NCAA Women’s Championships: Bella Sims Holds off Anna Peplowski For 200 Free Win

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship has been the Virginia and Bella Sims show.

The swimming events have all been won by Virginia or involved Florida’s Bella Sims in the first eight swimming events.

Sims won the 500 freestyle on Thursday and was part of the 800 free relay win on Wednesday.

Friday, it was the 200 freestyle and Sims took over once again, winning her second individual event of the meet for the Gators.

The freshman got to the wall in 1:40.90, what turned out to be just seven hundredths of a second ahead of Indiana’s Anna Peplowski (1:40.97).

“It felt really good actually,” Sims said. “I was just trying to focus on just not dying, basically, but also taking it out really fast because I need to be able to trust my speed. I just kind of know myself and know not to go 100% out so I can have a little bit left in the tank. That helps me a lot.”

Sims started fast as expected. She was at 23.25 after the 50, 48.50 after the 100, 1:14.73 at the 150 before holding off Peplowski, who came on strong in the final 100 to finish NCAA runner-up.

It was a pool record for Sims, which Peplowski also beat.

Florida teammate Isabel Ivey was just behind Sims at the halfway point, but faded to seventh (1:43.79), still a really strong race.

“It is super awesome to have more than one Gator in the final,” Sims said.

As records were falling left and right in this meet so far, this one wasn’t within striking distance. Cal’s Missy Franklin still holds the NCAA mark at 1:39.10, set in 2015.

USC freshman Minna Abraham took third and finished in 1:41.96.

Virginia sophomore Aimee Canny took fourth (1:42.33), followed by Texas A&M senior Chloe Stepanek (1:42.92) and Stanford sophomore Kayla Wilson (1:43.23).

Tennessee’s Cammile Spink was disqualified for a false start.

Event 10  Women 200 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
         Meet: M 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
     American: A 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
      US Open: O 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
         Pool: P 1:41.23  12/6/2014 Missy Franklin, California
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Sims, Bella            FR Florida           1:41.87    1:40.90P  20  
    r:+0.56  23.25        48.50 (25.25)
        1:14.73 (26.23)     1:40.90 (26.17)
  2 Peplowski, Anna        JR Indiana           1:41.85    1:40.97P  17  
    r:+0.70  23.91        49.67 (25.76)
        1:15.45 (25.78)     1:40.97 (25.52)
  3 Abraham, Minna         FR USC               1:42.79    1:41.96   16  
    r:+0.68  23.88        50.05 (26.17)
        1:16.23 (26.18)     1:41.96 (25.73)
  4 Canny, Aimee           SO Virginia          1:42.89    1:42.33   15  
    r:+0.74  23.96        49.68 (25.72)
        1:15.90 (26.22)     1:42.33 (26.43)
  5 Stepanek, Chloe        SR TAMU              1:42.96    1:42.92   14  
    r:+0.67  23.96        49.96 (26.00)
        1:16.37 (26.41)     1:42.92 (26.55)
  6 Wilson, Kayla          SO Stanford          1:42.88    1:43.23   13  
    r:+0.68  24.09        50.08 (25.99)
        1:16.59 (26.51)     1:43.23 (26.64)
  7 Ivey, Isabel           5Y Florida           1:42.95    1:43.79   12  
    r:+0.69  23.81        49.40 (25.59)
        1:16.13 (26.73)     1:43.79 (27.66)
 -- Spink, Camille         FR Tennessee         1:42.91         DQ  
      False start
    r:+0.72  23.58        49.53 (25.95)
        1:16.20 (26.67)          DQ (26.40)

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