NCAA Women’s Championships: Saturday Prelims Heat Sheet Now Available; Four Swimming Events Scheduled

Defending 200 fly NCAA champion Olivia Carter -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Women’s Championships: Saturday Prelims Heat Sheet Now Available; Four Swimming Events Scheduled

The fourth and final day of prelims at the NCAA Women’s Championships in Atlanta will begin with qualifying action in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly, with action starting at 10 a.m. ET at the McAuley Aquatic Center. Virginia currently holds a dominant lead in the team race and will hope to salt away a second straight national championship on Saturday.

Click here to view the full heat sheet.

The first event is the 200 back, which features American-record holder Regan Smith leading the way while Cal’s Isabelle Stadden, Alabama’s Taylor Ruck and Stanford’s Taylor Ruck have all broken 1:50 already this season. Defending champion Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin is seeded fifth. The women’s 100 freestyle will feature a rematch between Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh and NC State’s Katharine Berkoff. They are the top two seeds after both swimmers went under the American record in the 100 back Friday night. Stanford’s Torri Huske and Michigan’s Maggie Mac Neil, the defending NCAA champion, will also be in the mix.

Kate Douglass, the NCAA champion in the 50 free, will not compete in the 100 free as she instead focuses on the 200 breast, where she is the top seed ahead of defending national champion Sophie Hansson of NC State. Fellow Cavalier Alex Walsh is the second-fastest swimmer in history in the 200 breast, but she is skipping that event at NCAAs in favor of the 200 fly, where she is seeded fifth. The top seed in the 200 fly is Smith, who will attempt a grueling double on the final day of competition, while defending NCAA champion Olivia Carter is seeded third.

The 1650 freestyle will be a timed finals event, with early heats beginning at 3:45 p.m. and the top heat held at the start of finals.

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