2016 Women’s DI NCAA Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2016 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 16 – Saturday, March 19
• McAuley Aquatic Center – Atlanta, GA
• Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champion: Cal – Results
• Championships Central
• SwimSwam Link Sheet
• Live stream: All prelims, Wednesday finals, & Thursday finals (Other sessions will be on ESPN3)
• Live results

The Georgia Bulldogs enter Day 2 of NCAAs with a slight lead after Hali Flickinger, Kylie Stewart, Meaghan Raab, and Brittany MacLean posted a 6:51.80 in last night’s 800 free relay timed finals. MacLean will be UGA’s first knock at an individual NCAA title in the 500 free, problem is she’ll have to face NCAA record-holder, Leah Smith, twice in one day. Her 1:41.46 anchor swim provides some insight into her front-end speed, but she’ll have to close the gap on Virginia’s distance standout. California, the defending NCAA Champions, will have a second go at smashing the trio of records in the 200 free relay while trying to fend off Tennessee’s quartet. This year they’re missing Missy Franklin and Kaylin Bing, but they’ve made up the speed with 21-second speedsters Amy Bilquist and Kristen Vredeveld. The Bears also have Farida Osman in as the top seed in the 50 free (21.32) and if they keep her as lead-off, Osman gains another opportunity to chase the NCAA 50 free record. The Standford ladies’ prospects are just as high on Day 2. With freshman Ella Eastin topping the 200 IM field, she’ll be pressed for a solid morning swim to secure tonight’s final against Cal’s Kathleen Baker. The Pac-12 rivals will go head-to-head twice in an attempt to break Caitlin Leverenz’s all-time record of 1:51.77. Lastly, the record-holding Cardinal just needs to enter tonight’s 400 medley relay final for a chance to improve their own NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Record (3:26.25).

200 FREE RELAY

• NCAA Record: Arizona (Lara Jackson, Lindsey Kelly, Justine Schluntz, Taylor Baughman), 1:26.20
• American Record: Arizona (Lara Jackson, Lindsey Kelly, Justine Schluntz, Taylor Baughman), 1:26.20
• U.S. Open Record: Arizona (Lara Jackson, Lindsey Kelly, Justine Schluntz, Taylor Baughman), 1:26.20
• 2015 NCAA Champion: California (Kaylin Bing, Missy Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, Farida Osman), 1:26.41

The top-seven relays all swam under the Georgia Tech Pool Record of 1:28.18, but it was the Lady Vols of Tennessee who registered this morning’s fastest relay of 1:27.20. Harper Bruens’ second leg split of 21.47 led the heat by a half a body length while her teammate, Madeline Banic, swam a notch faster at 21.39. Georgia enters tonight’s final as the runner-ups with help from Olivia Smoliga‘s 21.47, posting a 1:27.53 just ahead of Arizona’s 1:27.67.

The Cal Bears’ relay cruised a 1:27.76, but as the event favorite they’ll have more in the tank for tonight to chase the records. Stanford (1:27.82), Southern California (1:28.15), Virginia (1:28.15), and NC State (1:28.19) round out tonight’s A final.

Sitting just outside the fastest flight, Louisville will take the quickest seed in consolations at 1:28.28. Kelsi Worrell, the Cardinals’ premiere butterflyer, registered the fastest split of the morning at 20.84.

500 FREE

• NCAA Record: Leah Smith, Virginia, 4:30.37
• American Record: Katie Ledecky, PV-Unattached, 4:26.58
• U.S. Open Record: Katie Ledecky, PV-Unattached, 4:26.58
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Leah Smith, Virginia, 4:31.54

Leah Smith  jumped out to a strong body-length lead in the first 250, splitting a 2:14.2, and finished the race in 4:31.39 for the Georgia Tech Pool Record. She owns the NCAA Record at 4:30.37, which she swam in the morning at this meet last year, but was just off in finals at 4:31.54. Georgia enters finals with the second and third seeds. Bulldog Brittany MacLean touched in at 4:34.61 in the heat prior to Smith for a momentary pool record while besting both of her 2015 NCAA swims.

Third seed Hali Flickinger of Georiga (4:37.27) paced a great 500 against Louisville freshman Mallory Comerford (4:38.25).  Sarah Gibson of Texas A&M pushed them both at the 300 mark, but fell back to finish in 4:38.44, just outside the A final at 9th. No California swimmers were entered in this race and only one Stanford swimmer competed in this event.

500 free A final

1. Leah Smith, Virginia, 4:31.39
2. Brittany MacLean, Georgia, 4:34.61
3. Hali Flickinger, Georgia, 4:37.27
4. Yirong Rose, Michigan, 4:37.78
5. Hannah Moore, NC State, 4:37.92
6. Lindsey Clary, Ohio State, 4:38.15
7. Mallory Comerford, Louisville, 4:38.25
8.  Haley Lips,Indiana, 4:38.27

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

• NCAA Record: Caitlin Leverenz, California, 1:51.77
• American Record: Caitlin Leverenz, California, 1:51.77
• U.S. Open Record: Caitlin Leverenz, California, 1:51.77
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Missy Franklin, California, 1:52.11

Madisyn Cox of Texas finished the medley with a superb back-half split and claims the quickest time of the morning at 1:54.11. Juxtaposed to Cox’s performance, California’s Kathleen Baker raced a blistering front-half and was a second under Caitlin Leverenz’s pace at the 100 turn. She finished in third with 1:54.62 next to Ella Eastin.

Eastin, the freshman star from Stanford, turned in the fastest 150 split to also swim under the Leverenz’s records, but finished second at 1:54.20. Another freshman from USC, Kirsten Vose, swam alongside Cox at 1:55.39 for fourth seed. Texas A&M locked in two swimmers in this A final and California got another two in as well with their tie for 6th between Celina Li and Kelly Naze.

With two athletes under record pace in this morning’s 200 IM and the top two considerably off their fastest times on record, the possibility for new NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Records is very real.

200 Individual Medley A Final

1. Madisyn Cox, Texas, 1:54.11
2. Ella Eastin, Stanford, 1:54.20
3. Kathleen Baker, Cal, 1:54.62
4. Kirsten Vose, USC, 1:55.39
5. Lisa Bratton, Texas A&M, 1:55.41
6. Celina Li, Cal, 1:55.75*
7. Kelly Naze, Cal,1:55.75*
8. Syndey Pickrem, Texas A&M, 1:55.90

50 FREE

• NCAA Record: Lara Jackson, Arizona, 21.27r
• American Record: Abbey Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic, 21.12
• U.S. Open Record: Abbey Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic, 21.12
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Simone Manuel, Stanford, 21.32

Olivia Smoliga opened Georgia’s 200 free relay with a 21.47 and swam just a tenth slower here in the prelims at 21.48 and just two tenths off Natalie Coughlin’s 2011 Pool Record. After swimming the second fastest 50 free relay split ever, Kelsi Worrell turned in a 21.57 for second seed leaving Zhesi Li, Ohio State’s 200 free relay lead-off (21.77), with the third at 21.63.

Farida Osman of Cal entered the meet with the nation’s fastest at 21.32 set back at Pac-12’s, however, she finished considerably off at 21.77 which was a tad faster than her relay lead-off split of 21.82. She’ll have to advance ahead of Smoliga’s mark tonight in the hyped final for a chance at the title.

Tennessee’s senior lead-off, Faith Johnson, improved upon her split of 22.15 down to 22.05, but Alexandra Deloof of Michigan bested her by .01 for the last spot in the A final.

50 Free A final

1. Olivia Smoliga, Georgia, 21.48
2. Kelsi Worrell, Louisville, 21.57
3. Zhesi Li, Ohio State, 21.63
4. Farida Osman, Cal, 21.77
5. Lia Neal, Stanford, 21.78
6. Beryl Gastaldello, Texas A&M, 21.88
7. Madeline Banic, Tennessee, 21.98
8. Alexandra Deloof, Michigan, 22.04.

400 MEDLEY RELAY

• NCAA Record: Stanford (Ally Howe, Sarah Haase, Janet Hu, Lia Neal), 3:26.25
• American Record: Stanford (Ally Howe, Sarah Haase, Janet Hu, Lia Neal), 3:26.25
• U.S. Open Record: Stanford (Ally Howe, Sarah Haase, Janet Hu, Lia Neal), 3:26.25
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Stanford (Ally Howe, Katie Olsen, Janet Hu, Simone Manuel), 3:26.41

The Louisville ladies busted Virginia’s pool record of 3:28.79 with a 3:28.24 in the second heat of the relays. Thanks to Kelsi Worrell‘s monster 49.25 100 fly split, which stands as the fastest split on record, those ladies placed second to Stanford’s relay. Stanford traded up record-holder members Ally Howe and Lia Neal in favor of Lindsey Engel and Ella Eastin in this morning’s race. Together with Sarah Haase and Janet Hu, the foursome brought Louisville’s pool record down to 3:28.10. Stanford still has the choice to switch up the relay card again in tonight’s race.

Indiana competes tonight in the top-three with the help of Lilly King’s 56.82 100 breast split while USC and Georgia share the time of 3:29.89. Courtney Bartholomew‘s 50.60 100 back split was much appreciated in Virginia’s defeat over the Arizona and Michigan, the last two relays in tonight’s A final.

400 Medley Relay A final

1. Stanford, 3:28.10
2. Louisville, 3:28.24
3. Indiana, 3:29.85
4. USC, 3:29.89*
5. Georgia, 3:29.89*
6. Virginia, 3:30.00
7. Arizona, 3:30.07
8. Missouri, 3:30.55

ONE-METER DIVING

• NCAA Record: Cassidy Krug, Stanford, 361.55
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Samantha Pickens, Arizona, 345.90