The final day of Georgia’s Last Chance meet saw a number of new NCAA bids improved or cemented, most notably Western Kentucky’s Nadine Laemmler.
The sophomore dropped almost one full second, rocketing from 1:54.80 (45th in the NCAA and well out of invite range) to 1:53.91 (28th and well within it).
Laemmler had spent most of the meet so far trying to help Western Kentucky’s medley relays get their A cuts, something the team wasn’t able to do despite multiple tries in the 200 medley and once in the 400.
That 200 back was a big event for potential NCAA qualifiers. Also improving their standing on the final day:
- Alabama junior Emma Saunders went 1:54.05 to move to 30th in the NCAA. She also broke the Alabama school record. That’s the second Crimson Tide team record to go down at this meet, after freshman Mia Nonnenberg broke the 400 IM record on day 1.
- Tennessee’s Anna DeMonte went 1:54.37 in prelims, which slots her in at 37th, right on the bubble. Last year, 39 swimmers were invited in most events.
- UNC’s Megan Bestor his a season-best, though she’s a ways out of an invite at 43rd. But she’s probably already into the meet with her last-chance 100 back from day 1.
Despite the medley relays not making the cut, it was a good weekend for WKU, which also got a new NCAA qualifying swim from Susan Marquess in the 200 fly. Marquess went 1:55.76, which shoots all the way to 19th nationally. She was right on the bubble for an invite before this meet.
Other notable swims:
- North Carolina’s Katie Munch dropped to 2:10.90 in the 200 breast and now sits 31st. Her previous season-best had her way back in the 50s.
- Tennessee’s Mary Griffith will be right around the bubble after leading the prelims of the 200 fly with a 1:56.79. That time sits 36th in the NCAA.
- Probably just outside the cutoff line is Duke freshman Isa Paez, though she did hit a season-best 1:56.92 in finals of the 200 fly.
- On the men’s side, Georgia’s Mick Litherland jumped up to 24th with a 1:43.68 in a 200 fly time trial. The top 29 men in most events were invited last year, but the Pac-12 is still to swim this week, which could bump Litherland back down towards the bubble.