Katie Ledecky Swims Second Fastest 1650 in History

NCAA DI editorial coverage is proudly sponsored by Adidas. Visit adidasswimming.com for more information on our sponsor. For all the latest coverage, check out our event coverage page. CLICK FOR FULL RESULTS

There was a lot of hype over how fast Katie Ledecky could go in the 1650 Saturday night. After her stellar 4:24 in the 500 on Thursday night, there was talk Ledecky could break 15 minutes, there were even rumors she could qualify for the men’s NCAA’s with a 14:56. After gunning the first 500 at 4:32, a time that would have placed third in the 500, Ledecky fell off the pace over the back half and slipped to a 15:07.70, still the second fastest 1650 in history.

Leah Smith of Virginia was the only swimmer to not get lapped by Ledecky in the race as she finished second at 15:28.89. Stanford picked up some huge points in that even with freshman Megan Byrnes placing third at 15:50.87 and sophomore Leah Stevens was fourth from the earlier heats at 15:52.36. NC State’s Hannah Moore, Wisconsin’s Danielle Valley, Texas’ Joanna Evans and Auburn’s Ashley Neidigh finished in the top eight.

Watch Leah Smith’s interview after the session

The win gave Stanford its sixth NCAA title in the 1650. Ledecky joins Janet Evans (1991, 1990) and Marybeth Linzmeier (1982-1984) as winners for the Cardinal. Stanford extended its lead over Cal and Texas A&M. Texas is now 10 points ahead of Georgia for fifth.

 Event 15  Women 1650 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 15:03.92  11/20/2016Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Meet: C 15:27.84  3/22/2014 Brittany MacLean, Georgia
     American: A 15:03.92  11/20/2016Katie Ledecky, Stanford
    U.S. Open: O 15:03.92  11/20/2016Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Pool: P 15:45.98            Haley Anderson, Souther Cal
    Name           Year School               Seed     Finals NISCA Points
=========================================================================
  1 Katie Ledecky    FR Stanford         15:03.92   15:07.70C        20  
    r:+0.66  25.24        52.23 (26.99)
        1:19.49 (27.26)     1:47.10 (27.61)
        2:14.50 (27.40)     2:42.06 (27.56)
        3:09.66 (27.60)     3:37.14 (27.48)
        4:04.69 (27.55)     4:32.10 (27.41)
        4:59.35 (27.25)     5:26.59 (27.24)
        5:53.90 (27.31)     6:21.21 (27.31)
        6:48.69 (27.48)     7:16.25 (27.56)
        7:43.82 (27.57)     8:11.32 (27.50)
        8:38.99 (27.67)     9:06.90 (27.91)
        9:34.70 (27.80)    10:02.45 (27.75)
       10:30.62 (28.17)    10:58.72 (28.10)
       11:26.71 (27.99)    11:54.80 (28.09)
       12:22.72 (27.92)    12:50.89 (28.17)
       13:18.63 (27.74)    13:46.45 (27.82)
       14:14.23 (27.78)    14:41.82 (27.59)    15:07.70 (25.88)
  2 Leah Smith       SR Virginia         15:31.49   15:28.89P        17  
    r:+0.73  25.76        53.54 (27.78)
        1:21.56 (28.02)     1:49.81 (28.25)
        2:18.10 (28.29)     2:46.44 (28.34)
        3:14.60 (28.16)     3:42.86 (28.26)
        4:11.04 (28.18)     4:39.31 (28.27)
        5:07.35 (28.04)     5:35.57 (28.22)
        6:03.75 (28.18)     6:32.00 (28.25)
        7:00.38 (28.38)     7:28.83 (28.45)
        7:57.16 (28.33)     8:25.50 (28.34)
        8:53.93 (28.43)     9:22.48 (28.55)
        9:50.91 (28.43)    10:19.32 (28.41)
       10:47.76 (28.44)    11:16.13 (28.37)
       11:44.57 (28.44)    12:13.15 (28.58)
       12:41.68 (28.53)    13:10.31 (28.63)
       13:38.79 (28.48)    14:07.13 (28.34)
       14:35.01 (27.88)    15:02.02 (27.01)    15:28.89 (26.87)
  3 Megan Byrnes     FR Stanford         15:47.62   15:50.87         16  
    r:+0.75  27.27        56.02 (28.75)
        1:24.99 (28.97)     1:54.01 (29.02)
        2:22.98 (28.97)     2:52.13 (29.15)
        3:21.12 (28.99)     3:50.11 (28.99)
        4:19.10 (28.99)     4:48.25 (29.15)
        5:17.22 (28.97)     5:46.10 (28.88)
        6:15.14 (29.04)     6:44.15 (29.01)
        7:13.01 (28.86)     7:41.90 (28.89)
        8:10.97 (29.07)     8:39.68 (28.71)
        9:08.76 (29.08)     9:37.89 (29.13)
       10:06.66 (28.77)    10:35.49 (28.83)
       11:04.42 (28.93)    11:33.14 (28.72)
       12:01.97 (28.83)    12:30.81 (28.84)
       12:59.80 (28.99)    13:28.63 (28.83)
       13:57.42 (28.79)    14:26.27 (28.85)
       14:54.96 (28.69)    15:23.43 (28.47)    15:50.87 (27.44)
  4 Leah Stevens     SO Stanford         15:57.87   15:52.36         15  
    r:+0.66  26.67        55.84 (29.17)
        1:25.44 (29.60)     1:54.92 (29.48)
        2:24.31 (29.39)     2:53.77 (29.46)
        3:23.02 (29.25)     3:52.35 (29.33)
        4:21.70 (29.35)     4:50.83 (29.13)
        5:19.79 (28.96)     5:48.85 (29.06)
        6:17.85 (29.00)     6:46.77 (28.92)
        7:15.63 (28.86)     7:44.66 (29.03)
        8:13.50 (28.84)     8:42.36 (28.86)
        9:11.00 (28.64)     9:39.73 (28.73)
       10:08.31 (28.58)    10:37.22 (28.91)
       11:06.05 (28.83)    11:34.85 (28.80)
       12:03.90 (29.05)    12:32.92 (29.02)
       13:01.61 (28.69)    13:30.22 (28.61)
       13:58.86 (28.64)    14:27.34 (28.48)
       14:55.75 (28.41)    15:23.86 (28.11)    15:52.36 (28.50)
  5 Hannah Moore     JR NC STATE         16:00.23   15:52.75         14  
    r:+0.70  26.59        55.26 (28.67)
        1:24.19 (28.93)     1:53.33 (29.14)
        2:22.43 (29.10)     2:51.55 (29.12)
        3:20.79 (29.24)     3:49.91 (29.12)
        4:19.05 (29.14)     4:48.07 (29.02)
        5:17.12 (29.05)     5:46.14 (29.02)
        6:15.15 (29.01)     6:44.14 (28.99)
        7:13.06 (28.92)     7:42.20 (29.14)
        8:11.27 (29.07)     8:40.33 (29.06)
        9:09.39 (29.06)     9:38.49 (29.10)
       10:07.72 (29.23)    10:36.86 (29.14)
       11:06.00 (29.14)    11:35.10 (29.10)
       12:04.06 (28.96)    12:33.06 (29.00)
       13:02.05 (28.99)    13:30.71 (28.66)
       13:59.64 (28.93)    14:28.50 (28.86)
       14:57.12 (28.62)    15:25.45 (28.33)    15:52.75 (27.30)
  6 Danielle Valley  SR Wisconsin        15:53.16   15:53.22         13  
    r:+0.75  26.88        55.39 (28.51)
        1:24.25 (28.86)     1:52.94 (28.69)
        2:21.91 (28.97)     2:51.16 (29.25)
        3:20.28 (29.12)     3:49.23 (28.95)
        4:18.11 (28.88)     4:46.89 (28.78)
        5:15.88 (28.99)     5:44.95 (29.07)
        6:14.03 (29.08)     6:43.24 (29.21)
        7:12.34 (29.10)     7:41.31 (28.97)
        8:10.44 (29.13)     8:39.54 (29.10)
        9:08.52 (28.98)     9:37.47 (28.95)
       10:06.64 (29.17)    10:35.91 (29.27)
       11:04.95 (29.04)    11:34.27 (29.32)
       12:03.36 (29.09)    12:32.39 (29.03)
       13:01.37 (28.98)    13:30.39 (29.02)
       13:59.32 (28.93)    14:28.41 (29.09)
       14:57.57 (29.16)    15:26.02 (28.45)    15:53.22 (27.20)
  7 Joanna Evans     SO Texas            16:05.11   15:54.46         12  
    r:+0.75  26.34        55.16 (28.82)
        1:24.28 (29.12)     1:53.63 (29.35)
        2:22.85 (29.22)     2:52.21 (29.36)
        3:21.18 (28.97)     3:50.28 (29.10)
        4:19.57 (29.29)     4:48.69 (29.12)
        5:17.49 (28.80)     5:46.88 (29.39)
        6:15.83 (28.95)     6:44.98 (29.15)
        7:14.04 (29.06)     7:43.11 (29.07)
        8:12.06 (28.95)     8:41.03 (28.97)
        9:09.76 (28.73)     9:38.33 (28.57)
       10:06.96 (28.63)    10:35.60 (28.64)
       11:04.17 (28.57)    11:32.84 (28.67)
       12:01.57 (28.73)    12:30.59 (29.02)
       13:00.00 (29.41)    13:29.71 (29.71)
       13:59.29 (29.58)    14:28.30 (29.01)
       14:57.61 (29.31)    15:26.55 (28.94)    15:54.46 (27.91)
  8 Ashley Neidigh   SR Auburn           15:56.95   15:54.88         11  
    r:+0.81  26.91        55.64 (28.73)
        1:24.59 (28.95)     1:53.66 (29.07)
        2:22.68 (29.02)     2:51.52 (28.84)
        3:20.52 (29.00)     3:49.53 (29.01)
        4:18.52 (28.99)     4:47.58 (29.06)
        5:16.49 (28.91)     5:45.58 (29.09)
        6:14.65 (29.07)     6:43.59 (28.94)
        7:12.51 (28.92)     7:41.41 (28.90)
        8:10.24 (28.83)     8:39.17 (28.93)
        9:08.22 (29.05)     9:37.44 (29.22)
       10:06.44 (29.00)    10:35.32 (28.88)
       11:04.49 (29.17)    11:33.60 (29.11)
       12:02.68 (29.08)    12:31.87 (29.19)
       13:00.99 (29.12)    13:30.09 (29.10)
       13:59.07 (28.98)    14:28.13 (29.06)
       14:57.20 (29.07)    15:26.34 (29.14)    15:54.88 (28.54)

Combined Team Scores - Through Event 15                 
 
  1. Stanford                        425.5   2. California                        255
  3. Texas A&M                         209   4. Texas                             180
  5. Georgia                           170   6. Louisville                      141.5
  7. Minnesota                         134   8. NC State                          131
  9. Indiana                           130  10. Michigan                          117
 10. Southern Cali                     117  12. Missouri                          116
 13. Virginia                          105  14. Arizona                          84.5
 15. Wisconsin                          72  16. Kentucky                           61
 17. UNC                                53  18. Ohio St                            52
 19. Auburn                             49  20. UCLA                               36
 21. Miami (Oh)                         29  22. Tennessee                          27
 23. Nevada                             25  24. Florida St                         21
 25. Northwestern                       20  26. Denver                             18
 27. Virginia Tech                      17  28. Umbc (W)                           14
 28. Lsu                                14  30. Iowa                               13
 31. Cincinnati                         12  32. Penn St                            10
 32. Boise St                           10  34. Purdue                              7
 35. Arizona St                          6  36. Miami (Fl)                          5
 36. Air Force (W)                       5  38. Florida Gulf                        4
 38. South Carolina                      4  38. Pittsburgh                          4
 41. Alabama                           3.5  42. San Diego State University          2
 42. Notre Dame                          2  42. Massachusetts                       2
 45. Drexel                              1  45. Rutgers                             1

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

8 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Leslie Cichocki

7 years ago

I see ledecky had 3 50’s at 28 if she kept at 27 consistently she could of went sub 15 minutes.

monty

7 years ago

Reply to Leslie Cichocki

Well if she went 27’s on the28 50’s she would have done around 15;05 or so. It is not so easy to do, much easier to take about sub 15. Basically it is dropping a 1/2 second per 100 for the entire race, and that is a tough go at her speed. I look forward to the day it happens though, bit on each turn could do it. But improving turns is also no easy feat, especially that many..