2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 16-19, 2022
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
• Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video (ESPN3)
• Saturday evening heat sheets

Stanford freshman Regan Smith will attempt to win the brutal 200 back/200 fly double tonight. She is seeded first in the back and third in the fly. Isabelle Stadden of Cal and Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin will challenge her in the back; top-seeded Emma Sticklen of Texas and Georgia’s Dakota Luther will be the ones to beat in the fly.

The 100 free will be Gretchen Walsh of Virginia versus NC State’s Katharine Berkoff, Round 2. The pair raced a thrilling 100 back final last night, with Berkoff winding up with the win and the American and NCAA record.

Virginia junior Kate Douglass is top seed in the 200 breast. She’ll have Texas sophomore Anna Elendt and defending champion Sophie Hansson of NC State on either side of her.

Texas freshman Erica Sullivan swam the time to beat in earlier heats of the 1650 free, going 15:45.94.

Women 1650 Yard Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• Meet Record: 15:07.70 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• American Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• US Open Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• Pool Record: 15:32.72 – Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Paige Madden, Virginia – 15:41.86

Podium:

1. Paige McKenna, FR Wisconsin – 15:40.84
2. Erica Sullivan, FR Texas – 15:45.94
3. Kensey McMahon, SR Alabama – 15:47.60
4. Evie Pfeifer, 5Y Texas – 15:48.34
5. Abigail McCulloh, FR Georgia – 15:49.87
6. Madelyn Donohoe, JR Virginia – 15:55.14
7. Lola Mull, Northwestern – 15:55.96
8. Kristen Stege, JR Tennessee – 15:59.49

Tennessee junior Kristen Stege led by about half a body at the 200, while Liberty Williams of Louisville, Wisconsin freshman Paige McKenna, and Alabama senior Kensey McMahon swam in an even row behind her. At the 350, McMahon pulled slightly ahead, and at the 400 she flipped first ahead of Stege. At the 500, it was McMahon, McKenna, Stege.

McMahon continued to lead out of lane 1, with McKenna just behind. McKenna took over at the 650. By the 700, she was half a body in front, 6:35.20 to 6:36.05. Stege was alone in third place, about a body ahead of USC freshman Caroline Pennington.

At the 900, McKenna was 8:00.17 to McMahon’s 8:02.95. Stege was a couple of meters back but still holding off Pennington, both splitting 29.3s.

McKenna was holding 28.5s, pulling further ahead of McMahon, who was doing 29.1s. At the 1150, Abigail McCulloh of Georgia took over third place from lane 8.

McKenna continued to outpace Sullivan from the earlier heat, flipping at 12:16.43 at the 1300. She got the bell at 15:11.61, followed by McMahon in lane 1 and McCulloh in lane 8. McKenna stopped the clock at 15:40.84 for Wisconsin’s first title of the meet. She eclipsed Sullivan’s 15:45.95 by just over 5 seconds.

Second place went to McMahon in 15:47.60. McCulloh placed third in 15:49.87. Northwestern’s Lola Mull was fourth (15:55.96).

Women 200 Yard Backstroke – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
• Meet Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
• American Record: 1:47.16 – Regan Smith, Riptide (2019)
• US Open Record: 1:47.16 – Regan Smith, Riptide (2019)
• Pool Record: 1:49.22 – Regan Smith, Stanford (2022)
• 2021 Champion: Phoebe Bacon, Wisconsin – 1:48.32

Podium:

1. Regan Smith, FR Stanford – 1:47.76P
2. Phoebe Bacon, SO Wisconsin – 1:49.29
3. Rhyan White, SR Alabama – 1:49.36
4. Isabelle Stadden, SO California – 1:49.45
5. Reilly Tiltmann, FR Virginia – 1:49.63
6. Emma Atkinson, SO VT – 1:49.86
7. Emma Muzzy, SR NCSU – 1:51.18
8. Lucie Nordmann, JR Stanford – 1:52.28

Alabama senior Rhyan White shot out of the gates, getting an early lead at the 50 turn. She continued to pace the field at the 100, followed by Cal sophomore Isabelle Stadden, Virginia Tech sophomore Emma Atkinson, and Stanford freshman Regan Smith in fourth.

White was still in front at the 150 wall, but Smith had moved past Stadden and Atkinson into second place and was closing in on White. Smith came home in 28.25 and hit the wall at 1:47.76 to break the pool record for the second time of the day.

Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin slipped past White into second place and finished with 1:49.29 to White’s 1:49.36. Stadden was just behind with 1:49.45 and Virginia freshman Reilly Tiltmann finished fifth with 1:49.63. Atkinson went 1:49.63 for sixth.

Stanford junior Taylor Ruck won the B final in 1:50.25 ahead of NC State fifth-year Kate Moore (1:51.61).

Women 100 Yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA Record: 45.56 – Simone Manuel, Stanford (2017)
• Meet Record: 45.56 – Simone Manuel, Stanford (2017)
• American Record: 45.56 – Simone Manuel, Stanford (2017)
• US Open Record: 45.56 – Simone Manuel, Stanford (2017)
• Pool Record: 46.70 – Olivia Smoliga, Georgia (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Maggie MacNeil, Michigan – 46.02

Podium:

1. Gretchen Walsh, FR Virginia – 46.05
2. Morgan Scott, SR Alabama – 46.78
3. Katharine Berkoff, JR NC State – 46.95
4. Cora Dupre, JR Alabama – 47.08
5. Iszac Henig, JR Yale / Gabi Albiero, SO Louisville – 47.32
6. –
7. Grace Countie, SR North Carolina – 47.36
8. Lia Thomas, 5Y Penn – 48.18

Gretchen Walsh won her first NCAA title with a new pool record of 46.05, becoming the #4 performer of all time in the 100 free. It was Alabama senior Morgan Scott who got out the fastest; she led at the 25 and 50 walls, flipping in 22.08 at the halfway point. Walsh was .02 behind, with NC State junior Katharine Berkoff running third with 22.41.

Walsh went into the 75 wall first and came home in 23.95 to win by half a body length ahead of Scott (46.78). Berkoff held at third, clocking a 46.95. Cora Dupre of Alabama was fourth with 47.08. There was a tie for fifth place, as Yale’s Iszac Henig and Louisville’s Gabi Albiero both stopped the clock at 47.32.

North Carolina’s Grace Countie (47.36) and Lia Thomas of Penn (48.18) rounded out the final.

Stanford’s Torri Huske won the B final in 46.98.

Women 200 Yard Breaststroke – Finals

• NCAA Record: 2:02.60 – Lilly King, Indiana (2018)
• Meet Record: 2:02.60 – Lilly King, Indiana (2018)
• American Record: 2:02.60 – Lilly King, Indiana (2018)
• US Open Record: 2:02.60 – Lilly King, Indiana (2018)
• Pool Record: 2:03.02 – Alexandra Walsh, Virginia (2022)
• 2021 Champion: Sophie Hansson, NC State – 2:03.86

Podium:

1. Kate Douglass, JR Virginia – 2:02.19N
2. Anna Elendt, SO Texas – 2:04.31
3. Sophie Hansson, SR NC State – 2:04.76
4. Ella Nelson, JR Virginia – 2:05.51
5. Gillian Davey, JR Kentucky – 2:06.03
6. Avery Wiseman, FR Alabama – 2:06.57
7. Brooke Forde, 5Y Stanford – 2:06.98
8. Anna Keating, SO Virginia – 2:07.10

Virginia junior Kate Douglass broke her third American record of the weekend with a 2:02.19 in the 200 breast. She took down the 50 free record on Thursday and the 100 fly mark on Saturday.

Texas sophomore Anna Elendt turned first at the 50 wall, going 27.65 ahead of Douglass’s 27.84. Douglass was in front at the 100, though, out-splitting Elendt by nearly three-tenths on the second 50 to turn at 58.98. Douglass proceeded to split a 31.5 and a 31.6 to take .41 off Lilly King’s American and NCAA record from 2018.

Defending champion Sophie Hansson of NC State ran in third place the entire race, finishing with 2:04.76, just behind Elendt’s 2:04.31.

Virginia’s Ella Nelson moved from fifth to fourth place over the final 50 yards and finished with 2:05.51.

Women 200 Yard Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:49.51 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• Meet Record: 1:50.01 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• American Record: 1:49.51 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• US Open Record: 1:49.51 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• Pool Record: 1:50.61 – Kelsi Worrell, Louisville (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Olivia Carter, Michigan – 1:51.33

Podium:

1. Alex Walsh, SO Virginia – 1:50.79
2. Regan Smith, FR Stanford / Olivia Carter, SR Michigan – 1:51.19
3. –
4. Dakota Luther, SR Georgia – 1:51.80
5. Kelly Pash, JR Texas – 1:52.01
6. Rachel Klinker, JR Cal – 1:52.19
7. Emma Sticklen, SO Texas – 1:52.22
8. Olivia Bray, SO Texas – 1:52.31

In one of the most exciting races of the weekend, Virginia sophomore Alex Walsh won the 200 fly in 1:50.79. Texas sophomore Olivia Bray established the pace on the first 50, flipping in 24.36 to lead Walsh by .16. Walsh took over at the 100 with 52.28. Bray was in second place (52.50) and defending champion Olivia Carter of Michigan was third (52.97). Stanford’s Regan Smith was in eighth place (54.14).

Walsh increased her lead at the 150 wall, turning at 1:21.05 with Carter just off her shoulder at 1:21.33. Bray, in third place, was beginning to fade; her third 50 (29.2) was the slowest in the field.

Smith was still in eighth place.

Over the next 50 yards, while all eyes were on Walsh and Carter (would Carter catch Walsh?), Smith began to pick off her competitors one by one. She came home in 28.65, fully 1.1 seconds faster than Walsh. While she ran out of pool to catch Walsh, she managed to get her hands to the wall exactly at the same time as Carter, tying for second place with 1:51.19.

Georgia’s Dakota Luther, last year’s third-place finisher, was fourth with 1:51.80. Kelly Pash of Texas went 1:52.01 for fifth, edging Cal’s Rachel Klinker by .18. Klinker’s 1:52.19 puts her third on the Cal all-time list, one ahead of Dana Vollmer.

Texas went 7-8 with Emma Sticklen and Bray.

Women Platform Diving – Finals

• Meet Record: 396.75 – Haley Ishimatsu, USC (2013)
• Pool Record: 360.30 – Yu Zhou, MINN (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Tarrin Gilliland, Indiana – 338.40

Podium:

1. Tarrin Gilliland, SO Indiana – 372.95
2. Delaney Schnell, JR Arizona – 345.10
3. Jordan Skilken, JR Texas – 315.45
4. Janie Boyle, JR Texas – 290.90
5. Maggie Merriman, SR Purdue – 286.20
6. Nike Agundiade, JR USC – 278.35
7. Abigail Knapton, SR Rutgers – 272.35
8. Paola Pineda, SR Texas – 267.05

Defending champion Tarrin Gilliland of Indiana captured the platform diving title with 372.95 points, averaging 74.59 points per round. That is 34.55 points more than she scored last year. Arizona’s Delaney Schnell was runner-up for the second year in a row; this year amassed a total of 345.10 points.

Jordan Skilken of Texas, tenth last year, finished third after having placed sixth in prelims. Texas went 3-4-8 to score 42 points to pass Stanford in the team standings. The Longhorns are now in second place headed into the timed finals of the 400 free relay.

Women 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:06.96 – California/ I Ivey, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil (2019)
• Meet Record: 3:06.96 – California/ I Ivey, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil (2019)
• American Record: 3:07.61 – Stanford/ S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal (2017)
• US Open Record: 3:07.41 – California/ R Nuemann, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil (2019)
• Pool Record: 3:08.22 – Virginia/ K Douglass, A Walsh, R Tiltmann, G Walsh (2022)

Podium:

1. Virginia – 3:06.91
2. Stanford – 3:08.97
3. Alabama – 3:09.07
4. Michigan / NC State – 3:09.95
5. –
6. Louisville – 3:10.69
7. Florida – 3:11.07
8. Ohio State – 3:11.44

Virginia capped the meet with another American, U.S. Open and NCAA record, this time in the 400 free relay. Kate Douglass led off with 46.62, followed by Alex Walsh (46.49), Reilly Tiltmann (47.79), and Gretchen Walsh (46.01). The Cavs led wire-to-wire. Stanford was in second place over the first 100 yards after a 46.82 leadoff from Torri Huske. NC State took over second place at the 150 wall and held on through the 200, thanks to a 47.93 from Kylee Alons. Stanford moved back ahead of the Wolfpack at the 250, but Michigan’s 46.80 from Maggie MacNeil put them into second place at the 300. Alabama overtook Michigan on the next 50, but Stanford passed the Tide over the last 50 yards to finish second in 3:08.97. Alabama got third with 3:09.07. Michigan and NC State tied for fourth with 3:09.95.

In the previous heat, Florida edged Texas, 3:11.07 to 3:11.71, in a very spirited race. Texas was racing for a second-place overall team finish, and all they had to do was place no lower than third place in the heat to assure their runner-up status in the standings. The Longhorns managed that feat, and passed Stanford by 6.5 points.

Final Team Scores

1. Virginia – 551.5
2. Texas – 406
3. Stanford – 399.5
4. Alabama – 288
5. NC State – 279
6. Louisville – 196.5
7. Michigan – 184.5
8. California – 180
9. Ohio St – 165
10. Tennessee – 127
11. Indiana – 116
12. Kentucky – 115.5
13. Florida – 115
14. UNC – 109
15. Georgia – 104.5
16. Southern California – 102
17. Wisconsin – 100
18. Northwestern – 73
19. Arizona – 52.5
20. Penn – 44.5
21. Minnesota – 43
22. Miami (Florida) – 41.5
23. Virginia Tech – 37
24. Duke – 36
25. Missouri – 34
26. Arizona St – 29
27. Rutgers – 18
28. Arkansas – 15
29. Yale – 14.5
30. Purdue – 14
31. South Carolina – 9
32. Lsu – 8
33. Notre Dame – 6
34. (tie) Wyoming / UCLA – 4
35. –
36. Florida Int’l – 3
37. (tie) San Diego St / Harvard – 2
38. –
39. Texas A&M – 1