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): Swimming / Diving
- Thursday morning heat sheets
After an exciting evening of relays last night, Virginia leads the team standings with 74 points. Texas (58), Cal (56), Stanford (54), and Louisville (46) round out the top five. We begin individual events today with heats of the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free, followed by prelims of one-meter diving.
All eyes will be on the middle of the pool in the 500 free, where Penn’s Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who has attracted international attention, is seeded first with 4:34.06. It’s a loaded field, though, and she will have plenty of competition from Arizona State’s Emma Nordin (4:34.87), Tennessee freshman Julia Mrozinski (4:35.95), 2021 bronze medalist Brooke Forde of Stanford (4:36.96), and freshman Emma Weyant of Virginia (4:37.23).
Alex Walsh of Virginia brings the leading time in the 200 IM (1:52.38); she won this event last year as a freshman by 1.5 seconds ahead of Georgia’s Zoie Hartman, who is seeded fifth (1:53.79). Between them are freshmen Torri Huske of Stanford (1:52.42) and Ellen Walshe of Tennessee (1:52.97) and Cal senior Isabel Ivey (1:53.54).
Virginia junior Kate Douglass and her teammate, freshman Gretchen Walsh, top the field in the 50 free with 21.00 and 21.04, respectively. They are both faster than Douglass’ winning time last year, when she edged Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil, 21.13 to 21.17, for the national title. MacNeil is the third seed this year with 21.32. It is not inconceivable that one among this trio breaks Abbey Weitzeil’s NCAA and American record of 20.90 from 2019. The top 11 seeds are all entered with sub-21.8s
Women 500 Yard Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 4:24.06 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- Meet Record: 4:24.06 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- American Record: 4:24.06 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- US Open Record: 4:24.06 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- Pool Record: 4:30.81 – Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
- 2021 Champion: Paige Madden, Virginia – 4:33.61
Finals qualifiers:
- Lia Thomas, 5Y, Penn – 4:33.82
- Erica Sullivan, FR, Texas – 4:36.79
- Emma Weyant, FR, Virginia – 4:37.25
- Paige McKenna, FR, Wisconsin – 4:37.36
- Evie Pfeifer, 5Y, Texas – 4:37.39
- Brooke Forde, 5Y, Stanford – 4:38.19
- Morgan Tankersley, SR, Stanford – 4:38.65
- Kensey McMahon, SR, Alabama – 4:38.76
- Tylor Mathieu, JR, Florida – 4:39.07
- Julia Mrozinski, FR, Tennessee – 4:39.60
- Madelyn Donohoe, JR, Virginia – 4:39.61
- Dune Coetzee, FR, Georgia – 4:40.24
- Abigail McCulloh, FR, Georgia – 4:40.58
- (tie) Lola Mull, SO, Northwestern / Erica Laning, 5Y, ASU – 4:40.70
- –
- Emma Nordin, 5Y, ASU – 4:40.78
Florida freshman Anna Auld won the opening heat in 4:44.37, taking 1.1 seconds off her seed time. Heat 2 featured a thrilling finish, as Luciana Thomas of Notre Dame just barely held off Tennessee freshman Summer Smith to win, 4:44:32 to 4:44.34. Thomas had been battling NC State’s Brooke Travis for most of the race but Smith moved from third place to second, then sprinted home over the final 50 yards to come within .02 of winning the heat.
Heat 3 went to Stanford freshman Aurora Roghair in 4:42.01, an improvement of 1.6 seconds over her seed time. Autumn Haebig of Nebraska edged Cal junior Rachel Klinker (4:43.46 to 4:43.53) for second place.
For the first 300 yards of heat 4, it was a four-person synchronized swim through the middle lanes of the pool. At the 350, Virginia Tech teammates Chase Travis and Reka Gyorgy pulled away, while Wisconsin freshman Abby Carlson, out in lane 1, went with them. Gyorgy surged ahead of Travis over the final 100 yards to win the heat in 4:41.06. Travis (4:42.36) finished well in front of Carlson (4:43.20).
Virginia junior Madelyn Donohoe was the first to break 4:40 with her dominant heat 5 win. Donohoe finished more than a body length ahead with 4:39.61 for a 1.9-second improvement over her entry time. Behind her, Indiana freshman Mariah Denigan and Tennessee sophomore Aly Breslin tied for second place with 4:42.58.
The first circle-seeded heat was somewhat even through the halfway point, when Tennessee freshman Julia Mrozinski and Wisconsin freshman Paige McKenna separated themselves from the pack. Over then next 100 yards, McKenna moved out front by a body length, while Morgan Tankersley of Stanford and Florida junior Tylor Mathieu moved into second place. McKenna stopped the clock at 4:37.86, while Tankersley and Mathieu touched in 4:38.65 and 4:39.07, respectively.
Texas freshman Erica Sullivan shot out to an early lead in the penultimate heat, swimming out in lane 2. She flipped at 2:15.49 at the halfway point, a body length ahead of Virginia freshman Emma Weyant. Weyant and Evie Pfeifer of Texas made up much of the deficit over the next 200 yards. Sullivan got the bell at 4:8.94, now just .7 ahead of Weyant. It was a sprint over the final 50 yards, where the finish order was Sullivan 4:36.79, Weyant 4:37.25, Pfefier 4:37.39.
Penn’s Lia Thomas won the final heat in a dominant 4:33.82. Swimming next to her in lane 5, Stanford’s Brooke Forde stayed within half a body length through the first 200 yards. From the 250 mark onward, Thomas began to increase her lead, outsplitting Forde by about .5 per 50. Thomas came to the wall 4.3 seconds ahead of Forde, who finished second in 4:38.19. Alabama’s Kensey McMahon was third in 4:38.76.
Number 2 seed Emma Nordin of Arizona State, #3 Julia Mrozinski of Tennessee, and last year’s B-final winner, Kristen Stege, had tough mornings; Mrozinski was 10th, Nordin 16th, and Stege did not make it back to finals.
Women 200 Yard Individual Medley – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 1:50.67 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
- Meet Record: 1:50.67 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
- American Record: 1:50.67 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
- US Open Record: 1:50.67 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
- Pool Record: 1:51.65 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2016)
- 2021 Champion: Alex Walsh, Virginia – 1:51.87
Finals qualifiers:
- Alex Walsh, SO, Virginia – 1:53.00
- Torri Huske, FR, Stanford – 154.05
- Kelly Pash, JR, Texas – 1:54.18
- Abby Hay, JR, Louisville – 1:54.33
- Ella Nelson, JR, Virginia – 1:54.48
- Isabel Ivey, SR, Cal – 1:54.49
- Zoie Hartman, JR, Georgia – 1:54.50
- Sally Foley, SO, Duke – 1:54.57
- Leah Polonsky, FR, Cal – 1:54.77
- Phoebe Bacon, SO, Wisconsin – 1:55.04
- Mackenzie Looze, SR, Indiana / Lauren Poole, JR, Kentucky – 1:55.42
- –
- Kristen Romano, 5Y, Ohio State – 1:55.47
- Bailey Bonnett, 5Y, Kentucky – 1:55.49
- Ellen Walshe, FR, Tennessee – 1:55.63
- Abby Harter, SO, Virginia – 1:55.90
Florida State freshman Edith Jernstedt kicked off heats of the 200 IM with 1:59.03. She was followed in heat 2 by Villanova senior Kelly Montesi in lane 1, who won with 1:58.98.
Louisville freshman Rye Ulett was first to the wall in heat 3, clocking a 1:56.88 to beat her seed time by 1.6 seconds. Harvard’s Felicia Pasadyn was second in 1:57.36, half a second ahead of Oakland’s Susan Lagrand (1:57.84). Josie Panitz of Ohio State was a DNS in heat 4. Dakota Luther of Georgia won in 1:55.67, touching nearly two bodies ahead of teammate Callie Dickinson (1:57.50) and Kathleen Golding of Florida (1:57.66).
Kentucky fifth-year Bailey Bonnett brought the outside smoke from lane 1 to win heat 5 in 1:55.49. Auburn sophomore Meghan Lee edged Virginia freshman Ella Bathurst, 1:56.72 to 1:56.82, for second place. In heat 6, Isabelle Stadden of Cal (1:56.61) won a narrow victory over Michigan senior Victoria Kwan (1:56.88).
Kentucky’s Lauren Poole took .8 off her seed time to win heat 7 in 1:55.42. Teammate Sophie Sorenson just touched out Cal’s Alicia Wilson, who had made a strong charge over the second half of the race, 1:56.15 to 1:56.18.
Louisville’s Abby Hay produced the first sub-1:55, winning the first circle-seeded heat in 1:54.33. Behind her was Cal freshman Leah Polonsky (1:54.77). Mackenzie Looze of Indiana finished third with 1:55.42.
Stanford freshman Torri Huske won the next heat with 1:54.05. After a big first-half lead, she narrowly beat Texas junior Kelly Pash (1:54.18) at the end. Virginia junior Ella Nelson (1:54.48) came to the wall .02 ahead of Georgia senior Zoie Hartman (1:54.50) for third.
Defending champion Alex Walsh of Virginia clocked a 1:53.00 to win the final heat, a full body length ahead of Cal’s Isabel Ivey (1:54.49). Duke’s Sally Foley (1:54.47) was third.
Women 50 Yard Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- Meet Record: 21.02 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- American Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- US Open Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- Pool Record: 21.00 – Katherine Douglass, Virginia (2022)
Finals qualifiers:
- Kate Douglass, JR, Virginia – 20.87N
- Gretchen Walsh, FR, Virginia – 21.09
- Cora Dupre, JR, Alabama – 21.47
- Grace Countie, SR, UNC – 21.53
- Maggie MacNeil, SR, Michigan – 21.53
- Katharine Berkoff, JR, NC State – 21.56
- Kylee Alons, SR, NC State – 21.62
- Morgan Scott, SR, Alabama – 21.72
- Lexi Cuomo, JR, Virginia – 21.80
- Gabi Albiero, SO, Louisville – 21.81
- Claire Grover, SR, UCLA / AJ Kutsch, JR, Tennessee – 21.82
- –
- Amy Fulmer, JR, Ohio St – 21.88
- Kalia Antoniou, SR, Alabama – 21.90
- Iszac Henig, JR, Yale – 21.94
- Megan Keil, SR, Missouri – 21.99
Florida State junior Tania Quagliere went exactly her seed time to win heat 1 in 22.72. Ohio State freshman Nyah Funderburke was victorious in heat 2 with 22.40, touching out Virginia senior Alexis Wenger by .03.
Paulina Nogaj of Akron went 22.32 to win heat 3 by .03 over Klara Thormalm of San Diego State. Mona McSherry of Tennessee claimed the heat 4 win in 22.01. Ohio State’s Emily Crane was a DNS in the neighboring lane. On the other side, Christiana Regenauer of Louisville came in second with 22.15. Stanford’s Emma Wheal prevailed in heat 5 with 22.12. Ekaterina Nikonova of Florida was next in 22.21, while Auburn freshman Lexie Mulvihill was third in 22.35.
UCLA’s Claire Grover was the first to crack 22 seconds; she won heat 6 from the outside lane in 21.82. Coming to the wall just behind her were Northwestern senior Maddie Smith (22.11) and Anna Miller from Missouri State (22.18).
Lane 1 proved to be useful for Alabama junior Cora Dupre in the next heat, too. She dropped half a second from her seed time to win in 21.47 ahead of Michigan senior Maggie MacNeil (21.53) and NC State Kylee Alons (21.62).
Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh clocked a 21.09 for a wire-to-wire win heat 8. She finished half a body length ahead of Alabama’s Kalia Antoniou (21.72) and Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer (21.88). Stanford’s Anya Goeders was disqualified in that heat.
Virginia junior and defending champion Kate Douglass broke the American, U.S. Open, NCAA, meet, and pool records in the final heat with 20.87. Douglass was already half a body length up on the field before she even took her first stroke. Placing second was North Carolina senior Grace Countie (21.53), NC State’s Katharine Berkoff (21.56), and Louisville sophomore Gabi Albiero (21.60).
Women 1–Meter Diving – Prelims
- Meet Record: 363.20 – Sarah Bacon, Minnesota (2019)
- Pool Record: 381.65 – Abby Johnson, Duke (2011)
Finals qualifiers:
- Delaney Schnell, JR, Arizona – 334.10
- Sarah Bacon, SR, Minnesota – 329.85
- Aran Vasquez Montano, SO, UNC – 327.85
- Hailey Hernandez, FR, Texas – 316.20
- Tarrin Gilliland, SO, Indiana – 314.00
- Maha Amer, JR, Florida – 313.90
- Margo O’Meara, FR, Duke – 312.95
- Mia Vallee, JR, Miami (Florida) – 309.75
- Brooke Schultz, SR, South Carolina – 307.60
- Kyndal Knight, SR, Kentucky – 302.20
- Emma Gullstrand, SO, Miami (Florida) – 300.65
- Kristen Hayden, SR, Indiana – 299.75
- Paola Pineda, SR, Texas – 297.05
- Kelly Straub, SR, Notre Dame – 294.55
- Anne Fowler, SO, Indiana – 294.15
- Montserrat Lavenant, SO, LSU – 291.30
Just curious if anyone knows… how many biological female swimmers have transitioned to male and are competing at a high level against biological males?
Agree or don’t agree, this is an historic NCAA’s. Could set the precedent for the future.
Who got 17th in the 500? That’s the woman I sympathize with.
What about #9 whose chance at an NCAA championship, podium and/or All American are denied? So very sad for Women’s sports
This person is scandalized that there are winners and losers in a sporting competition?
There’s a few other people that have posted the 9th and 17th place swimmer’s names, and how their “heart goes out” to them. I was very close to replying, “you’ve already forgotten their names” earlier, but felt like it was just being petty.
But hey, you didn’t even bother to look ’em up, so. Dunno how much you really care.
I would guess the OP sympathizes with whichever swimmers were in 9th or 17th, regardless of their names.
I sympathize with every single biological female competing in this event. I don’t think even 2nd place is much of a consolation under the circumstances. Not fair.
I agree. Female swimmers who have worked their hardest and given up everything deserve something more. It’s really not fair.
The conclusion that I have reached on the Lia Thomas situation is that, because I am neither Trans nor an elite female athlete, my voice is just not one of the one that matters on the issue.
I am gutted for female athletes who feel like the playing field is not level.
And I would hate for trans athletes to be summarily excluded from competition.
I just do not know where the solution lies, but it does admittedly feel fairly strange that Lia is so competitive after not having been so through much of her age group swimming career.
Let’s make it about the science and not the particular athlete. Everyone competing followed the eligibility rules. If those rules need to be reevaluated for next year, that should be done by scientific experts in this field. No one should be harassed for following the rules that were laid out to them.
Thomas may not have been an NCAA scorer the first 3 years of Thomas’ college swim career, but the times Thomas posted were very very good – that’s probably part of what makes this situation so difficult. If Thomas had been a 4:50 500 swimmer this current drama never would have arisen. It’s a bit unfair to shine hate on Thomas because the rules (and science behind those rules) may be poorly thought out. Let’s just enjoy the fast swimming at this meet by all the good swimmers and give the attention to all the outstanding performances and the swimmers who deserve to be applauded.
If Thomas had been a 4:50 500 swimmer, it might be different, since that’s not a crazy fast time for a woman. However, she could’ve been good at any other given thing if not the 500, such as the 200 fly or 400 IM, or one of the sprints (50 free, and 100s). And even then if she wasn’t “good”, per say, at any of those, she’d still likely be top or close to the top in those events because of her biological advantage.
How do you not be competitive in your swimming career and swim on a NCAA D1 team? Before transitioning Lia was on the Men’s team.
Also like NCAA bubble swimmer, that is really really good! You are literally elite if you are around the NCAA cutline.
We are parsing the word “competitive”, which I meant in a comparative context. Of course Lia was/is an elite swimmer with tons of natural ability and hard work. I simply meant that she was not routinely competing for NCAA championships or spots on National Teams.
Exactly how I feel and I think that’s okay
If the rules stated that I could use an outboard motor stuck to my rear, but nobody else could, giving me an unfair advantage, I would have the class to not compete. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean that you should. I think that in competing with such an unfair advantage, Lia is showing a complete lack of class.
If you can’t compete in your biological classification and are so inclined to identify as something else at least allow the use of Testosterone guidelines developed by WADA and/or USADA otherwise this is a three ringed circus.
The correct take right here
That may seem relatively straightforward but the problem is that elite cis-women athletes MAY have endogenous testosterone levels above a recommended cut-off. For example, in a study of 676 Olympic-level elite athletes by sex and sport, 3 female swimmers had testosterone levels significantly above 10 nmol/l, levels that were comparable to those of male swimmers. If 10 nmol/l is the recommended cut-off, then these three cis-women could not compete. Guide for charts: Category 4 is swimming, second chart is women, first chart is men.
https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/testosterone-levels-elite-athletes
I don’t think trans athletes should be banned from competition, but I do believe that biological advantages should be taken into consideration when a biological male enters female competition. It’s a fact: men have bigger muscles and larger lung capacity than women.
Some probably think that a separate league for trans people is the answer, but I personally see that as segregation. I have come up with men’s competition being “open”.
5Y really making an impact. Feel for the loss of 2020 NCAAs but would be a totally different meet if you take out 5Ys.
Nordin doesn’t exactly seem to taper very well. A month before Olympic Trials, she went a massive 4:04.60 to out touch Leah Amith at the Indy Pro Swim stop in May of 2021. She swam a 1:57.6/4:04.6/8:27/16:01 there and was seemingly going to make a huge splash at trials. A month later, she was out fast in the 400, but really lost a lot of ground after the 200 mark, missing the team in 5th. She was out of semi’s in the 200, and missed finals in the 800. Her times were 2:00.8/4:08.4/8:39, well off form. Mid-season this year, she was 1:43.7/4:34.8/9:30/15:47, and was seemingly going to be in contention for a title. She was 8th in the 500 at… Read more »
I means Leah Smith whoops
I think it may be from over-training but that could be another answer
But in previous years she swam fast at Pac-12s. I think she might have gotten an injury/illness that we don’t know of this year
What was Goeders dq’d for
UVA making a big statement this morning. Texas hitting their mark as well.
Any LTB by Texas women?
Pash 200IM. Sullivan and Pfeifer might have more in the tank tonight.
Pash in the 200 IM by a second and Sticklen just a couple hundredths off, but pretty much everybody went big season bests so far (especially the D squad)
A third of their swimmers swimming today got LTB. Hook ‘Em!