2018 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, March 14 – Saturday, March 17
- Swimming: prelims 10am, finals 6pm; Diving: 2pm
- Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
- Defending Champions: Queens (results)
- Psych Sheet
- Video
- Live Results
- Championship Central
Day 3
Women’s 500 Yard Freestyle – Finals
- NCAA DII: 4:39.28 3/11/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
- Meet: 4:39.28 3/11/2016 Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
- Buse Topcu, FR Cal Baptist 4:47.14
- Simone de Rijcke, JR Lindenwood 4:47.88
- Erica Dahlgren, SO Drury University 4:49.82
Drury sophomore Erica Dahlgren, who placed fifth in this event last year, got off to a strong start and led at the 200, followed by West Chester sophomore Georgia Wright. Cal Baptist freshman Buse Topcu pulled even with Dahlgren at the 350, and took over at the 400. Lindenwood junior Simone de Rijcke challenged from lane 3, passing Dahlgren and Wright. De Rijcke closed hard at the end but couldn’t catch Topcu, who won with 4:47.14. De Rijcke finished second in 4:47.88, with Dahlgren rounding out the top 3 at 4:49.82.
The rest of the A final consisted of Laura Forshell of Fresno Pacific (4:50.97), Wright (4:51.09), Nova S’eastern freshman Emma Sundstedt (4:53.29), Francesca Bains of Queens (4:54.24), and Bridgeport senior Annagrazia Bonsanti (4:58.77).
Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke – Finals
- NCAA DII: 52.45 3/14/2014 Mary Hanson, Cal Baptist
- Meet: 52.45 3/14/2014 Mary Hanson, Cal Baptist
- Yekaterina Rudenko, SR Drury University 53.34
- Celina Marquez, SO Oklahoma Baptist 53.37
- Cassandra Wright, FR Sioux Falls 53.44
Oklahoma Baptist sophomore Celina Marquez was dominating the championship final of the 100 back. She was first at the 25 and first at the 50. She maintained her lead at the 75, but Drury senior Yekaterina Rudenko was moving up. Rudenko pushed hard over the final 25 yards and the two came to the wall together in a photo finish. When the waves settled, the victory belonged to Rudenko with 53.34 to Marquez’s 53.37. Sioux Falls freshman Cassandra Wright put up a big challenge at the end, nearly catching the leaders but taking third in 53.44. Wright’s second 50 was 27.10 for a near even-split.
Rachel Helm of Northern Michigan was fourth (54.04), followed by Erin Sullivan of MSU Moorhead (54.38), Oklahoma Baptist junior Suzanne Afchain (54.89), Queens freshman Rachel Massaro (55.33), and LIU Post junior Karis Fuller (55.34).
Women’s 100 Yard Breaststroke – Finals
- NCAA DII: 59.51 3/10/2017 Theresa Michalak, West Florida
- Meet: 59.51 3/10/2017 Theresa Michalak, West Florida
- Bailee Nunn, SO Drury University 59.89
- Zuzanna Chwadeczko, SR Drury University 1:00.58
- Maggie Melhorn, SR Carson-Newman 1:01.14 / Michelle Prayson, JR Queens (NC) 1:01.14
Drury senior Zuzanna Chwadeczko was out quickly, and under record pace at the 50 wall. But it was her teammate, sophomore Bailee Nunn, runner-up in 2017, who came home the fastest. Splitting 27.99/31.90, she outswam Chwadeczko over the last 50 yards by a half-second to get the win in 59.89. Chwadeczko was second in 1:00.58. Maggie Melhorn of Carson-Newman and Michelle Prayson of Queens tied for the bronze with 1:01.14.
Fifth through eighth went to Olga Tovstogan of Fresno Pacific (1:01.58), Nicole Young from Bloomsburg (1:01.91), Fresno Pacific’s Daria Belova (1:02.85), and Truman State freshman Natalie Galluzzo (1:03.32).
Women’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Finals
- NCAA DII: 1:57.62 2/17/2018 McKenzie Stevens, Queens (NC)
- Meet: 1:57.94 3/11/2016 Sofia Petrenko, Wingate
- Mckenzie Stevens, SR Queens (NC) 1:56.89
- Jessie Gibson, SO Simon Fraser 1:57.97
- Sofia Petrenko, SR Cal Baptist 2:00.19
Simon Fraser sophomore Jessie Gibson took it out hard, turning first at the 50 and again at the 100. NCAA Division II record-holder and Queens senior Mckenzie Stevens charged to the front on the third 50, going up by a half body length at the 150 wall. Stevens powered home to a 1:56.89 win for a new NCAA Division II and Championship Record. Gibson finished second in 1:57.97, while Sofia Petrenko, who had set the Meet Record in 2016, went 2:00.19 for third.
Kaleigh Sharkey, a freshman from Simon Fraser touched out Queens sophomore Georgia DaCruz for fourth, 2:01.02 to 2:01.03. Wingate sophomore Charlotte Knippenberg was just behind with 2:01.28. Rounding out the final were Queens junior Josephina Lorda (2:02.55) and Delta State freshman Lucia Martelli (2:02.62).
Women’s 1 Meter Diving – Finals
- NCAA DII: 511.55 3/10/2011 Kayla Kelosky, Clarion
- Meet: 511.55 3/10/2011 Kayla Kelosky, Clarion
- Christina Sather, JR Clarion 482.90
- Mikayla Karasek, SO Grand Valley 461.50
- Britin Thomsen, JR St. Cloud St 446.35
Clarion junior Christina Sather avenged her second-place finish in 2017 with a national title on the 1-meter board a year later. Sather led the field with 482.90 points, finishing 21.4 points ahead of second-place Mikayla Karasek of Grand Valley, who placed fifth last year. St. Cloud State junior Britin Thomsen finished third with 446.35 points, just outscoring Colorado Mesa’s Brittany Dixon (441.90).
Women’s 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Fastest Heat
- NCAA DII: 7:12.96 2/10/2016 Queens (NC) (Castro Ortega, Arakelian, Lorda, Stevens)
- Meet: 7:14.69 3/13/2015 Queens (NC) (Castro Ortega, Gordy, Stevens, Arakelian)
- Wingate 7:17.80
- Lindenwood 7:18.13
- Queens (NC) 7:22.62
Simon Fraser and Tampa were out first, with Queens just behind. Lindenwood and Queens led the field through the second leg, but Wingate, swimming in lane 1, pulled to the front on the third leg. Queens and Wingate led the field, with Tampa and Lindenwood closing. Wingate pulled a body length ahead by the 700 wall, with Lindenwood chasing. Lindenwood passed Queens and began to challenge Wingate. The last 50 yards was a thrilling race to the finish. Wingate successfully defending their 2017 national title, touching first in 7:17.80, with Lindenwood in second at 7:18.13. Queens took third with 7:22.62. Tampa nearly caught Queens, finishing fourth with 7:23.27.
Wingate’s splits were: Hanna Van Horen (1:50.77), Abby Kosic (1:49.75), Maria Madsen (1:49.97), and Alexis Divelbiss (1:47.31). Lindenwood fielded Morgan Fischer (1:50.29), Kamila Kunka (1:50.37), Erin Sutton (1:51.89), and de Rijcke (1:45.58).
After Tampa, it was UC San Diego in fifth (7:24.04), followed by Nova S’eastern (7:24.61), Florida Southern (7:24.81), and Simon Fraser (7:24.96). Colorado Mesa, the top finisher in the morning session, was ninth with 7:26.36.
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 30 1. Queens (Nc) 428.5 2. Drury 300 3. Nova S'Eastern 224 4. Oklahoma Baptist 176 5. Lindenwood 166 6. Fresno Pacific 159 7. Ucsd 146 8. Carson-Newman 134.5 9. Wingate 126 10. Cal Baptist 117 11. West Chester 105 12. Csu East Bay 93 13. Tampa 88 14. Simon Fraser 78 15. Colorado Mesa 71 15. Grand Valley 71 17. Clarion 62 18. Nmu 55 19. Florida Southern 52 20. Indy 41 21. West Florida 38 22. Delta State 36 23. Saint Leo 35 24. Wayne State 34 24. Sioux Falls 34 26. Truman St. 32 27. St. Cloud St.-W 30 28. Msu Mankato 23 29. Ship 20 30. Wscu 18 31. Bridgeport 17 32. Liu Post 15 33. Msu-Moorhead 14 34. Bloomsburg 13 35. Mines 11 36. Iup 10 37. Findlay 8 38. Azusa Pacific 6 39. Bellarmine 4 39. Saginaw Valley 4 41. McKendree 2 42. Umsl 1