2022 NCAA Women’s Championships: Day 4 Finals Heat Sheets Released as Showdowns Loom

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Several intriguing storylines surround the last night of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championship from the McAuley Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech.

Can Virginia’s Kate Douglass make more history? Having already won the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly in American records, she could be closing in on another record swim, this time in the 200 breaststroke. She took the top seed, and the way she has been swimming this week, she looks poised to continue her dominance.

Another storyline will be a second showdown between NC State’s Katharine Berkoff and Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh. Berkoff held off Walsh to win the 100 backstroke on Friday, and they are the top two seed in the 100 freestyle Saturday night after fellow title contenders Maggie Mac Neil, Isabel Ivey and Torri Huske all qualified for the B final.

The 200 butterfly could see anyone from the field claim the title as the top seven finalists are all about a second a part and the top five were within a half second of each other during prelims.

Texas’s Emma Sticklen put together a strong swim to hold off Georgia’s Dakota Luther and Stanford’s Regan Smith in the final heat. Luther ended up qualifying second in 1:51.64, and Smith was third in 1:51.76. Meanwhile, defending national champion Olivia Carter of Michigan qualified fourth in 1:51.86, and just behind her was Virginia’s Alex Walsh, who has already won two titles this week in the 200 IM and 400 IM. Walsh finished in 1:51.90, and the versatile sophomore will have a chance to win a third individual title in the evening session. Eighth place went to Cal’s Rachel Klinker in 1:53.37.

Smith is doing a double after taking the top seed in the 200 backstroke at the NCAA Championships. Cal’s Isabelle Stadden and Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon, which should be another strong battle.

• Day 4 Prelims Results

• Day 4 Finals Heat Sheets

• Live Results

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