2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 20-23, 2024
- Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Pre-Scratch Psych Sheets
After swimming the 200 IM, 200 fly, and 200 back at SECs, Florida freshman Bella Sims has opted for the 500 free, 200 free, and 200 back at NCAAs.
Unlike SECs, which has a five-day format, the NCAA Championships have a four-day meet format. This causes the event lineup to change and different events to overlap. SECs have the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke on different days while NCAAs includes both events on the final day of competition. Although not impossible, it is a difficult double. Notably, Regan Smith competed the double at 2022 NCAAs as she won the 200 back and finished tied for 2nd in the 200 fly.
Sims is the top seed in all three events at NCAAs. She is the top seed in the 500 free with a 4:32.53 from midseason and her personal best stands at a 4:28.64 from December 2022. Sims opted for the 500 free over the 200 IM on day 2. Sims would have been the #2 seed in the 200 IM as she swam a personal best time of a 1:51.86 to win the SEC title. Alex Walsh of Virginia is the top seed in the 200 IM with a 1:51.76 from ACCs.
Notably, Florida teammate Isabel Ivey is entered in the 200 IM at NCAAs as the #2 seed behind Walsh. Ivey finished behind Sims in the event at SECs touching in a 1:52.50.
Although Sims did not swim the top time in the NCAA this season in the 200 free, Sims is the top seed in the event as Gretchen Walsh of Virginia opted for the 100 fly on the third day of competition. Sims is entered with a 1:40.90 and has been as fast as 1:40.78 in her career. She is the only swimmer entered under the 1:41 mark. Walsh notably had the NCAA leading time of a 1:40.23 which she swam to lead off Virginia’s 800 free relay at ACCs.
Sims will take on the 200 backstroke on the final day in Athens, Georgia. She is one of three swimmers who have been under the 1:50 mark this season as she swam a 1:49.04 at SECs. She selected the 200 back over 200 butterfly. If she had been entered in the 200 fly, she would have been the #3 seed, behind Emma Sticklen and Kelly Pash of Texas.
Florida notably has no one seeded in the top 16 of the 200 butterfly while Catie Choate is the #8 seed in the 200 backstroke and will look to make the ‘A’ final alongside Sims.
Go Bella -Enjoy the meet and swim fast.
she knows that Alex has her number in those events. 500 is a guaranteed win for her.
Alex only went .10 faster than Bell in the 200 IM. I guess we could say the same about Gretchen dodging the 200 free and going for the most guaranteed win in the 100 fly.
I don’t think the 5 is a given for her
This isn’t really a surprise. These are her 3 best chances to win. She isn’t beating Walsh in the IMs or Fly.
I said that I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t go much faster in her primary events this year. Not because she isn’t good or UF isn’t good, but if you look at the history of the top HS females especially those that come from high volume programs, many struggle to improve once they get to college. I’m not sure if it’s a new program, getting older, or just that it’s hard to get much faster when you already have NCAA winning times a HS swimmer.
I don’t know why people think Bella couldn’t win in the 400 IM, her best time is actually better (3:56). Bella would be the favorite, if not a toss up, there’s no certainty that Alex would win
If you extrapolate Bella’s 200 IM improvement to the 400 IM, Alex Walsh would have to be ready to break Ella Eastin’s NCAA record to beat her. That’s the thing though – she didn’t really have autonomy over what she swam before, but she’s far more useful to UF in shorter events. With Weyant in the shape of her life, Julie Brousseau (she is going to be every bit as good as Leah Hayes if not better) and Sofia Plaza coming, Zoe Dixon dropping three seconds already to go 4:03 this year, Lilla Bognar coming in two years, and continued improvements by the second rung, she may never have to swim a 400 IM again.
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There is a typo in the first sentence. It currently says “ Bella Sims has opted for the 500 free, 200 free, and 200 fly at NCAAs.”
Though in the title and body its the 200 back as her third event. Not a big deal =], just calling it out for ya.
Could this be a preview of her Olympic Trial events? 400 free and 200 back?
I can see her making the team in the 400 fr but not 200 bk. They so seem like her most likely events though, along with 200fr
I don’t know where 200 back falls in the schedule – I think it’s towards the end? So she might add it on, but she’s 100% swimming the 100 free at trials.
The relay potential is just too much to pass up.
Also, the female 2back may be america’s most stacked event. They have consistently left a worlds/olympics finalist at home for finishing third.
Until she drops a 2:07 200 back, there’s no way she makes the team in that this year.