The 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships continue with the first preliminary session of the meet.
The events on tap for the morning are prelims for the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free and 1-meter diving. Relays are all timed finals and will take place during the finals sessions.
Virginia leads the meet after winning the 800 free relay on opening night of the NCAA Championships.
NCAA Championships: 50 Free
The top time in NCAA history was Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil, who went a 20.90 in 2019. She is the only woman to break 21 seconds in the event. That was during a midseason invite. Weitzeil also won the even tin 2019 in 21.02. Prior to Weitzeil, Simone Manuel won the event three of her four seasons and had a best time of 21.17, just behind Erika Brown (21.03) for third place all time. Her last title was a leading 11th all time for Stanford.
Virginia’s Kate Douglass matched the fifth-fastest time in history to earn the top seed in the event. Douglass touched in 21.21, which broke Manuel’s pool record and tied Olivia Smoliga for fifth-fastest in history.
The Cavaliers have taken the top seed in each event Thursday.
NC State’s Kylee Alons took the second seed in 21.50, just ahead of Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil (21.58).
Missouri’s Sarah Thompson took the fourth seed in 21.61, ahead of Alabama’s Kalia Antoniou (21.73).
Rounding out the NCAA finals were North Carolina’s Grace Countie (21.92), NC State’s Katharine Berkoff (21.98) and Northwestern’s Maddie Smith (22.03).
Event 5 Women 50 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA: N 20.90 12/5/2019 Abbey Weitzeil, California
Meet: M 21.02 3/21/2019 Abbey Weitzeil, California
American: A 20.90 12/5/2019 Abbey Weitzeil, California
US Open: O 20.90 12/5/2019 Abbey Weitzeil, California
Pool: P 21.21 3/18/2021 Kate Douglass, Virginia
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Douglass, Kate SO Virginia 21.42 21.21P
r:+0.71 10.31 21.21 (10.90)
2 Alons, Kylee JR NC State 21.70 21.50
r:+0.63 10.35 21.50 (11.15)
3 MacNeil, Maggie JR Michigan 21.44 21.58
r:+0.65 10.75 21.58 (10.83)
4 Thompson, Sarah SR Missouri 21.57 21.61
r:+0.68 10.41 21.61 (11.20)
5 Antoniou, Kalia JR Alabama 21.69 21.73
r:+0.70 10.72 21.73 (11.01)
6 Countie, Grace JR UNC 22.08 21.92
r:+0.72 10.65 21.92 (11.27)
7 Berkoff, Katharine SO NC State 21.84 21.98
r:+0.69 10.74 21.98 (11.24)
8 Smith, Maddie SR Northwestern 21.94 22.03
r:+0.59 10.58 22.03 (11.45)
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9 Dobler, Kaitlyn FR USC 22.24 22.11
r:+0.62 10.67 22.11 (11.44)
10 Keil, Megan JR Missouri 21.83 22.14
r:+0.64 10.82 22.14 (11.32)
11 Wheal, Emma SO Stanford 22.12 22.15
r:+0.71 10.63 22.15 (11.52)
12 Parker, Maxine FR Georgia 21.93 22.17
r:+0.73 10.90 22.17 (11.27)
13 Gantriis, Emily FR California 22.14 22.18
r:+0.65 10.71 22.18 (11.47)
14 Petrak, Taylor SR Ohio St 22.04 22.22
r:+0.66 10.65 22.22 (11.57)
14 Mack, Katie SO Florida 21.82 22.22
r:+0.67 10.76 22.22 (11.46)
14 Albiero, Gabi FR Louisville 22.03 22.22
r:+0.63 10.76 22.22 (11.46)
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17 Turak, Ashley SO Indiana 21.99 22.23
r:+0.67 10.87 22.23 (11.36)
18 Scott, Morgan JR Alabama 22.07 22.28
r:+0.66 10.66 22.28 (11.62)
