2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships – Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, March 9 – Saturday, March 12, 2022
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
• Times: Prelims 10:00 AM / Finals 6:00 PM
• Defending Champs: Queens women (6x) & Queens men (6x) – (Results)
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Psych Sheet – Women
• SwimSwam Fan Guide – Women
• Thursday Prelims Heat Sheets

Day Two’s morning session will consist of heats of the women’s 100 fly, 400 IM, and 200 free, followed by prelims of 3-meter diving. West Chester’s Ann Carozza leads the field in the fly with a seed time of 52.67. Four more swimmers come in with sub-54s: Cece Mayer of Queens (53.05), Luna Mertins of Lynn (53.45), and Nova S’eastern’s Celina Marquez (53.58) and Aleksandra Maslova (53.85).

In the 400 IM, both Lily Borgenheimer of Colorado Mesa and Nova S’eastern’s May Lowy are entered with 4:15.57. Nova’s Savanna Best ranks third with 4:15.85, while Indy’s Marizel Van Jaarsveld and Andrea Gomez are seeded fourth and fifth with 4:16s. Jaarsveld won the 200 IM on Wednesday night. Defending champion Bec Cross of Drury is seventh with 4:18.50. She had an unfortunate DQd in the A final of the 200 IM on Wednesday.

Monica Gumina, the runner-up in the 50 free on Wednesday, leads the 200 free qualifiers by more than 2 seconds with 1:47.03. The next ten entrants are all seeded with 1:49s, from Colorado Mesa’s Lauren White (1:49.18) and Indy’s Krystal Caylor (1:49.21) to Danielle Melilli of Queens (1:49.99), who, incidentally, broke the NCAA Division II record in the 50 free Wednesday night.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 52.16 – Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)
• Meet Record: 52.16 – Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)
• 2021 Champion: Lucia Martelli, Delta State – 53.03

Finals qualifiers:

1. Ann Carozza, West Chester – 52.06N
2. Luna Mertins, Lynn – 52.78
3. Cece Mayer, Queens (NC) – 52.98
4. Celina Marquez, Nova S’eastern – 53.38
5. Paige Mikesell, IUP – 53.87
6. Lucia Martelli, Delta State – 54.01
7. Ester Rizzetto, West Florida – 54.17
8. Isabelle Sering, Saint Leo – 54.19
9. Kaleigh Sharkey, Simon Fraser – 54.27
10. Aleksandra Maslova, Nova S’eastern – 54.31
11. Celeste Turner, Delta State – 54.41
12. Rafaela Raurich, Drury – 54.65
13. Mellie Wijk, Drury – 54.68
14. Kayla Tennant, Queens (NC) – 54.76
15. Manon Compagner, Carson-Newman – 54.82
16. Natalie Van Noy SR Queens (NC) – 54.98

Drury freshman Mellie Wijk crushed the first heat, dropping 1.1 seconds to win with 54.68. Meritxell Font-Cantarero of Northern Michigan edged MSU Mankato’s Kate Flynn, 55.56 to 55.96, in heat 2.

Luna Mertins of Lynn won heat 3 by a full body length, taking .7 off her seed time to notch a 52.78. West Florida’s Ester Rizzetto out-touched Saint Leo’s Isabelle Sering, 54.17 to 54.19, for second place. Kaleigh Sharkey of Simon Fraser was just behind with 54.27.

Cece Mayer of Queens dominated heat 4, winning in 52.98. IUP’s Paige Mikesell (53.87), who was runner-up last year, came in second ahead of Nova S’eastern’s Aleksandra Maslova (54.31) and Delta State’s Celeste Turner (54.41).

Ann Carozza of West Chester took .61 off her seed time for the fastest 100 fly in Division II history, 52.06. She came to the wall more than a body length ahead of Nova S’eastern’s Celina Marquez (53.38), defending champion Lucia Martelli of Delta State (54.01), and Drury’s Rafaela Raurich (54.65).

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 4:08.56 – Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC) (2016)
• Meet Record: 4:08.56 – Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC) (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Bec Cross, Drury – 4:14.19

Finals qualifiers:

1. Marizel Van Jaarsveld, Indy – 4:18.55
2. May Lowy, Nova S’eastern – 4:19.28
3. Bec Dross, Drury – 4:19.46
4. Andrea Gomez, Indy – 4:19.70
5. Savanna Best, Nova S’eastern – 4:20.74
6. Lyssa Wood, Lindenwood – 4:29.97
7. Lily Borgenheimer, Colorado Mesa – 4:21.25
8. Kennedy Loewen, Simon Fraser – 4:21.79
9. Tova Andersson, Queens – 4:21.81
10. Cecilie Jensen, Carson-Newman – 4:22.65
11. Savannah Brennan, Florida Tech – 4:23.25
12. Mia Leech, Queens – 4:23.41
13. Claire Conover, Drury – 4:23.42
14. Heidi Billings, Northern Michigan – 4:24.15
15. Katie McCoy, Indy – 4:24.17
16. Emma Bjoerenholdt, Saint Leo – 4:24.30

Mia Leech of Queens swam an eye-popping 4:23.91 in heat 1, dropping 6.5 seconds for the win. Carson-Newman’s Cecilie Jensen went 5 seconds better than her seed time in the following heat to take over the lead with 4:22.65. Wingate’s Lily Sanocki was second in the heat with 4:25.86.

Saint Leo’s Emma Bjoernholdt got the heat 3 win from way out in lane 1; she improved by 2.1 seconds to notch a 4:24.30. Behind her were Luisa Machado of Drury (4:25.05) and Hallie Dixon of McKendree (4:26.18).

Savannah Best of Nova S’eastern came back on the breaststroke leg to take the lead and eventually win heat 4. Her time of 4:20.74 was 5.1 seconds off her entry time but good enough to land in the A final for tonight. Lyssa Wood of Lindenwood almost caught Best on the freestyle leg; she finished second with 4:20.97, taking 3.2 seconds off her entry time. Simon Fraser’s Kennedy Loewen touched third from lane 1, edging Queens’ Tova Andersson, 4:21.79 to 4:21.81. That .02 was the difference between the A final and the B final.

Andrea Gomez of Indy had the early lead in heat 5, setting the pace on the fly and back legs. She hung in there on the breast, with the field closing in on her. Nova S’eastern’s May Lowy pulled slightly ahead on the freestyle but Gomez never let up. The two battled all the way home, with Lowy getting the edge, 4:19.28 to 4:19.70. Augustana’s Taylor Beagle came in third from lane 8 with 4:24.48.

Last night’s 200 IM champion, Marizel Van Jaarsveld of Indy, won the final heat with 4:18.55. Colorado Mesa’s Lily Borgenheimer, who came in with the top D2 time of the season, was in seventh place after the backstroke. She powered to third on the breast, catching everyone but Van Jaarsveld and Drury’s Bec Cross. Borgenheimer and Cross battled the first 50 of the freestyle but Cross powered home to take second in the heat with 4:19.46. Borgenheimer wound up third with 4:21.25.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 1:44.44 – Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC) (2016)
• Meet Record: 1:45.27 – Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC) (2015)
• 2021 Champion: Paige Mikesell, IUP – 1:48.36

Finals qualifiers:

1. Monica Gumina, Queens (NC) – 1:47.00
2. Krystal Caylor, Indy – 1:48.95
3. Tori Meklensek, Simon Fraser – 1:49.62
4. Beatriz Olivieri, SR Rollins – 1:49.79
5. Montana White, Azusa Pacific – 1:49.81
6. Kate Agger, Wingate – 1:49.84
7. Kelsea Wright, Colorado Mesa – 1:49.91
8. Danielle Melilli, Queens (NC) – 1:49.95
9. Keeley Durkin, West Chester – 1:50.02
10. Jordan Fox, Wayne State – 1:50.08
11. Beata Maruszczyk, Lindenwood – 1:50.15
12. Giulia Grasso, Queens (NC) – 1:50.19
13. Lauren White, Colorado Mesa – 1:50.31
14. Mikayla Niness, West Chester – 1:50.38
15. Caroline Lawrence, Queens (NC) – 1:50.49
16. Silvija Taraska, Gannon – 1:50.66

Yasmin Preusse of Drury opened the heats of 200 frees with a winning 1:53.38 in heat 1. Tampa’s Megan Goldthorpe went 1:51.76 to take heat 2 ahead of Lucie Andrews of Wingate (1:51.78) and Anna De Boer of Queens (1:52.59).

Tori Meklensek of Simon Fraser was out like a shot in heat 3. She was up by more than a body length by the 150 and wound up winning the heat by 2.1 seconds with 1:49.62. Drury’s Marina Amorim was second win 1:51.71.

Joselle Mensah of Linwood jumped out to the early lead from lane 8, leading by three-tenths at the 50. On the other side of the pool, Kate Agger of Wingate took over at the 100 and held the lead from then onward. She finished first with 1:49.84. Mensah held onto second place, fending off a strong challenge from Jazzy Hoffmann of Florida Southern. Mensah touched second in the heat with 1:50.86; Hoffmann went 1:51.07 for third.

Krystal Caylor of Indy pulled off a wire-to-wire win in heat 5. She was up by half a body length already at the 50 wall. While the field closed a little, she always remained just out of reach. Caylor won the heat with 1:48.95, followed by Colorado Mesa’s Kelsea Wright (1:49.91), Wayne State’s Jordan Fox (1:50.08), and Lindenwood’s Beata Maruszczyk (1:50.15).

Danielle Melilli of Queens, who broke the D2 record in the 50 free last night, edged teammate Giulia Grasso, 1:49.95 to 1:50.19, for the heat 6 win. Colorado Mesa’s Lauren White was third with 1:50.31.

Monica Gumina, who came into the meet with the fastest seed time by over 2 seconds, crushed the final heat, lowering her entry time by .03 to go 1:47.00. Beatriz Olivieri of Rollins (1:49.79), Montana White from Azusa Pacific (1:49.81), and West Chester’s Keely Durkin (1:50.02) came to the wall behind her in quick succession.

Women’s 3-Meter Diving – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 555.70 – Elizabeth Rawlings, Wayne State (2015)
• Meet Record: 555.70 – Elizabeth Rawlings, Wayne State (2015)
• 2021 Champion: Graycn Segard, Grand Valley – 487.15

Finals qualifiers:

1. Madison Brinkman, St Cloud St – 455.30
2. Kelsey DeJesus, West Florida – 449.65
3. Gracyn Segard, Grand Valley – 432.55
4. Daniela Reyes, West Florida – 424.70
5. Mikaela Starr, Indy – 424.10
6. Kamila Podsiadlo, Indy – 421.05
7. Regan Gubera, McKendree – 414.50
8. Jolynn Harris, Colorado Mesa – 403.90
9. Kyra Apodaca, Colorado Mesa – 401.50
10. Ali Lange, Colorado Mesa – 399.70
11. Mikaela Senkus, Wayne State – 397.30
12. Elizabeth Caird, Saginaw – 394.50
13. Alexa Gonczi, Clarion – 388.40
14. Amy Crayne, Azusa Pacific – 387.15
15. Melia Stout, Azusa Pacific – 384.25
16. Alexis Lumaj, Indy – 377.00