2020 NAIA Women’s Nationals: Live Recap Day 4 Finals

2020 NAIA Women’s Swimming & Diving National Championship

• Dates: March 4-7, 2020
• Times: Prelims 9 AM; Finals 5 PM
• Location: Allan Jones Aquatic Center – Knoxville, Tennessee (Central Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: SCAD Savannah (2x) (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results: Available here
• Live Video: Available here
• Championship Central

Day Four

Saturday night heat sheets

Women’s 1650 Yard Freestyle – Fastest Heat, Timed Final

• Meet Record: 16:43.37 Kathryn Rosberg, Simon Fraser 2007

Podium:

1. Karla Islas, Olivet Nazarene 17:19.24
2. Grayson Reynolds, SCAD 17:32.23
3. April O’Gorman, SCAD 17:37.62

Olivet Nazarene sophomore Karla Islas won her second consecutive national title in the 1650 free with 17:19.24, going a tick slower than her winning 17:18.54 from 2019. Islas also won the 400 IM and was runner-up in the 500 free at this championship meet. SCAD’s Grayson Reynolds earned the silver medal from her morning swim, where she dropped 39.5 seconds to post 17:32.23. Reynolds placed 10th last year. Her classmate, junior April O’Gorman, was second to Islas in tonight’s heat but third overall with 17:37.62. O’Gorman was runner-up a year ago.

The rest of the top 8 was made up of Loyola senior Paige Carter (17:40.61, -8 seconds), Soka sophomore Sydney Sansbury (17:46.04, -25.5), Keiser sophomore Stefania Sofoulis (17:46.16 +29.7), SCAD sophomore Abigail Tankersley (17:59.33, -11.8), and Thomas More senior Shelby Miller (18:04.04, +11.2).

Reynolds was the only swimmer from morning heats to score in the top 8; the other seven swam at night.

Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke – Final

• Meet Record: 1:56.87 Amanda Moran, Olivet Nazarene 3/4/2017

Podium:

1. Allie Rassenfoss, SCAD 2:03.25
2. Dóra Reizinger, Life 2:03.78
3. Sydney Darnell, Indiana Wesleyan 2:04.16

SCAD sophomore Allie Rassenfoss, the 2019 runner-up, won her first 200 backstroke title with 2:03.25, a lifetime best and a .43 improvement over last year’s time. Life freshman Dóra Reizinger, who had come in with the top seed time, placed second with 2:03.78. Indiana Wesleyan sophomore Sydney Darnell took third in 2:04.16, 5 seconds faster than she went last year to finish 6th.

Cumberlands freshman Maria Basto (4th with 2:05.45), Keiser senior Meagan Abad (2:06.88 for 5th), Milligan junior Maggie Halloran (6th with 2:08.83), Keiser sophomore Gaja Kristan (7th with 2:06.21) and Loyola New Orleans junior Kamy Alexander (8th with 2:06.59) rounded out the A final.

Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle – Final

• Meet Record: 49.24 Julie Woody, SCAD 3/4/2017

Podium:

1. Mendy De Rooi Cumberlands 50.45
2. Spencer Sheridan, SCAD 50.80
3. Sloan Sizemore, SCAD 51.10

Cumberlands sophomore Mendy De Rooi may have locked up her second consecutive Swimmer of the Meet award. After winning the 500 free on Thursday and the 100 fly on Friday, she added a gold in the 100 free on Saturday to repeat the trifecta from last year’s national championship. This time she went 50.45, exactly 1 second faster than in 2019. SCAD sophomore Spencer Sheridan was runner-up for the second year in a row. She, too, was faster this time with 50.80. Her classmate Sloan Sizemore took third in 51.10. Sizemore was out first, in 23.91 at the 50. Sheridan turned at 24.21, .14 ahead of De Rooi. But the Cumberlands sophomore came home with the quickest second half, going 26.1 to blaze past the two Bees.

Keiser sophomore Emma Sofie Augustsson was 4th with 51.36. she was followed by Lindsey Wilson senior Jessica Macdonald (51.79), Keiser junior Elianna Kennon (51.82), SCAD sophomore Anna Kate McGinty (52.23), and Maya Murphy from College of Idaho (52.55).

Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke – Final

• Meet Record: 2:14.90 Laurette Hakansson, Drury 1993

Podium:

1. Isabella Song, SCAD 2:19.71
2. Payton DeZur, Olivet Nazarene 2:20.18
3. Julia Hnidenko, Cumberlands 2:20.74

SCAD freshman Isabella Song added a second from her prelims time but was able to hold off ONU sophomore Payton DeZur to get the win in the women’s 200 breast with 2:19.71. DeZur, 6th in this event last year, was 4 seconds faster than she had been a year ago with her second-place 2:20.18. Cumberlands junior Julia Hnidenko (2:20.74) scored the bronze medal for the third year in a row. She touched just .20 ahead of SCAD freshman Ali Sippel (2:20.94).

5th through 8th places went to Keiser sophomore Ori Freibach (2:22.49), Asbury junior Hannah Springer (2:23.86), Life freshman Lillian Thurber (2:23.44), and SCAD sophomore Sarah Scargill (2:24.31).

Women’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Final

• Meet Record: 2:00.89 Christine Tixier, BIOLA 3/7/2015

Podium:

1. Lydia Reinhardt, SCAD 2:03.47
2. Anna Herbst, Keiser 2:05.40
3. Thea Brandauer, SCAD 2:05.79

SCAD senior Lydia Reinhardt completed her four-year sweep of the 200 fly with her fastest winning time ever, 2:03.47. In each of the last two years she went 2:04.23; in 2017 as a freshman she won with 2:03.53. Reinhard was out in 57.8 and home in 1:05.6. She had built a two body length lead at the halfway mark and never let up. Her winning time of 2:03.47 was a PB by .01.

Keiser’s Anna Herbst, runner-up also as a freshman last year, went 1.9 seconds faster this time around to finish with 2:05.40. SCAD freshman Thea Brandauer came in third with 2:05.79, lowering her season-best time by a second.

Cumberlands freshman M.E. Smith dropped 1.7 seconds from prelims to come in 4th with a lifetime-best 2:08.45. Fifth place went to Keiser freshman Noelia Garzon (2:08.82), just .34 ahead of SCAD freshman Emily Elz. Keiser’s Anna Lofton touched in 2:09.27 for 7th, while Thomas junior Maggie Davis came in 8th with 2:10.21.

Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Final

• Meet Record: 3:23.11 Oklahoma Baptist University, OBU (L Galarza, E Forbes-Milne, A Antonissen, L Keller 3/7/2015)

Podium:

1. SCAD 3:25.15
2. Keiser 3:27.44
3. Olivet Nazarene 3:30.90

SCAD closed the meet with a decisive victory in the 4×100 free relay. Spencer Sheridan (50.73), Anna Kate McGinty (52.02), Thea Brandauer (51.39), and Sloan Sizemore (51.01) teamed up to go 3:25.15 for the win. The Bees were never seriously challenged after Sheridan’s leadoff. It was the fastest in the field by .33, with 100 free champion Mendy De Rooi going 51.06 for Cumberlands.

Keiser (Karina Braathen 53.00, Elianna Kennon 51.26), Emma Sofie Augustsson 51.10, and Ori Freibach 52.07) clocked a 3:27.44 for second place while Olivet Nazarene (Jordan Engers, Karla Islas, Helina Reyes, and Leanne Latocha) touched third in 3:30.90.

Women’s Team Scores – Day 4

1. SCAD Savannah 767.5
2. Keiser University 624
3. University of the Cumberlands 386
4. Olivet Nazarene University 286
5. Life University 219
6. Indiana Wesleyan University 215
7. Brenau University 186.5
8. Loyola University New Orleans 179
9. Asbury University / The College of Idaho (tie) 126
10. –
11. St Ambrose University 101
12. Lindsey Wilson College 66
13. Soka University 64
14. Bethel University (IN) / College of Saint Mary (tie) 59
15. –
16. Lincoln College 44
17. Arizona Christian University 43
18. Milligan College 40
19. The Master’s University 38
20. Midland University 36
21. Thomas University 26
22. Thomas Moore University / Westmont College (tie) 25
23. –
24. Union College 8
25. Bethel University (TN) / Sterling College (tie) 3