WATCH: A. Walsh; K. Douglass Break American & NCAA Records

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

WOMEN 500 YARD FREESTYLE

• 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

Podium:

1. Lia Thomas, 5Y Penn – 4:33.24
2. Emma Weyant, FR Virginia – 4:34.99
3. Erica Sullivan, FR Texas – 4:35.92
4. Brooke Forde, 5Y Stanford – 4:36.18
5. Evie Pfeifer, 5Y Texas – 4:37.29
6. Paige McKenna, FR Wisconsin – 4:37.35
7. Kensey McMahon, SR Alabama – 4:40.06
8. Morgan Tankersley, SR Stanford – 4:40.08

Penn’s Lia Thomas became the first transgender swimmer to ever win an NCAA swimming title. Thomas touched first in a time of 4:33.24.

Virginia’s Emma Weyant was consistent throughout the race as she split a 27 on every 50 except for the first one. Weyant finished second in a time of 4:34.99. That was an improvement of her seed time of 4:37.23.

Texas freshman Erica Sullivan led through the first 250 but fell off the pace slightly. Sullivan ended up third in a time of 4:35.92 which was much faster than her seed time of 4:39.46.

WOMEN 200 YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

• 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

Podium:

1. Alex Walsh, SO Virginia – 1:50.08
2. Torri Huske, FR Stanford – 1:51.81
3. Isabel Ivey, SR Cal – 1:53.02
4. Zoie Hartman, JR Georgia – 1:53.15
5. Kelly Pash, JR Texas – 1:53.31
6. Sally Foley, SO Duke – 1:54.38
7. Abby Hay, JR Louisville – 1:54.93
8. Ella Nelson, JR Virginia – 1:55.01

Defending champion in the event Alex Walsh of Virginia came out flying tonight winning the 200 IM in a time of 1:50.08. That time set a new American Record by over half of a second. Walsh was trailing Stanford’s Torri Huske at the 50 and 100 marks, but used a strong breaststroke split to take the lead from Huske. Walsh’s freestyle split helped her further grow her lead.

Huske, a Stanford freshman, improved upon her seed time of 1:52.42. Her time of 1:51.81 tonight was also a personal best.

WOMEN 50 YARD FREESTYLE

• NCAA Record: 20.87 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2022)
• Meet Record: 20.87 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2022)
• American Record: 20.87 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2022)
• US Open Record: 20.87 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2022)
• Pool Record: 20.87 – Kate Douglass, Virginia (2022)
• 2021 Champion: Kate Douglass, Virginia – 21.13

Podium:

1. Kate Douglass, JR Virginia – 20.84N
2. Gretchen Walsh, FR Virginia – 20.95
3. Maggie MacNeil, SR Michigan – 21.38
4. Morgan Scott, SR Alabama – 21.43
5. Cora Dupre, JR Alabama – 21.47
6. Grace Countie, SR UNC – 21.54
7. Katharine Berkoff, JR NCSU – 21.55
8. Kylee Alons, SR NCSU – 21.68

Kate Douglass re-broke her 50 freestyle American Record which she set in the morning. She swam a time of 20.87 in prelims and a 20.84 in finals. Not far behind her was teammate freshman teammate Gretchen Walsh who placed second in a time of 20.95. That makes Walsh the third women to ever break the 20 second mark in the event.

Coming in third was Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil who was the runner-up in the event last year.

WOMEN 200 YARD FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:24.47 – Virginia/ K Douglass, A Walsh, A Cuomo, G Walsh (2022)
• Meet Record: 1:24.55 – California/ M Murphy, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil (2019)
• American Record: 1:24.47 – Virginia/ K Douglass, A Walsh, A Cuomo, G Walsh (2022)
• US Open Record: 1:24.47 – Virginia/ K Douglass, A Walsh, A Cuomo, G Walsh (2022)
• Pool Record: 1:24.47 – Virginia/ K Douglass, A Walsh, A Cuomo, G Walsh (2022)
• 2021 Champion: Cal – 1:25.78

Podium:

1. Virginia – 1:24.96
2. Alabama – 1:25.47
3. NCSU – 1:26.37
4. Ohio St – 1:26.74
5. Louisville – 1:26.83
6. Stanford – 1:26.90
7. Michigan – 1:27.04
8. Missouri – 1:27.06

The 200 freestyle relay came down to the final 50. Virginia started out with the lead as Kate Douglass swam the fastest leadoff split of 21.06. Alabama challenged the Hoos and ended up taking the lead after the third 50. That lead was not large enough though as Gretchen Walsh charged on the last 50 and used her underwater to have the fastest split of any of the field anchoring. ina 20.58.