2015 WOMEN’S NCAA DI CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, March 19 – Saturday, March 21
- Greensboro Aquatic Center – Greensboro, NC
- Prelims 11AM/Finals 7PM (Eastern Time)
- Defending Champion: Georgia (2x) – results
- NCAA Championship Central
- Live stream: All prelims & Thursday finals (Other sessions will be on ESPN3)
- Live results
The final day of the 2015 Women’s NCAA D1 Championships features the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 100 butterfly, platform diving, and the 400 freestyle relay.
With a loaded field of backstrokers including Missy Franklin, American record holder Liz Pelton, 2014 NCAA Champion Brooklyn Snodgrass, and Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew, we are going to see a great race in that event. Liz Pelton holds the American record in this event in short course yards while Missy Franklin holds the American record for this event in long course meters.
After splitting 45.45 anchoring the 400 medley relay, Simone Manuel will be trying to get the American record back from Abbey Weitzeil. Weitzeil posted a 46.29 leading off a relay after coming home from the FINA SCM World Championships in December.
Emma Reaney will also be chasing her American record from last year. She broke it twice last year at her conference championship meet and then again at the NCAA Championships.
The 200 fly is wide open this year. We’ve seen two generations of great 200 butterfliers come and go with Katinka Hosszu and Cammile Adams. Kelsi Worrell has been swimming well all weekend. Breaking the American record yesterday may have given her the confidence she needs to win the 200 as well today.
200 Backstroke – Prelims
- NCAA – 1:47.84 – Liz Pelton, California – 2013
- Championship – 1:47.84 – Liz Pelton, California – 2013
- American – 1:47.84 – Liz Pelton, California – 2013
- US Open – 1:47.84 – Liz Pelton, California – 2013
- 2014 Champion – Brooklynn Snodgrass, Indiana – 1:50.52
Liz Pelton posted the fastest time of the morning in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:50.31. Her teammate, Missy Franklin, finished second at 1:50.32. Both of their times were under last year’s winning time. A third Cal swimmer snuck into finals. Melanie Klaren qualified eighth at 1:52.25.
Denver’s Sam Corea had a big drop to qualify third with her time of 1:50.56. Kentucky’s Danielle Galyer dropped slightly from her seed to qualify fourth with a time of 1:50.56. Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew cruised through her morning swim, easily qualifying for the final with her time of 1:51.16.
Georgia’s Kylie Stewart finished with the sixth fastest time of the morning at 1:51.76, and Indiana’s Brooklyn Snodgrass was 1:51.96 with the seventh fastest time of the morning.
It took a 1:52.25 to make the A final and a 1:53.45 to make the B final.
100 Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA – 46.61 – Simone Manuel, Texas A&M – 2014
- Championship –
46.82 – Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace, Auburn – 2011 - American – 46.29 – Abbey Weitzeil – 2014
- US Open – 46.29 – Abbey Weitzeil – 2014
- 2014 Champion – Margo Geer, Arizona – 47.10
Simone Manuel was just off her time from earlier in the season to qualify first with her time of 46.68. She just missed her NCAA record, but she did break Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace’s meet record from 2011 of 46.82. Her teammate, Lia Neal, also qualified for the final with a 47.62 for fifth.
Natalie Hinds from Florida had a stong prelim swim this morning after missing the final in the 50 freestyle earlier in the meet. She qualified second with a time of 47.28. Wisconsin’s Ivy Martin was third at 47.53.
Georgia will be two up in tonight’s final with Chantal Van Landeghem in fourth at 47.58 and Madeline Locus in sixth at 47.74.
California’s Farida Osman posted a 47.79 to qualify and seventh and Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello claimed the last spot in the final with a 47.81.
Ten swimmers in total were under 48 seconds this morning. It took a 47.81 to qualify for the A final and a 48.59 to make the B final.
200 Breaststroke – Prelims
- NCAA – 2:04.06 – Emma Reaney, Notre Dame – 2014
- Championship – 2:04.06 – Emma Reaney, Notre Dame – 2014
- American – 2:04.06 – Emma Reaney, Notre Dame – 2014
- US Open – 2:04.06 – Emma Reaney, Notre Dame – 2014
- 2014 Champion – Emma Reaney, Notre Dame – 2:04.06
Minnesota’s Kiera Smith claimed the top seed in the 200 breaststroke with the ninth fastest swim in history at 2:04.95. The American record holder from Notre Dame, Emma Reaney, tied for second with her time of 2:07.18. Virginia’s Laura Simon also finished with a 2:07.18.
Even though Smith is ahead by more than two seconds after prelims, they should have a great race tonight. Last year, Reaney had a big drop between prelims and finals to win the NCAA title. She should do the same again tonight. Also, Kiera Smith had a similar swim at the Commonwealth games over the summer. She was the top qualifier out of prelims, but wasn’t in fast that night in finals. She will need to hold on tonight if she wants to hold off Reaney. Laura Smith has also been faster this season, so she could be a factor as well.
Stanford’s Katie Olsen qualified fourth with her time of 2:07.38, dropping two seconds from her seed time. She won the B final of the 100 breaststroke last night.
Virginia Tech’s Weronica Paluszek qualified fifth at 2:07.83 as the last swimmer to break 2:08. Kaylin Burchell from Alabama was sixth with her time of 2:08.56.
Tennessee’s Molly Hannis posted the seventh fastest time of the morning at 2:08.66 and Texas A&M’s Ashley McGregor claimed the last spot in the A final with her time of 2:08.79.
It took a 2:08.79 to make the A final and a 2:09.92 to make the B final.
200 Butterfly – Prelims
- NCAA – 1:49.92 – Elaine Breeden, Stanford – 2009
- Championship – 1:49.92 – Elaine Breeden, Stanford – 2009
- American – 1:49.92 – Elaine Breeden, Stanford – 2009
- US Open – 1:49.92 – Elaine Breeden, Stanford – 2009
- 2014 Champion – Cammile Adams, Texas A&M – 1:52.25
Hali Flickinger from Georgia posted the fastest time of the morning with her time of 1:52.97. Her teammate, Lauren Harrington, also qualified for the A final with the fourth fastest time of 1:53.76.
Louisville also put two into the A final with a second place 1:53.24 from Kelsi Worrell and a fifth place 1:54.18 from Tanja Kylliainen.
Kentucky’s Tina Bechtel qualified third with her time of 1:53.49. Florida State’s Chelsea Britt was sixth at 1:54.49.
Noemie Thomas from California qualified seventh with her time of 1:54.80 and Indiana’s Gia Dalesandro secured the last spot in the A final with her time 1:54.93.
It took a 1:54.43 to make the A final and a 1:55.62 to make the B final.
400 Freestyle Relay – Prelims
- NCAA – 3:09.40 – Georgia – 2013
- Championship – 3:09.40 – Georgia – 2013
- American – 3:10.63 – Arizona – 2013
- US Open – 3:09.40 – Georgia – 2013
- 2014 Champion – Stanford – 3:10.83
After missing the A final in the 200 medley relay yesterday, Stanford made sure they would make it in this morning. They had the fastest time of the morning at 3:11.96. Georgia is sitting in second with a 3:12.76.
California is sitting in third with a 3:12.98 and Wisconsin is fourth at 3:13.00.
Florida, NC State, Texas A&M, and Auburn will be joining them in the A final tonight.
It took a 3:15.56 to make the A final and a 3:16.16 to make the B final.
1650 Freestyle – Early Heats
- NCAA – 15:27.84 – Brittany MacLean, Georgia – 2014
- Championship – 15:27.84 – Brittany MacLean, Georgia – 2014
- American – 15:13.30 – Katie Ledecky – 2014
- US Open – 15:13.30 – Katie Ledecky – 2014
- 2014 Champion – Brittany MacLean, Georgia – 15:27.84
Predictions:
-Missy wins the 200 back in under 1:50, with Pelton right behind her. With the way she has been swimming this weekend, I can’t not choose her 🙂 🙂
-Simone wins the 100 free, and I’m calling it: New American Record!!!!!! If anyone at this meet can break Abbey’s 46.29, its her. I think she could even get close to 46 flat, personally.
-It’ll come down to the touch between Smith/Reaney, with Reaney winning it. They will push each other to 2:04 lows AT LEAST, watch for a new American Record here.
-We can say this for sure… The 200 fly will be won by somebody. I am stumped. Probably Hali Flickinger, but there’s always Kelsi Worrell, and when… Read more »
Breastroke races are enjoying to watch!! The stroke is now similar to fly as most of the top breastrokers do fly kick throughout the race. It’s almost breast pulling throughout the races. The rules should be changed or swimmers should be DQ via underwater video. Officials rarely DQ? Watching the race in the stands one can really view the dolphin kicking.
You can see the dolphin kick clearly both under and on the surface of the water. Not to mention the fact that the elbows are clearly out of the water. They need to make some calls or the US will suffer at international competitions. Hate for the US swimmers to get called for that for the first time in Rio.
Some of the breaststrokers look like they’re doing a hybrid of fly and breast… It looks really illegal. I thought elbows had to stay in the water?
Gopack.com – reliable live stream
That site was only for Thursday prelims and finals and the prelim sessions for Friday and Saturday. Friday finals and Saturday finals are only streamed live through ESPN.
Hinds split a nice 46 in the relay for Florida today, have to be happy with that
I cannot find the ESPN3 app. I have the ESPN app – are they the same? Will I be able to watch finals on ESPN? Would love to see these races up here in Canada. Would appreciate finding out how I can watch finals. Please!
1. Phone a friend/relative in USA who gets ESPN 3 and ask them for their cable provider’s user ID and password.
2. On your computer install hotspot shield (google it) or something similar giving your computer a USA IP address. (this will also give you american netflix using your cdn netflix account)
3. click on the link for espn’s livestream like everyone else.
Thank you I will try. Hoping not to miss this exciting finals. Can’t believe it’s not in tv.
Yes – ESPN app is the same thing. It will show all of the various content on ESPN – including this swimming.
Good link to watch live: Gopack.com, live stream swimming is free.
Thanks – I will try this too.
Thanks for responding – hoping to watch finals somehow! Will try.
Thanks.
By my rough calculations, barring any DQs, if Georgia wins all their races tonight (gains maximum points) and Cal finishes last in each event (minimum scoring points), I think Cal still wins by about 6 points.
Sorry, I did not factor in the 1650. So it is still mathematically possible for Georgia to win even without any Cal DQs.
So K. Stewart wins 200 back and Missy Franklin 8th???? I think NOT
I know Cal doesn’t NEED Bootsma in the 200 BK, since they had 3 other swimmers capable of reaching the A final, and they could have used some 200 FLY points; but, isn’t a 4th scorer in the back better than a 19th place in the fly? Plus, I would think training some SCY 200 back could help her LCM 100 back, which seems to be her best chance at making the 2016 Olympics.
Good point. however, i have heard her say that she enjoys the 200 fly. go figure. Great to see her so happy!
In Cal’s defense, she did score top 8 her freshman year in the 200 fly
S84D, there’s no need to defend Cal/Teri’s decision because Rachel just swam a best time in the 100 back and their team is going to win, and Gobearswimming is right, if that’s the event she enjoys then that’s what she should swim; but, I still stand by my original comment, because I can’t believe Bootsma couldn’t score in the 200 back if she wanted to, and I believe it would be beneficial for her, just as I believe it’s beneficial for Matt Grevers. Matt seems to swim his best LCM 100 back times when he is training for the 200 back as well as the 100 IMHO.
I agree with you; I once overheard Bootsma arguing with McKeever about it at a meet. She’s stubborn like Coughlin in that she doesn’t like the 2Back, but I think it would have helped both of them in their 100 LCM. Of course, Coughlin proved me wrong in ’04 and ’08 on that, but I wonder if she could have done even a little better and going forward as she always died the last few meters of her 100, even during her Olympic gold performances, almost gave me a heart attack both times. Bootsma’s plateaued in both the 100 LCM back and the 200 yd Fly and they don’t really need her with Thomas and Mau now, and I think… Read more »
And for whatever reason she’s never swum a great 200 Bk. Best time is a 1:58.
It’s just like Coughlin very very rarely swam 200 back LCM and swam tons of 100 free instead, saying that 100 free is her favorite event.