2017 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 15 – Saturday, March 18
- IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
- Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
- Defending Champion: Georgia (results)
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Event Previews
- Live Stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
- Live Results
It seemed like none of the top-flight talent was quite willing to show their cards this morning in day three prelims of the 2017 Women’s NCAA Championships. It was a relatively quiet session, with no big American, NCAA, or U.S. Open records to speak of. However, those results heighten the intrigue tonight, as we see some of the biggest names in NCAA women’s swimming history take on their signature events.
WOMEN’S 400 IM
Stanford’s defending champion sophomore Ella Eastin swam an easy first half this morning, before kicking it in nearer the end of the race to qualify first in 4:03.47. Expect her to go even faster tonight and chase her teammate Katie Ledecky‘s American record 3:57.6 from Pac-12s last month. With her personal best 3:58.40 from last year’s NCAAs, Eastin is the only swimmer in the field who has broken four minutes.
However, after posting a 4:03 this morning, Texas A&M sophomore Sydney Pickrem will fight break the four minute mark for the first time in her career, along with her teammate Bethany Galat, who finished in 4:04 for fourth this morning.
This could also be the breakthrough swim for Texas’s 200 IM bronze medalist Madisyn Cox, who was third this morning.
Bailey Andison of Denver could also challenge for a medal. This morning she made a huge jump from her 18th seed to qualify fifth.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY
The women’s 100 fly should be one of the tightest races of the weekend. The top eight swimmers came into the meet separated by just .6 seconds, and in prelims, they were separated by just .7 seconds. Even crazier, the top four swimmers were separated by just .06, and the top six were only separated by .4.
Cal’s Noemie Thomas, USC’s Pac-12 champion Louise Hansson, UNC 2016 All-American Hellen Moffitt, and last season’s third-place finisher Farida Osman should battle for the gold.
Texas A&M’s defending runner-up Sarah Gibson and Stanford’s Janet Hu both have potential to upset any of the top four qualifiers, after both putting up 51.09 this morning.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE
In one of the most-anticipated races of the weekend, defending Olympic 200 free champion Katie Ledecky will take on the reigning Pac-12 200 free champion and Olympic 100 free champion Simone Manuel. Last month, both swimmers put up their personal bests, with Manuel taking the conference title in 1:40.37 and Ledecky finishing just behind in 1:40.50. The main battle will be in the middle of the pool.
On either side of the Stanford duo will be Virginian veteran and Rio Olympian Leah Smith and Louisville freshman Mallory Comerford. Comerford put up the fastest split in the entire field in Wednesday’s 800 free relay, a blistering 1:40.21. Meanwhile, Smith is coming off a 500 performance last night that made her the second swimmer in history to break 4:30.
WOMEN’S 100 BREAST
The women’s 100 breast will very likely see an American record out of Indiana’s Olympic champ Lilly King, whose American record swim at Big Tens was nearly a full second ahead of every other swimmer in history.
The race for second will be tight. Freshman upstart Lindsey Horejsi of Minnesota put up a lifetime-best 58.23 this morning to qualify second. But, Florida State’s Natalie Pierce has been improving at an incredible rate, going from missing NCAAs last season to qualifying third this morning with 58.38.
And seniors Kayla Brumbaum of NC State, Laura Simon of Virginia, and Andrea Cottrell were also under 58 this morning, so they all have a chance to surge forward for a medal.
WOMEN’S 100 BACK
The women’s 100 back tonight has the potential to be the fastest 100 back race in NCAA history, as the two 2016 Olympians converge with the fastest swimmer in history tonight in Indy.
Olivia Smoliga went a personal best 50.31 this morning to qualify first, but lurking in the field are two swimmers who have put up the two fastest swims in history in the past month.
Ally Howe (tonight’s fifth qualifier) set a new American record in the 100 back at Pac-12s last month with a blistering 49.69. Then, yesterday, Kathleen Baker put up the second-fastest swim in history to lead off the (later DQed) 400 medley relay with 49.80.
WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY
Texas A&M put up the fastest qualifying time this morning, but NC State and Cal should challenge for the gold. This could be a chance for Cal to regain some much-needed points after their relay DQ last night. Notably, Stanford just squeaked in this morning with eighth. You can see relay line-up speculations here.