NCAA Conference Roundup 4/12 – 4/18: 7 Swimmers Go Under 2021 NCAA Invite Times

Last week, the men’s and women’s A-10, men’s and women’s Summit League, men’s and women’s Pacific Collegiate, women’s MVC, and Women’s MAC conference championships were held. Typically, these meets would be held in February, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects the ability of student athletes to train and compete, many NCAA DI conferences chose to push their championships back.

One downside to the conference meets being pushed back by 2 months is that they took place after NCAAs. This year, in particular, several swimmers from these conferences could have earned invites to NCAAs if the conference meets had been held beforehand, or if NCAAs had been pushed back. In all, 7 swimmers from last weekend’s conference meets swam under the invite times from this year. 3 of the swimmers – Sarah Watson (Akron), Daisy Platts (Bowling Green), and Toni Naccarella (Buffalo) did compete at NCAAs, and Watson even made a B final. Importantly, Watson and Platts swam season bests in their NCAA-qualifying events last weekend, while Naccarella was right on her 100 free season best.

Swims that were under invite times for NCAAs:

WOMEN

MEN

6 different teams had swimmers under the NCAA invite times last weekend. Missouri State was the only team to have 2 swimmers beat an invite time, while Missouri State, Miami (OH), and Akron all had 3 swims under invite times.

In case you missed some or all of our coverage from these championships, here is a brief summary of the highlights from each meet:

2021 WOMEN’S MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 15-17, 2021
• Jones Natatorium, Ypsilanti, MI
• SCY (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Defending champions: Akron (7x)
• 2020 Results
• Live Results (Also available on MeetMobile)
• Full Meet Results

Final Team Scores 

1. Buffalo – 773
2. Akron – 766
3. Miami (OH) – 436.5
4. Ohio – 390
5. Ball State – 320
6. Eastern Michigan – 305
7. Toledo – 262
8. Bowling Green – 252.5

2021 MAC Awards

MAC Outstanding Senior: Brittney Beetcher, Buffalo
MAC Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Nicole Maier, Miami
MAC Freshman Diver of the Year: Louise Bradley, Buffalo
MAC Diver of the Year: Bethany Berger, Eastern Michigan
MAC Swimmer of the Year: Sarah Watson, Akron
MAC Diving Coach of the Year: Russ Dekker, Buffalo and Buck Smith, Eastern Michigan
MAC Swimming Coach of the Year: Andy Bashor, Buffalo

Buffalo snapped a 7-year win streak by Akron, stopping the Zips from becoming the first team in MAC women’s swimming & diving history to win 8-straight championships. The meet was tight the entire way through, and ultimately came down to the last event: the 400 free relay. Buffalo and Akron were locked in a tough fight through the majority of the relay, but Buffalo pulled away when junior Toni Naccarella dove in for the anchor. Naccarella’s relay legs were huge for Buffalo throughout the meet, and were pivotal in Buffalo winning 4 of 5 relays, upsetting Akron in many of them.

There were MAC Records broken left and right last weekend. Miami freshman Nicole Maier emerged as a massive force within the conference. Maier opened up her meet with a jaw-dropping 4:39.96 500 free, absolutely shattering the MAC Record. That swim would have earned Maier a 7th-place finish at NCAAs last month. She went on to break the MAC Record in the 400 IM as well, swimming a 4:11.30. Akron’s Sarah Watson, who competed at the NCAA Championships, broke the MAC Records in the 200 IM (1:56.42) and 200 fly (1:55.98). Bowling Green junior Daisy Platts, also an NCAA invited swimmer, broke conference records in the 100 back (52.39) and 200 back (1:53.67).

2021 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 14-17, 2021
• Dr. Edward J. Shea Natatorium, Carbondale, IL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Live Results on MeetMobile
• Full Meet Results

FINAL TEAM SCORES 

1. Missouri State – 929.50
2. Southern Illinois – 548.50
3. Indiana State – 475.50
4. Illinois State – 444
5. UNI – 344
6. Evansville – 328.50
7. Little Rock – 318
8. Valparaiso – 117

MVC Awards

• Swimmer of the Year: Anna Miller, MSU
• Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Mima Zaborska, SIU
• Swimming Coach of the Year: Dave Collins, MSU
• Diver of the Year: Caroline Lecoeur, ILS
• Freshman Diver of the Year: Ally Brown, SIU
• Diving Coach of the Year: Jim Huelskamp, MSU

Missouri State won their 5th-straight MVC title this past weekend, and won this meet by the largest margin in school history. Missouri State head coach Dave Collins was awarded MVC Swimming Coach of the Year for the 2nd-year in a row for his team’s efforts. The Bears also won the Diving Coach of the Year award, with Jim Huelskamp earning those honors.

MSU senior Anna Miller won Swimmer of the Year thanks to her 3-win performance, complete with 3 MVC Records. Miller took the 50 free (22.29), 100 free (48.66), and 100 fly (53.62), posting the fastest times in conference history in each event. Another MSU senior, Liberty Howell, also won 3 events. Howell won the 200 free in 1:46.72, setting a new MVC Record. She also took the 500 free (4:44.47) and 1650 free (16:43.08). Howell made conference and Missouri State history, becoming the first MVC swimmer to win 12 individual event titles in her career, and the first MVC swimmer to sweep 3 events at MVCs during their career.

The Missouri Valley Conference’s excellent freshmen class was also on full display. Southern Illinois freshman Miroslava Zabroska won the 200 IM, 100 breast, and 200 breast, winning Freshman Swimmer of the Year for her performances. Northern Iowa freshman Amber Finke won the 200 back title.

2021 ATLANTIC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 14-17, 2021 (Diving April 15-16 @ George Mason)
• Geneva, OH (SPIRE Institute)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Live Stream (ESPN+)
• Complete Results

Women’s Team Scores

1. University of Richmond – 687.5
2. Duquesne University – 539
3. Davidson College – 515
4. George Washington University – 438
5. University of Massachusetts – 352
6. George Mason University – 317
7. La Salle University – 254.5
8. St Bonaventure University – 215
9. Saint Louis University  – 206
10. University of Rhode Island – 113

Men’s Team Scores

1. George Washington University – 828.5
2. George Mason University – 564
3. Davidson College – 503.5
4. University of Massachusetts – 468.5
5. St Bonaventure University – 457
6. La Salle University – 339
7. Saint Louis University – 208.5

The Richmond women’s team won it’s 16th total A-10 team title, and their first since 2017 this past weekend. They did so by a considerable margin as well, besting runner-up Duquesne by almost 150 points. Interestingly, Richmond didn’t win an event until the final day of the meet, where they ended up winning 3.

George Washington won their 4th-straight men’s A-10 title, winning by a convincing 262-point margin. The Colonials also won 14 event titles at the meet, winning nearly every event. George Washington freshman Karol Mlynarczyk won 3 events at the meet, and won Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet for his efforts. Mlynarczyk also had the top performance of the meet, swimming a 46.03 100 backstroke, which would have qualified him for Men’s NCAAs this year.

https://twitter.com/GWSwimDive/status/1383215186077642761?s=20

2021 SUMMIT LEAGUE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 15 – April 17, 2021
• Hulbert Aquatic Center
• West Fargo, North Dakota
• Short Course Yard (SCY)
• Results

Final Team Standings

Men

1. South Dakota – 915.5
2. South Dakota State – 827.5
3. Denver – 575.50
4. Eastern Illinois – 447
5. Valparaiso – 405.50

Women

1. Denver – 1,052.50
2. South Dakota State – 703.50
3. South Dakota – 663
4. Omaha – 548
5. Eastern Illinois – 324

The South Dakota men’s team bested the 7-time Summit League champions, Denver, while the Denver women won their 8th-straight title.

Denver’s Mads Rishoj picked up 2 individual wins this year, taking the men’s 500 free (4:26.86) and 1650 free (15:29.53). Ines Marin, another Denver swimmer, picked up 2 titles as well. Marin won the women’s 100 fly (55.58) and 200 free (1:49.47).

2021 PCSC SWIM & DIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, April 14 – Friday, April 16, 2021
• William Woolet Jr. Aquatics Center
• Irvine, California
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Championships Site
• Results Available On Meet Mobile Under “2021 PCSC Swim  and Dive Championships”
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap

Final Team Scores

Women

1. Biola University – 1494 University
2. Pepperdine University – 1490 Points
3. Loyola Marymount University – 831.50 Points
4. Concordia University – 819 Points
5. Azusa Pacific University – 807 Points
6. University of California, Santa Cruz – 582 Points
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks – 373 Points
8. Westmount College – 373 Points
9. Fresno Pacific University – 364.50 Points
10. Arizona Christian University – 286.50 Points
11. The Master’s University – 237.50 Points
12. Simpson University – 37 Points

Men

1. Biola University – 957 Points
2. Concordia University – 618 Points
3. Fresno Pacific University – 529 Points
4. Simpson University – 342 Points
5. University of California, Santa Cruz – 330 Points
6. Arizona Christian University – 171.50 Points
7. The Master’s University

Biola University took both the men’s and women’s titles this year, squeaking the women’s title out over Pepperdine, and dominating in the men’s meet. Pepperdine’s Emily Morton won 3 golds at the meet, taking the women’s 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 backstroke. Pepperdine set a new team record in the 400 free relay at the very end of the meet, but Biola finished to high up and finished 4 points ahead of Pepperdine.

Biola’s Patrick Waggoner also took 3 events. Waggoner won the men’s 200 IM, 200 free, and 200 fly this year, leading a 1-2-3-4 Biola charge in the 200 fly.