Queens’ Patricia Castro Ortega won the women’s 400-yard IM en route to breaking her own NCAA DII record at the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships.
The senior’s time of 4:08.56 was nearly six seconds ahead of the rest of the field and four seconds faster than her morning swim. Her previous record of 4:09.93 was set last month at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships. This is her second individual win of the meet after winning and setting a new DII record in the 200 IM yesterday.
Wingate’s Sofia Petrenko took second in 4:14.40 and Lynn’s Rebecca Matthews finished third in 4:17.25.
Drury’s Gretchen Stein (4:18.05), Lindenwood’s Alecia McGillivray (4:21.03), Delta State’s Melanie Tombers (4:21.75), Queens’ Caroline Arakelian (4:22.08), and Grand Valley’s Samantha Postmus (4:25.52) rounded out the top eight.
=== Championship Finals ===
1 Patri Castro Ortega SR Queens (NC) 4:12.47 4:08.56R 20
r:+0.79 26.17 57.02 (30.85)
1:28.22 (31.20) 1:59.87 (31.65)
2:35.62 (35.75) 3:11.80 (36.18)
3:40.89 (29.09) 4:08.56 (27.67)
2 Sofia Petrenko JR Wingate 4:20.39 4:14.40 17
r:+0.79 26.78 56.60 (29.82)
1:29.27 (32.67) 2:01.58 (32.31)
2:38.45 (36.87) 3:15.68 (37.23)
3:45.76 (30.08) 4:14.40 (28.64)
3 Rebecca Matthews SR Lynn 4:20.45 4:17.25 16
r:+0.62 27.03 59.39 (32.36)
1:33.81 (34.42) 2:07.18 (33.37)
2:41.96 (34.78) 3:17.25 (35.29)
3:47.69 (30.44) 4:17.25 (29.56)
4 Gretchen Stein SR Drury 4:22.82 4:18.05 15
r:+0.70 27.94 59.29 (31.35)
1:32.83 (33.54) 2:05.62 (32.79)
2:42.05 (36.43) 3:18.95 (36.90)
3:49.25 (30.30) 4:18.05 (28.80)
5 Alecia McGillivray JR Lindenwood 4:21.86 4:21.03 14
r:+0.78 28.06 59.48 (31.42)
1:32.62 (33.14) 2:04.97 (32.35)
2:43.55 (38.58) 3:22.00 (38.45)
3:51.88 (29.88) 4:21.03 (29.15)
6 Melanie Tombers JR Delta State 4:23.61 4:21.75 13
r:+0.82 28.72 1:00.27 (31.55)
1:34.23 (33.96) 2:07.27 (33.04)
2:44.04 (36.77) 3:21.33 (37.29)
3:52.28 (30.95) 4:21.75 (29.47)
7 Caroline Arakelian SR Queens (NC) 4:19.31 4:22.08 12
r:+0.75 27.57 59.90 (32.33)
1:33.23 (33.33) 2:05.81 (32.58)
2:44.18 (38.37) 3:22.84 (38.66)
3:53.35 (30.51) 4:22.08 (28.73)
8 Samantha Postmus SO Grand Valley 4:23.15 4:25.52 11
r:+0.85 27.22 59.39 (32.17)
1:32.07 (32.68) 2:04.60 (32.53)
2:42.80 (38.20) 3:22.40 (39.60)
3:54.18 (31.78) 4:25.52 (31.34)
=== Consolation Finals ===
9 Kierstin Page JR Delta State 4:23.68 4:22.19 9
r:+0.72 28.29 1:00.46 (32.17)
1:33.26 (32.80) 2:05.31 (32.05)
2:43.96 (38.65) 3:22.66 (38.70)
3:53.00 (30.34) 4:22.19 (29.19)
10 Bavindeep Basra SO Fresno Pacific 4:23.90 4:23.16 7
r:+0.69 28.12 1:00.34 (32.22)
1:34.04 (33.70) 2:07.40 (33.36)
2:44.46 (37.06) 3:22.01 (37.55)
3:52.94 (30.93) 4:23.16 (30.22)
11 Abigail Wiet FR Azusa Pacific 4:27.76 4:24.48 6
r:+0.77 27.71 59.71 (32.00)
1:33.20 (33.49) 2:06.36 (33.16)
2:44.83 (38.47) 3:23.81 (38.98)
3:54.82 (31.01) 4:24.48 (29.66)
12 Amanda Tipton FR Queens (NC) 4:24.28 4:25.33 5
r:+0.76 28.05 1:00.02 (31.97)
1:33.91 (33.89) 2:07.63 (33.72)
2:45.97 (38.34) 3:24.69 (38.72)
3:55.73 (31.04) 4:25.33 (29.60)
13 Sophia Nelson SO Drury 4:27.34 4:26.88 4
r:+0.73 28.44 1:00.75 (32.31)
1:36.46 (35.71) 2:12.83 (36.37)
2:48.11 (35.28) 3:25.14 (37.03)
3:56.65 (31.51) 4:26.88 (30.23)
14 Madeline Pitt SO West Florida 4:28.65 4:27.56 3
r:+0.76 28.15 1:00.03 (31.88)
1:35.63 (35.60) 2:10.40 (34.77)
2:47.96 (37.56) 3:26.89 (38.93)
3:57.80 (30.91) 4:27.56 (29.76)
15 Savanna Saunders FR NMU 4:26.39 4:28.87 2
r:+0.76 29.24 1:01.28 (32.04)
1:34.65 (33.37) 2:06.88 (32.23)
2:46.45 (39.57) 3:26.09 (39.64)
3:57.77 (31.68) 4:28.87 (31.10)
16 Courtney Chacon JR Cal Baptist 4:26.47 4:29.11 1
r:+0.65 28.28 1:00.05 (31.77)
1:34.19 (34.14) 2:08.44 (34.25)
2:47.80 (39.36) 3:27.44 (39.64)
3:58.84 (31.40) 4:29.11 (30.27)
Not diminishing Castro Ortega’s outstanding accomplishment in any way but the 13-14 NAG record in this event is a couple of tentts faster, i.e., 4:04.48 by now-retired Katie Hoff in December of 2K4 during he North Baltimore Aquatics holiday meet.