Ally McHugh Wins Penn State’s First Ever NCAA Championship With 1650 Title

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Penn State senior Ally McHugh won the first ever NCAA title for the Nittany Lions on Saturday night in the 1650 with a 15:39.22 to win the fastest seeded heat in Austin, Texas at the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. McHugh took control of the race early and remained calm throughout as she pulled away each 50. She finished ahead of two Big Ten swimmers in Ohio State’s Molly Kowal (15:44.61) and Minnesota’s Mackenzie Padington (15:47.16) rounding out the top three.

McHugh and Kowal finished first and second in the fastest seeded heat while Padington swam in an earlier heat. Stanford’s Leah Stevens (15:47.31) finished in third place in the fastest heat but ended up fourth on the podium. She picked up valuable points for the Stanford Cardinal. Junior Megan Byrnes was 16th for the Cardinal as well. Cal had zero points in the 1650 but still have the lead.

Hawaii’s Phoebe Hines, who was the fastest seeded swimmer coming into the meet, placed fifth at 15:50.13. Michigan’s Sierra Schmitt (15:50.19) and Alabama’s Kensey McMahon (15:53.18) also swam in the earlier heats and placed sixth and seventh. Arizona State’s Cierra Runge (15:53.72) finished in eighth.

McHugh is Penn State’s first ever national champion in women’s swimming and diving. She was slightly off her best time of 15:36 from last year but was still good enough for the win.

 Event 15  Women 1650 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: I 15:03.31  18-Nov-17 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Meet: M 15:07.57  17-Mar-18 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
     American: A 15:03.31  18-Nov-17 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
      US Open: O 15:03.31  18-Nov-17 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Pool: P 15:28.36  29-Nov-12 Katie Ledecky
                 15:53.50  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 16:30.59  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School               Seed     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
  1 Ally McHugh      SR PSU              15:41.36   15:39.22         20  
    r:+0.81  26.62        55.15 (28.53)
        1:23.89 (28.74)     1:52.92 (29.03)
        2:21.96 (29.04)     2:50.92 (28.96)
        3:19.84 (28.92)     3:48.76 (28.92)
        4:17.55 (28.79)     4:46.36 (28.81)
        5:14.84 (28.48)     5:43.35 (28.51)
        6:11.84 (28.49)     6:40.50 (28.66)
        7:09.20 (28.70)     7:37.78 (28.58)
        8:06.36 (28.58)     8:34.98 (28.62)
        9:03.49 (28.51)     9:31.93 (28.44)
       10:00.35 (28.42)    10:28.77 (28.42)
       10:57.11 (28.34)    11:25.46 (28.35)
       11:53.99 (28.53)    12:22.58 (28.59)
       12:51.08 (28.50)    13:19.37 (28.29)
       13:47.66 (28.29)    14:15.97 (28.31)
       14:44.19 (28.22)    15:12.49 (28.30)    15:39.22 (26.73)
  2 Molly Kowal      JR Ohio St          15:49.53   15:44.61         17  
    r:+0.95  27.03        55.45 (28.42)
        1:24.23 (28.78)     1:53.04 (28.81)
        2:22.01 (28.97)     2:50.91 (28.90)
        3:19.73 (28.82)     3:48.52 (28.79)
        4:17.36 (28.84)     4:46.28 (28.92)
        5:15.10 (28.82)     5:43.90 (28.80)
        6:12.71 (28.81)     6:41.55 (28.84)
        7:10.51 (28.96)     7:39.50 (28.99)
        8:08.39 (28.89)     8:37.15 (28.76)
        9:05.94 (28.79)     9:34.72 (28.78)
       10:03.21 (28.49)    10:31.75 (28.54)
       11:00.20 (28.45)    11:28.66 (28.46)
       11:57.14 (28.48)    12:25.65 (28.51)
       12:54.06 (28.41)    13:22.58 (28.52)
       13:51.15 (28.57)    14:19.75 (28.60)
       14:48.17 (28.42)    15:16.77 (28.60)    15:44.61 (27.84)
  3 Mackenzie Padin  SO Minnesota        16:03.13   15:47.16         16  
    r:+0.73  25.92        54.08 (28.16)
        1:22.57 (28.49)     1:51.15 (28.58)
        2:19.74 (28.59)     2:48.62 (28.88)
        3:17.45 (28.83)     3:46.34 (28.89)
        4:15.22 (28.88)     4:44.16 (28.94)
        5:13.00 (28.84)     5:41.65 (28.65)
        6:10.40 (28.75)     6:39.25 (28.85)
        7:08.16 (28.91)     7:37.05 (28.89)
        8:05.97 (28.92)     8:34.81 (28.84)
        9:03.50 (28.69)     9:32.37 (28.87)
       10:01.44 (29.07)    10:30.21 (28.77)
       10:59.10 (28.89)    11:28.06 (28.96)
       11:57.08 (29.02)    12:25.98 (28.90)
       12:54.97 (28.99)    13:23.79 (28.82)
       13:52.71 (28.92)    14:21.74 (29.03)
       14:50.62 (28.88)    15:19.80 (29.18)    15:47.16 (27.36)
  4 Leah Stevens     SR Stanford         15:51.26   15:47.31         15  
    r:+0.69  26.78        55.92 (29.14)
        1:25.33 (29.41)     1:54.54 (29.21)
        2:23.71 (29.17)     2:52.91 (29.20)
        3:22.01 (29.10)     3:51.05 (29.04)
        4:20.32 (29.27)     4:49.41 (29.09)
        5:18.29 (28.88)     5:47.11 (28.82)
        6:15.64 (28.53)     6:44.43 (28.79)
        7:13.16 (28.73)     7:41.76 (28.60)
        8:10.40 (28.64)     8:38.96 (28.56)
        9:07.74 (28.78)     9:36.33 (28.59)
       10:04.80 (28.47)    10:33.38 (28.58)
       11:01.99 (28.61)    11:30.86 (28.87)
       11:59.50 (28.64)    12:28.08 (28.58)
       12:56.91 (28.83)    13:25.32 (28.41)
       13:53.67 (28.35)    14:21.96 (28.29)
       14:50.23 (28.27)    15:18.62 (28.39)    15:47.31 (28.69)
  5 Phoebe Hines     JR Hawaii           15:41.35   15:50.13         14  
    r:+0.77  25.99        54.93 (28.94)
        1:24.05 (29.12)     1:53.26 (29.21)
        2:22.52 (29.26)     2:51.65 (29.13)
        3:20.86 (29.21)     3:50.03 (29.17)
        4:19.08 (29.05)     4:48.06 (28.98)
        5:16.68 (28.62)     5:45.45 (28.77)
        6:13.97 (28.52)     6:42.64 (28.67)
        7:11.19 (28.55)     7:39.88 (28.69)
        8:08.52 (28.64)     8:37.22 (28.70)
        9:06.04 (28.82)     9:34.82 (28.78)
       10:03.66 (28.84)    10:32.68 (29.02)
       11:01.55 (28.87)    11:30.62 (29.07)
       11:59.70 (29.08)    12:28.59 (28.89)
       12:57.60 (29.01)    13:26.63 (29.03)
       13:55.55 (28.92)    14:24.26 (28.71)
       14:53.16 (28.90)    15:21.90 (28.74)    15:50.13 (28.23)
  6 Sierra Schmidt   SO Michigan         16:01.78   15:50.19         13  
    r:+0.71  26.15        54.50 (28.35)
        1:23.15 (28.65)     1:51.90 (28.75)
        2:20.44 (28.54)     2:49.24 (28.80)
        3:17.93 (28.69)     3:46.73 (28.80)
        4:15.69 (28.96)     4:44.66 (28.97)
        5:13.39 (28.73)     5:42.10 (28.71)
        6:10.75 (28.65)     6:39.49 (28.74)
        7:08.31 (28.82)     7:37.08 (28.77)
        8:05.92 (28.84)     8:34.74 (28.82)
        9:03.60 (28.86)     9:32.51 (28.91)
       10:01.50 (28.99)    10:30.30 (28.80)
       10:59.24 (28.94)    11:28.34 (29.10)
       11:57.36 (29.02)    12:26.48 (29.12)
       12:55.65 (29.17)    13:24.85 (29.20)
       13:54.09 (29.24)    14:23.25 (29.16)
       14:52.51 (29.26)    15:21.70 (29.19)    15:50.19 (28.49)
  7 Kensey McMahon   FR Alabama          15:59.46   15:53.18         12  
    r:+0.74  27.17        55.91 (28.74)
        1:24.86 (28.95)     1:54.03 (29.17)
        2:23.28 (29.25)     2:52.51 (29.23)
        3:21.61 (29.10)     3:50.54 (28.93)
        4:19.56 (29.02)     4:48.50 (28.94)
        5:17.35 (28.85)     5:46.17 (28.82)
        6:15.09 (28.92)     6:44.17 (29.08)
        7:13.19 (29.02)     7:41.98 (28.79)
        8:10.85 (28.87)     8:39.88 (29.03)
        9:08.65 (28.77)     9:37.62 (28.97)
       10:06.65 (29.03)    10:35.82 (29.17)
       11:04.87 (29.05)    11:33.80 (28.93)
       12:02.45 (28.65)    12:31.30 (28.85)
       13:00.14 (28.84)    13:29.17 (29.03)
       13:58.10 (28.93)    14:27.13 (29.03)
       14:56.14 (29.01)    15:25.02 (28.88)    15:53.18 (28.16)
  8 Cierra Runge     JR ASU              15:51.72   15:53.72         11  
    r:+0.81  26.08        54.58 (28.50)
        1:23.36 (28.78)     1:52.72 (29.36)
        2:22.10 (29.38)     2:51.43 (29.33)
        3:20.57 (29.14)     3:49.90 (29.33)
        4:19.05 (29.15)     4:48.18 (29.13)
        5:17.46 (29.28)     5:46.61 (29.15)
        6:15.67 (29.06)     6:44.68 (29.01)
        7:13.67 (28.99)     7:42.80 (29.13)
        8:11.86 (29.06)     8:40.81 (28.95)
        9:09.53 (28.72)     9:38.52 (28.99)
       10:07.61 (29.09)    10:36.53 (28.92)
       11:05.40 (28.87)    11:34.40 (29.00)
       12:03.38 (28.98)    12:32.20 (28.82)
       13:01.13 (28.93)    13:29.86 (28.73)
       13:58.73 (28.87)    14:27.61 (28.88)
       14:56.62 (29.01)    15:25.75 (29.13)    15:53.72 (27.97)
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 15                 
 
  1. California                        328   2. Stanford                        315.5
  3. Michigan                          253   4. Louisville                        163
  5. Minnesota                         147   6. NC State                          141
  7. Tennessee                         138   8. Texas                           131.5
  9. Virginia                          128  10. Indiana                           127
 11. Southern Cali                     103  12. Auburn                             95
 13. Arizona                          86.5  14. Texas A&M                        75.5
 15. Wisconsin                          70  16. UCLA                               66
 17. Kentucky                         55.5  18. Arizona St                         55
 19. Arkansas                           46  20. Florida                            44
 21. Missouri                           42  22. Ohio St                            38
 23. Duke                               35  24. Georgia                            34
 25. South Carolina                   27.5  26. Penn St                            27
 27. Kansas                             22  28. Lsu                                20
 29. University of Miami                19  30. Eastern Mich                       17
 31. Northwestern                       15  32. Hawaii                             14
 32. Alabama                            14  32. Florida St                         14
 35. San Diego St                        9  36. Purdue                              7
 37. Akron                               6  38. Virginia Tech                       5
 39. UNC                                 2  39. Nebraska                            2
 39. Notre Dame                          2  42. Univeristy of Conneticut            1
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Bob Perkins
Bob Perkins
5 years ago

Ali

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Scot Weiss
Scot Weiss
5 years ago

Do any sports have more officials per athelete for competitions than swimming?

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Pat Kennedy
Pat Kennedy
5 years ago

WE ARE…

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Tony MacGuinness
Tony MacGuinness
5 years ago

Congratulations
Champ….

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SmithRoyse Diedre
SmithRoyse Diedre
5 years ago

William E. Perry more to celebrate ?

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Taylor Covington
Editor
Taylor Covington
5 years ago

Congratulations! Great coverage by SW.

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Nicole Sartno Striker
Nicole Sartno Striker
5 years ago

Awesome – congratulations!!!

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Maureen Fluehr Carll
Maureen Fluehr Carll
5 years ago

WeAre!!!! Congratulations,Ally, awesome swimming!

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Joanna Provines
Joanna Provines
5 years ago

This one Mike Kline ?

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Ali Wall Keily
Ali Wall Keily
5 years ago

AWESOME! PSU! And she has my name! ??

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MK Mahoney
MK Mahoney
5 years ago

Wow!!!

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Dawn Pachence
Dawn Pachence
5 years ago

Congratulations! We Are…!

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Lauren Blew
Lauren Blew
5 years ago

Well done!! ???‍♀️ WE ARE!

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Eileen Ryan Kurtz
Eileen Ryan Kurtz
5 years ago

Congratulations!

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