (2018).
- Penn State’s highest-finishing swimmer all-time at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships and the program’s third NCAA medalist, joining bronze medalists Sarah Haupt (2004, 100 back) and Kristen Woodring (2001, 100 breast).
- All-America in the 1650 free (2018).
- Three-time honorable mention All-America in the 500 free (2018), 1650 free (2017) and 400 IM (2017).
- Two-time silver medalist at the World University Games (2017 - 400m IM, 4x200m relay).
- Three-time Big Ten Championships medalist (1 gold, 2 silvers).
- Big Ten Champion in the 1650 free (2018).
- Big Ten Championships meet record holder in the 1650 free (15:43.34, 2018).
- Two-time Big Ten silver medalist in the 400 IM (2017, 2018).
- Penn State record holder in the 500 free, 1000 free, 1650 free and 400 IM.
- Two-time 2017 World University Games silver medalist in the 400m IM and 4x200m freestyle relay.
- 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials participant.
National & International
- Named to U.S. National Team for 2017-18 (400m IM and 1500m Free) and 2018-19 (400m IM).
- Named to U.S. 2019 FINA World Championships Team (Gwangju, South Korea).
- Won two medals at the 2018 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships, earning gold in the 400 IM (4:34.80) and silver in the 1500m free (16:02.56). Both times were personal bests.
- Totaled three top-four finishes at the 2018 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships, also placing fourth in the 800m free in a personal-best 8:24.22.
- Earned three top-10 finishes in the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, placing 10th in the 1500m freestyle (16:17.29), 10th in the 400m free (4:09.08) and ninth in the 400m IM (4:41.04). Shaved nearly three seconds off her previous best time in the 400m free preliminaries to rank fourth overall in 4:08.72. Qualified for the 400m IM and 400m free championship finals in both based on time, but as only the third-fastest American in both events, she was relegated to the B-final in both due to meet rules limiting qualifiers per country to two.
- Earned bronze (800m free, 8:32.21), fourth (400 IM, 4:42.39) and ninth (400m, 4:15.34) at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Columbus in July 2018.
- Earned bronze (800m free, 8:30.23), fifth (400 IM, 4:40.51) and ninth (400m, 4:11.41) at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis in May 2018.
- Won two silver medals at the 2017 World University Games, doing so in the 400m IM in a personal-best 4:40.22 and as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay in the preliminaries.
- Became the second Penn State women’s swimmer to medal at the World University Games and the first since Kristen Elias earned silver in the 100m butterfly at the 1989 games in Bulgaria.
- Finished in the Top 12 in all four of the events competed in at the 2017 U.S. Phillips 66 National Championships and surpassed all of her personal bests in the four events she competed in. Top performances at Nationals were fourth-place finishes in both the 1500m freestyle (16:16.20) and 400 IM (4:40.25). Also placed 10th in the 800m free (8:35.01) and 11th in the 400m freestyle (4:11.74).
- First Penn State women's swimmer since Kaitlin O'Brien in 2007 to put up a pair of top-eight finishes at the National Championships.
- Competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400m IM (4:56.26, 68th) and the 200m IM (2:20.53, 80th).
2017-18 (Junior Year)
- NCAA silver medalist and All-American in the 1650 free in school-record time (15:36.27). Time ranked her as the sixth-fastest performer in American history and eighth-fastest in international history. Also set school-record 1000-yard split of 9:30.09. Finished second to Stanford sophomore Katie Ledecky, the world record holder in the event.
- Became Penn State's first first-team All-American since Alyson Ackman, Carolyn Fittin, Kaitlin Jones and Caitlyn Karr earned the honor in the 800 free relay in 2015.
- Broke her own school record in the 500 freestyle twice, placing 10th in the preliminaries in 4:37.80 and winning the consolation final in 4:36.17.
- Placed 17th in the 400 IM (4:07.52) at the NCAA Championships.
- Won two medals at the Big Ten Championships and earned three top-four finishes. Claimed gold in the 1,650 freestyle in 15:43.34, shattering her own Penn State record and setting a new meet record, as well as achieving the NCAA ‘A’ cut time standard. Also claimed silver in the 400 individual medley (4:06.43). Set a school record in the 500 free (4:38.44) to place fourth.
- Became the second Nittany Lion to win the mile and the first since Regan Stacey in 1994 (16:26.02). Also became Penn State's first individual champion since 2014 when Mackenzie Powers won the 100 butterfly and Alyson Ackman won the 200 freestyle.
- Named to the All-Big Ten First Team.
- Placed second in the 1000 free (9:50.52) and 500 free (4:45.67) at the Minnesota Quad Duals (11/3-4).
- Won the 500 free (4:38.77) in school-record time and placed second in both the mile (15:59.03) and 400 IM (4:08.06) at the Ohio State Invitational (11/17-19).
2016-17 (Sophomore Year)
- Two-time honorable mention All-American at the NCAA Championships, placing 14th in the 400 IM (4:06.86) and 10th in the mile in a school-record 15:58.92. 1000 free split (9:43.94) during mile was also a school record. Also swam a personal-best of 4:40.73 in the 500 free at NCAA’s.
- Won the silver medal in the 400 IM at the Big Ten Championships in a personal-best and NCAA B-cut of 4:06.27 to earn All-Big Ten second team honors.
- Led the team in the 500, 1000 and 1650 frees and 400 IM for the year.
- Won three dual meet events.
- Won the 400 IM (4:21.55) against Towson (10/6) in the season opener.
- Won the 400 IM (4:18.69) and 1000 free (9:53.82) against Rutgers and Yale (1/13-14).
2015-16 (Freshman Year)
- Swam the third fastest times of the year on the team in the 500 freestyle (4:52.68) at the Georgia Invitational (12/4) and in the 1000 freestyle (10:27.13) at Emory (10/3).
High School
- Swam for Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls and head coach Sean Clothier.
- 2016 U.S. Olympic Trial qualifier and participant in the 400m IM and 200m IM.
- Four-time PIAA State Championship qualifier in the 200 IM and 500 free.
- Four-time first-team All-Catholic qualifier.
- PIAA District 12 record holder in the 100 breast and 200 IM and holds 11 school records.
- Three-time Scholastic All-America.
- Named team MVP twice and was a senior captain.
- Helped team to 2014 Philadelphia Catholic League Championship and PIAA District 12 Championship.
- 2013 Summer Junior Nationals qualifier and participant in the 200 breast and 200 IM.
- Took gold in the 200 breast and 400 IM and third in the 200 IM at the 2014 Summer NCSA Juniors.
Personal
- Full name is Allyson Jane McHugh.
- Born in Philadelphia on May 14, 1997.
- Parents are Michael and Andrea McHugh.
- Has a sister, Kelley and a brother, Ryan.
- Majoring in biobehavioral health.