Alabama Crimson Tide Take First NCAA Women’s Relay Title in School History With 400 Free Victory

Photo Courtesy: Mike Comer

The Alabama Crimson Tide capped off its best showing at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships since 1983 with a win in the 400 freestyle relay for the school’s first relay title in school history on the women’s side. The team of Morgan Scott (47.78), Kalia Antoniou (47.16), Flora Molnar (47.94) and Cora Dupre (46.90) also won the first swimming event national title as the Crimson Tide had only one title before this – Lane Bassham’s 3m diving title from 2004.

This Alabama team finished fifth overall which is highest finish at the NCAA women’s meet since Ronald Reagan was in Office as President of the U.S.

“We worked really hard this entire season and we also have a senior on this relay in Flora. It was all for her,” Scott said. “It was about having fun and not about winning. It was about having each other’s backs.”

The Alabama Crimson Tide sort of spoiled Virginia’s party as the Cavaliers were looking to win their second relay of the meet and celebrate going out on a high note in winning the school’s first national title in program history. Nonetheless, Virginia finished runner-up at 3:10.45 and led for 350 yards with the team of Kate Douglass (46.76), Paige Madden (47.98), Alex Walsh (47.63) and Lexi Cuomo (48.08) as Virginia finished second in four relays this week.

California finished third and nearly overtook the Cavaliers with a 3:10.64 with an insane anchor leg from Izzy Ivey at 46.10 as the team of Robin Neumann (48.40), Emily Gantriis (48.20), Elise Garcia (47.94) and Isabel Ivey (46.10) was third, giving Cal’s 12th straight finish in the top four as a team.

NC State placed fourth overall from heat 3 (of 5) with the team of Katharine Berkoff (47.94), Kylee Alons (47.05), Sophie Hansson (47.80) and Julia Poole (48.46) as their finish solidified the runner-up in the team standings, their highest finish in school history.

Tennessee (3:12.66), Ohio State (3:13.03), Georgia (3:13.09) and Michigan (3:13.35) also placed in the top eight.

The fastest splits outside the top four came from Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil (46.94), Tennessee’s Tjasa Pintar (47.35), Georgia’s Zoie Hartman (47.51) and Texas’ Julia Cook (47.61).

 Event 21  Women 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:06.96  3/23/2019 California
                          I Ivey, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
         Meet: M 3:06.96  3/23/2019 California
                          I Ivey, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
     American: A 3:07.61  3/18/2017 Stanford
                          S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal
      US Open: O 3:07.41  3/2/2019  California
                          R Nuemann, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
         Pool: P 3:08.54  3/21/2015 Stanford
                          L Neal, J Hu, L Engel, S Manuel
    School                                 Seed     Finals Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Alabama                             3:10.28    3:09.78   40  
     1) Scott, Morgan JR              2) r:0.09 Antoniou, Kalia JR    
     3) r:0.19 Molnar, Flora SR       4) r:0.24 Dupre, Cora SO        
    r:+0.67  22.70        47.78 (47.78)
        1:10.14 (22.36)     1:34.94 (47.16)
        1:57.21 (22.27)     2:22.88 (47.94)
        2:45.28 (22.40)     3:09.78 (46.90)
  2 Virginia                            3:10.14    3:10.45   34  
     1) Douglass, Kate SO             2) r:0.34 Madden, Paige SR      
     3) r:0.29 Walsh, Alex FR         4) r:0.17 Cuomo, Lexi SO        
    r:+0.66  22.44        46.76 (46.76)
        1:09.60 (22.84)     1:34.74 (47.98)
        1:57.25 (22.51)     2:22.37 (47.63)
        2:44.87 (22.50)     3:10.45 (48.08)
  3 California                          3:11.27    3:10.64   32  
     1) Neumann, Robin SR             2) r:0.46 Gantriis, Emily FR    
     3) r:0.32 Garcia, Elise JR       4) r:0.20 Ivey, Isabel JR       
    r:+0.60  23.32        48.40 (48.40)
        1:10.94 (22.54)     1:36.60 (48.20)
        1:59.11 (22.51)     2:24.54 (47.94)
        2:46.37 (21.83)     3:10.64 (46.10)
  4 NC State                            3:14.34    3:11.25   30  
     1) Berkoff, Katharine SO         2) r:0.23 Alons, Kylee JR       
     3) r:0.19 Hansson, Sophie JR     4) r:0.31 Poole, Julia SR       
    r:+0.71  23.24        47.94 (47.94)
        1:10.07 (22.13)     1:34.99 (47.05)
        1:57.82 (22.83)     2:22.79 (47.80)
        2:46.08 (23.29)     3:11.25 (48.46)
  5 Tennessee                           3:13.10    3:12.66   28  
     1) McSharry, Mona FR             2) r:0.34 Grinter, Bailey SR    
     3) r:0.10 Rothrock, Trude JR     4) r:0.32 Pintar, Tjasa SR      
    r:+0.67  23.25        48.83 (48.83)
        1:11.45 (22.62)     1:36.81 (47.98)
        1:59.66 (22.85)     2:25.31 (48.50)
        2:48.09 (22.78)     3:12.66 (47.35)
  6 Ohio St                             3:12.90    3:13.03   26  
     1) Petrak, Taylor SR             2) r:0.39 Fulmer, Amy SO        
     3) r:0.36 Rayner, Freya SR       4) r:0.25 Zenick, Katherine FR  
    r:+0.63  23.20        48.41 (48.41)
        1:11.33 (22.92)     1:36.34 (47.93)
        1:59.26 (22.92)     2:25.17 (48.83)
        2:47.49 (22.32)     3:13.03 (47.86)
  7 Georgia                             3:12.08    3:13.09   24  
     1) Parker, Maxine FR             2) r:0.50 Fa'Amausili, Gabi SR  
     3) r:0.41 Harnish, Courtney SR   4) r:0.36 Hartman, Zoie SO      
    r:+0.76  23.42        48.37 (48.37)
        1:10.97 (22.60)     1:36.54 (48.17)
        1:59.86 (23.32)     2:25.58 (49.04)
        2:48.20 (22.62)     3:13.09 (47.51)
  8 Michigan                            3:11.61    3:13.35   22  
     1) MacNeil, Maggie JR            2) r:0.25 Carter, Olivia JR     
     3) r:0.12 Housey, Sophie FR      4) r:0.26 Glass, Megan SO       
    r:+0.65  22.51        46.94 (46.94)
        1:10.27 (23.33)     1:35.77 (48.83)
        1:58.92 (23.15)     2:24.77 (49.00)
        2:48.07 (23.30)     3:13.35 (48.58)
  9 Texas                               3:13.32    3:13.82   18  
     1) Semenuk, Bridget SO           2) r:0.10 Pash, Kelly SO        
     3) r:0.09 Cook, Julia JR         4) r:0.23 Bray, Olivia FR       
    r:+0.65  23.39        49.42 (49.42)
        1:11.97 (22.55)     1:37.14 (47.72)
        1:59.55 (22.41)     2:24.75 (47.61)
        2:48.00 (23.25)     3:13.82 (49.07)
 10 Louisville                          3:15.26    3:13.84   14  
     1) Albiero, Gabi FR              2) r:0.22 Ulett, Tristen FR     
     3) r:0.20 Kraus, Alena JR        4) r:0.31 Hetrick, Paige FR     
    r:+0.64  23.39        48.60 (48.60)
        1:11.66 (23.06)     1:37.03 (48.43)
        2:00.04 (23.01)     2:25.31 (48.28)
        2:48.35 (23.04)     3:13.84 (48.53)
 11 VT                                  3:15.81    3:14.07   12  
     1) Shackelford, Sarah SO         2) r:0.20 Vereb, Joelle SR      
     3) r:0.08 Gyorgy, Reka SR        4) r:0.18 Atkinson, Emma FR     
    r:+0.66  23.01        48.12 (48.12)
        1:11.15 (23.03)     1:37.20 (49.08)
        2:00.27 (23.07)     2:25.62 (48.42)
        2:48.62 (23.00)     3:14.07 (48.45)
 12 Stanford                            3:15.33    3:14.20   10  
     1) Wheal, Emma SO                2) r:0.30 Goeders, Anya JR      
     3) r:0.22 Green, Lauren SR       4) r:0.12 Fackenthal, Amalie JR 
    r:+0.68  23.44        48.94 (48.94)
        1:11.94 (23.00)     1:37.60 (48.66)
        2:00.46 (22.86)     2:25.97 (48.37)
        2:48.57 (22.60)     3:14.20 (48.23)
 13 Northwestern                        3:14.35    3:14.58    8  
     1) Ozbilen, Selen FR             2) r:0.13 Larson, Ally SO       
     3) r:0.22 Wagner, Annika FR      4) r:0.20 Smith, Maddie SR      
    r:+0.68  23.43        48.76 (48.76)
        1:11.52 (22.76)     1:37.26 (48.50)
        2:00.80 (23.54)     2:26.63 (49.37)
        2:49.26 (22.63)     3:14.58 (47.95)
 14 Indiana                             3:15.87    3:15.20    6  
     1) Turak, Ashley SO              2) r:0.17 Broshears, Elizbeth FR
     3) r:0.07 Kirkpatrick, Abby SR   4) r:0.13 Eiber, Laurel SR      
    r:+0.66  23.41        48.56 (48.56)
        1:11.58 (23.02)     1:37.47 (48.91)
        2:00.67 (23.20)     2:26.21 (48.74)
        2:49.37 (23.16)     3:15.20 (48.99)
 15 UNC                                 3:16.07    3:15.26    4  
     1) Lindner, Sophie JR            2) r:0.50 Countie, Grace JR     
     3) r:0.30 Dragelin, Amy SO       4) r:0.41 Lowe, Heidi JR        
    r:+0.71  23.47        48.96 (48.96)
        1:11.92 (22.96)     1:37.06 (48.10)
        2:00.48 (23.42)     2:26.11 (49.05)
        2:49.13 (23.02)     3:15.26 (49.15)
 16 Wisconsin                           3:15.71    3:15.27    2  
     1) Hosack, Lillie JR             2) r:0.31 Palmer, Alana JR      
     3) r:0.06 Lampre, Isabel JR      4) r:0.35 Bacon, Phoebe FR      
    r:+0.73  23.51        49.23 (49.23)
        1:12.37 (23.14)     1:37.92 (48.69)
        2:00.86 (22.94)     2:26.86 (48.94)
        2:49.82 (22.96)     3:15.27 (48.41)
 17 Missouri                            3:14.21    3:15.32  
     1) Thompson, Sarah SR            2) r:0.32 Keil, Megan JR        
     3) r:0.41 Smith, Sierra FR       4) r:0.13 Feddersen, Amy SO     
    r:+0.68  22.72        48.58 (48.58)
        1:11.85 (23.27)     1:37.64 (49.06)
        2:00.93 (23.29)     2:26.55 (48.91)
        2:49.41 (22.86)     3:15.32 (48.77)
 18 UCLA                                3:15.28    3:15.44  
     1) Kosturos, Sophia SO           2) r:0.31 Kirschke, Ella JR     
     3) r:0.25 Smith, Delaney JR      4) r:0.34 Grover, Claire JR     
    r:+0.62  23.19        49.03 (49.03)
        1:12.41 (23.38)     1:38.06 (49.03)
        2:01.32 (23.26)     2:27.02 (48.96)
        2:49.66 (22.64)     3:15.44 (48.42)
 19 Florida                             3:14.75    3:15.99  
     1) Bates, Talia SO               2) r:0.34 Hillis, Gabrielle SR  
     3) r:0.34 Mack, Katie SO         4) r:0.38 Golding, Kathleen SO  
    r:+0.66  23.35        48.14 (48.14)
        1:11.42 (23.28)     1:37.84 (49.70)
        2:00.73 (22.89)     2:26.24 (48.40)
        2:49.84 (23.60)     3:15.99 (49.75)
 20 USC                                 3:14.18    3:17.65  
     1) Schlicht, Jemma SR            2) r:0.52 Dobler, Kaitlyn FR    
     3) r:0.26 Ciesla, Marta SR       4) r:0.45 Odgers, Isabelle JR   
    r:+0.71  23.48        49.28 (49.28)
        1:12.40 (23.12)     1:38.50 (49.22)
        2:01.78 (23.28)     2:27.81 (49.31)
        2:51.29 (23.48)     3:17.65 (49.84)

 Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 21                     
 
  1. Virginia                          491   2. NC State                          354
  3. Texas                           344.5   4. California                        290
  5. Alabama                           266   6. Michigan                        224.5
  7. Ohio St                         215.5   8. Georgia                           181
  9. Stanford                          159  10. Tennessee                         153
 11. Kentucky                          152  12. UNC                               144
 13. Louisville                        108  14. Texas A&M                       107.5
 15. Indiana                           102  16. Northwestern                       96
 17. Florida                          84.5  18. Missouri                           79
 19. Wisconsin                          61  20. Purdue                             56
 21. Virginia Tech                      55  22. Southern California                51
 23. Miami                              42  24. Minnesota                          40
 25. Arizona                          34.5  26. Nebraska                           33
 27. Arkansas                           26  28. Georgia Tech                       24
 29. Notre Dame                         12  30. Houston                             9
 30. Lsu                                 9  32. Fgcu                                6
 32. San Diego St                        6  34. Duke                                5
 35. Wyoming                             4  36. Akron                               3
 37. U.S. Navy                           1  37. Oakland                             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