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The LSU Women Haven’t Sent a Relay to NCAAs Since 2016; This Year, They’ll Send All 5

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 9

February 15th, 2023 College, News, SEC

2023 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The LSU women’s swimming & diving team, having not qualified a relay for the NCAA Championships since 2016, have officially booked their tickets for all five relays for the 2023 championship.

The Tigers added their 4th and 5th NCAA relays on Wednesday evening to open the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships. First, the team of Maggie MacNeil (with the fastest 50 backstroke split in history), Hannah WomerHannah Bellina, and Miaela De Villiers combined for a 1:36.59 in the 200 medley relay. That lowered their season-best of 1:37.78 and got them under the 1:37.02 NCAA “B” standard. That team placed 8th.

Later in the evening, the team’s 800 free relay of Katarina MilutinovichMegan BarnesReagan Osborne, and Chloe Cheng combined for a 7:02.12. That was a drop of almost nine seconds from their seed time of 7:10.98 (which was actually an add-up time of the four swimmers’ individual season-bests).

Combined with their 200 free relay “A” cut 1:27.63 from the Art Adamson Invitational, their 3:33.47 “B” cut in the 400 medley relay from the same meet, and their 3:13.93 “A” cut from the team’s January dual meet against Texas A&M, the Tigers now have the right to take all five relays to the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.

For second-year head coach Rick Bishop, that immediate shift in results is something to hang his hat on when recruits come calling.

Of course, bringing his former Michigan protegé Maggie MacNeil, one of the top five swimmers in the NCAA, along with him, helps a lot. She has raced on four of those qualifying relays.

But that’s not the whole story. The 800 free relay broke the LSU Record without MacNeil: the old record was a 7:04.77 from 2016, the last year they sent relays to the NCAA Championships – and that old record was a very good relay for the Tigers.

Here’s a wild stat: the 7:02.12 that they swam is faster than the add-up of the school’s four best flat starts in program history – a list that includes former US National Team member Amanda Kendall.

The Tigers will probably need a few more tenths in that 800 free relay to score at NCAAs (it took 7:01.71 last year), but their other relays are all in scoring position headed toward March.

The team’s next challenge will be to get a few of those swimmers individual invites: they are allowed up to four uninvited relay swimmers who didn’t qualify as individuals, but will need more than that to put their best relays forward next month.

The 2022 Women’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships will run from March 15-18 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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dscott
1 year ago

Braden —

How about a little review primer on the relay selection; how is the A relay cut/B relay cut selection system implemented across those events; I know you keep up on this process better than just about any of us, so maybe you can help resolve our confusion. I’m sure I’m not alone in my state of confusion.

I know the criterion is different for relays than individual events and has changed over time; I even remember, though not understanding it then or now, when a team made the automatic relay standard but was not invited because they did not have an individual invited athlete on the relay.

Yet you state with confidence (and I’m sure somehow… Read more »

dscott
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

Helpful. Thanks.

Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Didn’t y’all set an over/under for MacNeil LSU team records when she first transferred?

I have done no research into the predictions or what records she has now, but I assume it hit the over.

waterwalker
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

From my calculations, she’s at 7.
100bk, 100fly, 100fr, 50fr, 4×50 medley, 4x50fr, 4x100fr. (With 4x100med still to come)

Additionally with the fastest 50bk in history and 2nd fastest 50fr split all time.

Meow
1 year ago

So much for Maggie having a lighter schedule at NCs.

ACC fan
1 year ago

Duh. Maggie pulls them all in.

swimMom101
1 year ago

Geaux Tigers!

chickenlamp
1 year ago

and now a SEC relay win!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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