Ella Eastin Defeats Katie Ledecky in 400 IM; Destroys NCAA and American Record

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Editorial content for the 2018 NCAA DI Championship coverage is sponsored by TritonWear. Visit TritonWear.com for more information on our sponsor. For full Swimming World coverage, check event coverage page.

Stanford junior Ella Eastin destroyed all the records in the 400 IM on Friday night at the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Eastin led from the start and swam a monster 3:54.60 in the 400 IM final to break Katie Ledecky’s NCAA and American Record of 3:56.53.

Eastin was one of three Stanford swimmers in the final as she went 1-2-4 with Ledecky (3:58.29) and Brooke Forde (3:59.34).

Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem broke up the Stanford party and finished third with a 3:59.05 in the final.

Texas A&M’s Bethany Galat (4:02.19), Missouri’s Sharli Brady (4:04.12), Ohio State’s Meg Bailey (4:04.26) and Cal’s Sarah Darcel (4:04.44) also swam in the championship final.

This is Eastin’s third straight NCAA title in the 400 IM and Stanford’s eleventh overall. Eastin joins Tracy Caulkins (1982-1984), Maggie Bowen (2001-2003) and fellow Cardinal Julia Smit (2008-2010) as three time winners in the event.

Eastin also joins Michelle Griglione (1989), Janet Evans (1990), Summer Sanders (1991, 1992), Smit and Maya DiRado (2014) as winners for the Cardinal.

And, oh yeah, Stanford still is undefeated in swimming events.

Event 8  Women 400 Yard IM
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:56.53  2/23/2018 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
     American: A 3:56.53  2/23/2018 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
    U.S. Open: O 3:56.53  2/23/2018 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Meet: C 3:56.54  3/17/2012 Katinka Hosszu, Southern Cal
         Pool: P 4:00.03  12/2/2010 Katinka Hosszu, Southern Calif
                 4:04.70  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 4:19.39  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Ella Eastin      JR Stanford          4:01.49    3:54.60N        20  
    r:+0.70  25.78        54.80 (29.02)
        1:24.65 (29.85)     1:53.55 (28.90)
        2:26.90 (33.35)     3:00.12 (33.22)
        3:27.34 (27.22)     3:54.60 (27.26)
  2 Katie Ledecky    SO Stanford          4:01.72    3:58.29P        17  
    r:+0.69  25.90        54.55 (28.65)
        1:24.76 (30.21)     1:54.13 (29.37)
        2:28.98 (34.85)     3:04.12 (35.14)
        3:31.77 (27.65)     3:58.29 (26.52)
  3 Sydney Pickrem   JR TAMU              4:03.09    3:59.05P        16  
    r:+0.71  26.02        56.03 (30.01)
        1:26.20 (30.17)     1:56.13 (29.93)
        2:29.83 (33.70)     3:03.75 (33.92)
        3:32.18 (28.43)     3:59.05 (26.87)
  4 Brooke Forde     FR Stanford          4:04.95    3:59.34P        15  
    r:+0.69  26.01        55.69 (29.68)
        1:26.85 (31.16)     1:57.31 (30.46)
        2:30.63 (33.32)     3:04.52 (33.89)
        3:32.29 (27.77)     3:59.34 (27.05)
  5 Bethany Galat    SR TAMU              4:04.98    4:02.19         14  
    r:+0.59  25.57        54.64 (29.07)
        1:26.53 (31.89)     1:57.33 (30.80)
        2:30.45 (33.12)     3:04.33 (33.88)
        3:33.80 (29.47)     4:02.19 (28.39)
  6 Sharli Brady     SR Missouri          4:04.96    4:04.12         13  
    r:+0.77  26.27        55.69 (29.42)
        1:26.71 (31.02)     1:57.15 (30.44)
        2:31.81 (34.66)     3:06.98 (35.17)
        3:36.02 (29.04)     4:04.12 (28.10)
  7 Meg Bailey       SR OSU               4:03.96    4:04.26         12  
    r:+0.75  25.94        55.81 (29.87)
        1:27.10 (31.29)     1:57.36 (30.26)
        2:31.70 (34.34)     3:07.04 (35.34)
        3:36.44 (29.40)     4:04.26 (27.82)
  8 Sarah Darcel     FR California        4:05.09    4:04.44         11  
    r:+0.62  25.56        55.14 (29.58)
        1:26.22 (31.08)     1:56.69 (30.47)
        2:31.57 (34.88)     3:06.76 (35.19)
        3:35.88 (29.12)     4:04.44 (28.56)

                Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 8                 
 
  1. Stanford                          266   2. California                        158
  3. Texas A&M                         119   4. Texas                             115
  5. Tennessee                       110.5   6. Michigan                          101
  7. Louisville                         99   8. Virginia                           86
  9. Minnesota                          70  10. Ohio St                            59
 11. Indiana                            46  12. Georgia                            45
 12. Arizona                            45  14. Auburn                           34.5
 15. Wisconsin                          33  16. Kentucky                           32
 17. Southern Cal                       30  18. South Carolina                     28
 18. Missouri                           28  20. UNC                                25
 21. NC State                           22  22. Denver                             20
 23. Purdue                             18  24. University of Nevada               16
 25. Arizona St                         14  26. Northwestern                       11
 27. Arkansas                            9  27. Penn St                             9
 29. Rutgers                             6  29. UCLA                                6
 31. Louisiana State University          5  31. Virginia Tech                       5
 33. Florida                             4  33. Alabama                             4
 35. University of Miami                 2

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

Name*

Email*

19 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Elizabeth Berezwick

6 years ago

Erin Marie show Abby. Looks like we may have a new role model in town.

Erin Marie

6 years ago

Reply to Elizabeth Berezwick

Abby Dudash

6 years ago

Reply to Elizabeth Berezwick

Erica Hernández

6 years ago

Bel Hernández

Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

6 years ago

Hjörtur Már Ingvarsson

6 years ago

Reply to Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

Hjörtur Már Ingvarsson

6 years ago

Reply to Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

Hvað er að gerast… ?

Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

6 years ago

Reply to Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

Hjörtur Már Ingvarsson nkl!!

Hjörtur Már Ingvarsson

6 years ago

Reply to Aníta Ósk Hrafnsdóttir

Shit sko

Angela Harmon

6 years ago

Patrick Harmon!!

Gabriela Phalan

6 years ago

Gooo Ella!!!!

Alexander B Gallant

6 years ago

You are seriously stroking if you beat Katie. Nice

Susan L. Lansbury

6 years ago

Let’s not be negative at all about Katie L, best freestyler overall?

Susan L. Lansbury

6 years ago

Go Ella!!! Her time is coming!!! Rooting for Ella 2020 Omaha❤️

Lucy Piper Beck

6 years ago

And Stanford goes 1-2! Great job! ??

Kristin Olson Chomin

6 years ago

Awesome job Ella!!!

Len Lanetti

6 years ago

Great swims. Team points 1-2 or 2-1.

Donna-Marie Daday

6 years ago

Redemption swim!

Michael Maloney

6 years ago

We all love Katie…but that was a lights out ass wuppin Ella Eastin put on the ENTIRE history of the 400 IM scy/ncaa record…..just saying good job all but Ella DESERVES this moment in the SUN