2022 NCAA Women’s Championships: Kate Douglass Breaks NCAA, American Record in 50 Free; Gretchen Walsh Second

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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The 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championships continued with the 50 freestyle prelims from McAuley Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech.

Kate Douglass broke the NCAA and American record in 20.87 to earn the top seed in the 50 freestyle.

The previous record was 20.90 set by Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil in 2019.

Douglass had been as fast as 21.00 heading into the NCAA Championships. She clocked that time at the ACC Championships in the same pool.

Virginia took the top two seeds with Douglass and Gretchen Walsh, who finished in 21.09 and could be poised to make a run at her teammate.

Douglass was out in 10.04, by far the fastest and back in 10.83, also the fastest spit.

Alabama’s Cora Dupree took the third seeding 21.47, while Michigan’s Maggie Mac Neil and North Carolina senior Grace Countie tied for the fourth seed in 21.53.

NC State took the next two finals spots with Katharine Berkoff taking the sixth seed in 21.56 and Kylee Alons taking the seventh spot at 21.62.

Alabama senior Morgan Scott took the eighth seed in 21.72, giving the Crimson Tide two finalists in the event.

• Day 2 prelims heat sheets

• Live Results

 Event 5  Women 50 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         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 21.00  2/16/2022 Katherine Douglass, Virginia
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Douglass, Kate         JR Virginia                       20.87N 
    r:+0.63  10.04        20.87 (10.83)
  2 Walsh, Gretchen        FR Virginia                       21.09  
    r:+0.70  10.18        21.09 (10.91)
  3 Dupre, Cora            JR Alabama                        21.47  
    r:+0.58  10.43        21.47 (11.04)
  4 Countie, Grace         SR UNC                            21.53  
    r:+0.70  10.39        21.53 (11.14)
  4 MacNeil, Maggie        SR Michigan                       21.53  
    r:+0.62  10.41        21.53 (11.12)
  6 Berkoff, Katharine     JR NC State                       21.56  
    r:+0.66  10.53        21.56 (11.03)
  7 Alons, Kylee           SR NC State                       21.62  
    r:+0.63  10.38        21.62 (11.24)
  8 Scott, Morgan          SR Alabama                        21.72  
    r:+0.65  10.47        21.72 (11.25)
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
  9 Cuomo, Lexi            JR Virginia                       21.80  
    r:+0.67  10.50        21.80 (11.30)
 10 Albiero, Gabi          SO Louisville                     21.81  
    r:+0.59  10.48        21.81 (11.33)
 11 Grover, Claire         SR UCLA                           21.82  
    r:+0.63  10.32        21.82 (11.50)
 11 Kutsch, AJ             JR Tennessee                      21.82  
    r:+0.66  10.55        21.82 (11.27)
 13 Fulmer, Amy            JR Ohio St                        21.88  
    r:+0.71  10.76        21.88 (11.12)
 14 Antoniou, Kalia        SR Alabama                        21.90  
    r:+0.65  10.69        21.90 (11.21)
 15 Henig, Iszac           JR Yale                           21.94  
    r:+0.62  10.54        21.94 (11.40)
 16 Keil, Megan            SR Missouri                       21.99  
    r:+0.64  10.67        21.99 (11.32)

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