Live recap of the second day finals

Live recap of the second day finals

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2021 NCAA WOMEN SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP

Update: A Tornado Warning in Greensboro delayed the start of the finals until 6:30 East.

This morning, we saw Virginia cling to the first seeds in all three individual events. Kate Douglass beat the ACC record and the Greensboro Aquatic Center pool record in the 50 freestyle, while Paige Madden and freshman Alex Walsh it looked good on the free 500 and 200 IM, respectively.

In the team race, UVA is prepared to expand its leadership, while NC State and Cal also had strong mornings. Minnesota’s Sarah Bacon it looks set to defend its 2019 NCAA title at this event, while the timed 200 and 400 medley relay finals will also take place tonight. These are not preliminary-final relays, as the changes to COVID-19 have made all five relays work in the format of timed finals at night.

200 FINALS WITH FREE RELAY TIME

  • NCAA record: Cal (Murphy, McLaughlin, Bilquist, Weitzeil), 1: 24.55 – 2019
  • American record: Cal (Murphy, McLaughlin, Bilquist, Weitzeil), 1: 24,55 – 2019
  • US Open Record: Cal (Murphy, McLaughlin, Bilquist, Weitzeil), 1: 24.55 – 2019
  • Meet the record: Cal (Murphy, McLaughlin, Bilquist, Weitzeil), 1: 24.55 – 2019
  • 2019 Champion: Cal (Murphy, McLaughlin, Bilquist, Weitzeil), 1: 24.55
  • Best performance in 2020: Auburn (Meynen, Fisch, Kutsch, Clevenger), 1: 25,41

Top 3

  1. Lime – 1: 25.78
  2. Virginia – 1: 25.97
  3. NC State – 1: 26,27

The final heat saw Kate Douglass registered 21.09 to become the third player in history, leading the Cavaliers, although NC State and Cal managed to overcome the third stage. Cal came back, however, and Isabel Ivey anchored them in the 1: 25.78 victory ahead of 1: 25.97 in Virginia.

We had talked about Virginia’s potential in all five relays, but Cal was really impressive tonight. Ivey had 21.22 to lead Cal, but what really gave them that winning speed was the middle legs Emily Gantriis and Elise Garcia. Freshman Gantriis was 21.23, giving in to Garcia at 21.24. Eloise Rileyhowever, it was 22.09 at the beginning.

Cal has already claimed five of the last six NCAA titles in the 200 free relay.

After the introduction of Douglass, UVA still managed three 21s, as Lexi Cuomo followed at 21.63, Kyla Valls it was 21.97 and Alex Walsh anchored in 21.28, unable to support Cal’s three hammer legs.

NC State was third in the final heat, also reaching 21s in all categories: Katharine Berkoff was 21.81 at the beginning, followed by Kylee Alons (21.27), Sirena Rowe (21.47) and Sophie Hansson (21.72).

In the fourth heat, Mizzou ran away with him, achieving a 21.2 split Sarah Thompson. The Tigers dropped three-tenths of the seed, going 1: 27.01 to take over the best time of the night for UNC with a battery remaining. His time would remain fourth overall.

Tennessee came out from behind to win the third heat, scoring 1: 28.70, the time for adding the entire heat. They had 21.9 divisions of Natalie Ungaretti and Bailey Grinter.

The second battery win was for North Carolina at 1: 28.08, a triumphant season – the best for them, after the positive tests of COVID-19 significantly affected their ACC list. Grace Countie started at 21.81, a new best for her, while Heidi Lowe and Sophie Lindner both share 21.9s. Their time reached seventh place when all the results were released.

In battery one, Northwestern won the victory, anchored in a submission in front by Maddie Smithof 21.76. The Wildcats recorded 1: 28.90, their first time below 1:29 this season, and it is also a school record. Since there are only 18 teams competing, and they have won two teams, they will score at least two points.

500 free endings

  • NCAA Registration: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 4: 24.06 – 2017
  • American registry: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 4: 24.06 – 2017
  • US Open Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 4: 24.06 – 2017
  • Meeting record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 4: 24.06 – 2017
  • Champion 2019: Brooke Forde (Stanford), 4: 31,34
  • Best performance in 2020: Emma Nordin (Arizona), 4: 33.74

Top 3

  1. Paige Madden (Virginia) – 4: 33.61
  2. Evie Pfeifer (Texas) – 4: 35.02
  3. Brooke Forde (Stanford) – 4: 35,22

Paige Madden of Virginia jumped to the initial lead, launching at 1: 47.44, with that of Texas Evie Pfeifer and Stanford’s Brooke Forde in tow while the rest of the field disappeared.

Madden made his move halfway, going from 27.8 to 27.5, 27.4, 27.5, then dropped a bit off the pace in the 100 finalists. She even took the win for more than a second, going 4: 33.61. Pfeifer fought hard to beat Forde for second place, 4: 35.02 to 4: 35.22.

Madden was 51st in this event as a freshman, so it’s been an impressive journey to the top for the senior.

Michigan Sierra Schmidt was the fourth at 4: 39.30, ahead of Cal’s Ayla Spitz (4: 39.70) and NC State’s Kate Moore (4: 39.71). Schmidt’s rise was duly noted – she was sown last in the preliminaries, skipped to Final A in fourth place and kept her seed tonight in the final. The seven best women here also improved in the preliminaries.

In final B, Tennessee sophomore Kristen Stege dropped from 4:41 to 4: 39.89 to win the heat, earning nine points for Lady Vols. Alabama junior Kensey McMahon dropped two seconds to grab the second (4: 39.98), and the one from Florida Tylor Mathieu also decreased the time, going 4: 40.34 for the third.

200 IM FINALS

Top 3

  1. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 1: 51.87
  2. Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1: 53,34
  3. Alicia Wilson (Cal) – 1: 54.51

From Virginia Alex Walsh built an advantage by going to the midpoint, leaving at 24.7 / 27.5 for a first 52.3 100, and split a 32.5 on the chest leg to go to the free leg with a big advantage. Walsh brought it home on 27.0, posting a 1: 51.87, a few tenths of the time she was hitting Kate Douglass in ACCs.

Walsh was the fastest on the field in all divisions, except on the fly.

Georgia sophomore Zoie Hartman was the second in 1: 53.34, using a 32.33 to pull Cal’s Alicia Wilson. The Golden Bear was third in 1: 54.51, only able to hold the Wisconsin freshman Phoebe Bacon (1: 54.55) and Virginia’s second year Ella Nelson (1: 54.74).

Bacon was out very hard, going 52.60 to challenge Walsh in the front half, and while she fell to the chest (34.5), she was still 27.39 to close tightly and almost grab the third.

Virginia opens a 20-point lead now, while Cal is also well ahead of the rest of the field.

Final B went to Abby Hay Louisville, who recorded a new best of 1: 56.02 with an excellent underwater finish.

50 FREE FINALS

  • NCAA record: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 20.90-2019
  • American record: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 20.90 – 2019
  • US Open Record: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 20.90 – 2019
  • Meeting registration: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 21/02 – 2019
  • 2019 Champion: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 21.02
  • Best performance in 2020: Abbey Weitzeil (Cal), 20.90

Top 3

  1. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 21.13
  2. Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 21.17
  3. Sarah Thompson (Mizzou) – 21.42

After her 21.09 200 free relay match earlier this evening, Virginia Kate Douglass he cut the field with a 21.13, just out of his best an hour or so ago. Michigan Maggie MacNeil had a great dive per second, however, making it closer than expected.

MacNeil made 21.17, a better life for her, and just 0.04 of her division in Michigan’s 200 free relay with a quick start.

Mizzou’s Sarah Thompson broke 21.50 for the third, registering a new best 21.42, while the NC State Kylee Alons came in fourth at 21.51.

After UNC was destroyed by COVID positives just before the ACC Championship, Grace Countie swam a lot to reach fifth place at 21.60. Countie had no less than 22 seconds until 21.92 this morning, which was followed by his 21.81 relay lead earlier this evening.

Megan Keil de Mizzou wins final B at 21.87, ahead of Cal Emily Gantriis (21.90). USC freshman Kaitlyn Dobler broke 22 for the first time at 21.92, while Maxine Parker Georgia was 21.96 and Emma Wheal Stanford’s 21.96, all five losing 0.15 of the preliminaries.

1 METER DIVE END

  • Meeting registration: 363.20, Sarah Bacon (Minnesota) – 2019
  • 2019 Champion: Sarah Bacon (Minnesota), 363.20

Top 3

  1. Sarah Bacon (Minnesota) – 357.20
  2. Aranza Vazquez-Montano (UNC) – 348.45
  3. Brooke Schultz (Arkansas) – 335.85

Minnesota gets some points on the board here with Sarah Bacon defending his 2019 crown, scoring 357.20. Bacon won silver at this event at the 2019 World Cup and won Pan Am gold.

400 MEDLEY RELAY TIMED FINALS

  • NCAA record: Stanford (Howe, Williams, Hu, Manuel), 3: 25,09 – 2018
  • American record: Stanford (Howe, Williams, Hu, Manuel), 3: 25,09 – 2018
  • US Open Record: Stanford (Howe, Williams, Hu, Manuel), 3: 25,09 – 2018
  • Meet Record: Stanford (Howe, Williams, Hu, Manuel), 3: 25.09-2018
  • 2019 Champion: Cal (Bilquist, Raijc, McLaughlin, Weitzeil), 3: 25,24
  • Best performance in 2020: NC State (Berkoff, Hansson, Alons, Perry), 3: 27.22

Top 3

  1. NC State – 3: 24.59 – NCAA / US OPEN RECORD
  2. Virginia – 3: 25,13
  3. Texas – 3: 27.83

Katharine Berkoff registered a 50.07 to give NC State the leadership of the first 100, while the freshman from Virginia Reilly Tiltmann, who graduated from high school early to join ‘Hoo’s in the middle of the season, was 50.42 to a big advantage for them when they stopped Alex Walsh.

But Wolfpack continued to evict him, as Sophie Hansson was 57.01, giving rise to a massive division of 49.29 Kylee Alons. Senior Julia Poole, not primarily a freestyler sprint, brought home at 48.22, enough to give NC State the title and a new NCAA and US Open record of 3: 24.59.

Virginia got a 57.71 Alexis Wenger on the brast and a 50.62 of Lexi Cuomo, and Kate Douglass pushed with a 46.31 anchor, unable to regain the lead. UVA still went 0.04 off the old NCAA and US Open record, as well as the American record (NC State didn’t understand why Hansson is Swedish).

Texas ranked third as freshmen Anna Elendt (58.05) and Olivia Bray (50.43) were big on the middle legs, while Cal was shot down here for an early takeoff from his anchor leg after Isabel Ivey recorded a split of 49.9 fly.

The state of Ohio took battery four at 3: 30.22, although it did not replace Michigan, Tennessee and Louisville, who led after four heats.

Maggie MacNeil shot to the lead for Michigan in the third heat, going to 49.76 to become the seventh woman with less than 50 seconds in the 100 seconds. The Wolverines, despite being off an anchor leg with Daria Pyshnenko retiring shortly before the NCAAs, he held the battery victory at 3: 29.75, just 0.06 ahead of Tennessee.

In the second heat, Louisville had a dominant stroke, scoring 3: 29.91 and dropping more than two seconds from his seed.

The first round saw North Carolina hold Florida for the win, with 3: 32.49.

TEAM SCORE (THROUGH THE 400 MEDLEY RELAY)

  1. Virginia 184
  2. NC State 124
  3. Texas 119
  4. California 114
  5. Ohio St 101.5
  6. Alabama 90
  7. Georgia 85
  8. Stanford 84
  9. Michigan 78
  10. Kentucky 65
  11. Louisville 62
  12. UNC 61
  13. Mizzou 55
  14. Florida 53.5
  15. Tennessee 51
  16. Indiana / Texas A&M 30
  17. –
  18. Northwestern 28
  19. Wisconsin 23
  20. USC 21
  21. Minnesota / Miami 20
  22. –
  23. Arkansas 16
  24. Arizona 15
  25. Virginia Tech 11
  26. Nebraska / Akron 3
  27. –
  28. Duke 2
  29. Houston 1

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