Stanford Sets Itself Up For Historic Night: Prelims Recap With Ups And Downs

Photo Courtesy: Dan D'Addona

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The final morning of the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships featured heats of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and the 400 free relay. Stanford set itself up to potentially win all five relays, as only two other schools in history have done so at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships.

Ella Eastin and Lilly King also set themselves up for history as King is going for her sixth individual title in her career and Eastin is going for her third win of the meet and potentially her third American Record.

Mallory Comerford is searching for her third individual title in her career while Simone Manuel is searching for her sixth. Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson is searching for her first in the 200 back.

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                   Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 14                     
 
  1. Stanford                          414   2. California                        268
  3. Texas A&M                         186   4. Texas                             171
  5. Louisville                        168   6. Michigan                          150
  7. Tennessee                       137.5   8. Minnesota                         134
  9. Indiana                           124  10. Virginia                          106

Ups, Downs

Texas A&M had the most A-finalists with seven total as they put four in the top heat in the 200 breast. Stanford, Cal and Michigan both had five A-finalists. The race for fourth place will heat up after Texas only had Claire Adams make it back individually. Michigan and Louisville will be nipping at their heels tonight as the heats of the 1650 and platform diving will take place later today.

The teams are in order of team scores after last night.

Stanford, 5, 4
Cal, 5, 2
Texas A&M, 7, 1
Texas, 1, 1
Louisville, 3, 1
Michigan, 5, 1
Tennessee, 2, 3
Minnesota, 1, 0
Indiana, 1, 0
Virginia, 1, 4
USC, 2, 2
Georgia, 2, 2
Ohio State, 0, 1
Missouri, 0, 2
Wisconsin, 1, 0
Auburn, 1, 3
South Carolina, 0, 1
Kentucky, 3, 2
NC State, 0, 2
Arizona State, 0, 1
North Carolina, 0, 1
Alabama, 0, 1
Eastern Michigan, 0, 1
Virginia Tech, 0, 1
Notre Dame, 0, 1
Akron, 0, 1
West Virginia, 0, 1

200 Back

Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson had the fastest 200 back of the morning as she came in with a 1:49.33 on Saturday morning at the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Nelson is ahead of Cal’s Kathleen Baker (1:49.57) and Kentucky’s Asia Seidt (1:49.64) as they were the only three under 1:50 in the morning heats.

Stanford’s Janet Hu (1:50.13), Kentucky’s Ali Galyer (1:50.16), Michigan’s Clara Smiddy (1:50.82), Georgia’s Kylie Stewart (1:51.07) and Texas A&M’s Lisa Bratton (1:51.18) also placed in the top eight.

Event 16  Women 200 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:47.84  3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
     American: A 1:47.84  3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
    U.S. Open: O 1:47.84  3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
         Meet: C 1:47.84  3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
         Pool: P 1:50.55  11/24/2013Courtney Bartholomew, Virginia
                 1:50.99  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 1:59.19  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Beata Nelson     SO Wisconsin         1:49.59    1:49.33Pq      
    r:+0.69  25.62        53.40 (27.78)
        1:21.29 (27.89)     1:49.33 (28.04)
  2 Kathleen Baker   JR California        1:48.27    1:49.57Pq      
    r:+0.70  25.44        52.88 (27.44)
        1:21.18 (28.30)     1:49.57 (28.39)
  3 Asia Seidt       SO Kentucky          1:49.65    1:49.64Pq      
    r:+0.73  26.12        53.76 (27.64)
        1:21.65 (27.89)     1:49.64 (27.99)
  4 Janet Hu         SR Stanford          1:49.49    1:50.13Pq      
    r:+0.57  25.38        53.01 (27.63)
        1:21.35 (28.34)     1:50.13 (28.78)
  5 Ali Galyer       SO Kentucky          1:50.63    1:50.16Pq      
    r:+0.66  26.30        53.96 (27.66)
        1:22.00 (28.04)     1:50.16 (28.16)
  6 Clara Smiddy     SR Michigan          1:50.63    1:50.82 q      
    r:+0.64  26.32        54.12 (27.80)
        1:22.50 (28.38)     1:50.82 (28.32)
  7 Kylie Stewart    SR Georgia           1:51.32    1:51.07 q      
    r:+0.69  26.49        54.32 (27.83)
        1:22.34 (28.02)     1:51.07 (28.73)
  8 Lisa Bratton     SR Texas A&M         1:49.83    1:51.18 q      
    r:+0.71  26.53        54.54 (28.01)
        1:22.94 (28.40)     1:51.18 (28.24)

100 Free

Louisville junior Mallory Comerford was the only swimmer to break 47 seconds in the heats of the 100 free as she swam a 46.88 in the prelims to take the top seed. She is coming off a strong 200 free last night where she became the second swimmer ever to break 1:40 in the event.

Comerford will have her hands full with 2015 and 2017 champion Simone Manuel who is the second seed at 47.08.

Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff (47.17), Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey (47.28), Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil (47.28), Tennessee’s Erika Brown (47.29), Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello (47.36) and Cal’s Amy Bilquist (47.45) will also swim in the championship final.

 Event 17  Women 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
     American: A 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
    U.S. Open: O 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         Meet: C 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         Pool: P 46.70  12/2/2017 Mallory Comerford, Louisville
                 47.53  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 49.99  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Mallory Comerfo  JR Louisville          46.65      46.88 q      
    r:+0.66  22.77        46.88 (24.11)
  2 Simone Manuel    SR Stanford            46.43      47.08 q      
    r:+0.70  22.43        47.08 (24.65)
  3 Alyssa Tetzloff  JR Auburn              47.39      47.17 q      
    r:+0.64  22.41        47.17 (24.76)
  4 Siobhan Haughey  JR Michigan            47.20      47.28 q      
    r:+0.70  22.69        47.28 (24.59)
  4 Abbey Weitzeil   SO California          46.63      47.28 q      
    r:+0.65  22.52        47.28 (24.76)
  6 Erika Brown      SO Tennessee           47.17      47.29 q      
    r:+0.68  22.86        47.29 (24.43)
  7 Beryl Gastaldel  SR Texas A&M           47.77      47.36 q      
    r:+0.62  22.76        47.36 (24.60)
  8 Amy Bilquist     JR California          47.79      47.45 q      
    r:+0.67  22.66        47.45 (24.79)

200 Breast

Indiana junior Lilly King cruised to the top seed in the 200 breast as she was the only one to break 2:06 in the event with a comfortable 2:05.49.

Half of the field in the A-final will be Texas A&M Aggies as Sydney Pickrem (2:06.61), Bethany Galat (2:07.10), Anna Belousova (2:07.99) and Esther Gonzalez Medina (2:08.01) all finished in the top eight this morning. No school, not even Stanford, has had four score in the top eight at this meet.

Kentucky’s Bailey Bonnett (2:07.68), Minnesota’s Lindsey Kozelsky (2:07.75) and Michigan’s Miranda Tucker (2:07.85) will also swim in the championship final.

 Event 18  Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 2:03.18  3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
     American: A 2:03.18  3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
    U.S. Open: O 2:03.18  3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
         Meet: C 2:03.18  3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
         Pool: P 2:04.68  2/17/2018 Lillia King, Indiana
                 2:07.18  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 2:15.99  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Lilly King       JR Indiana           2:04.68    2:05.49 q      
    r:+0.68  27.59        59.76 (32.17)
        1:32.61 (32.85)     2:05.49 (32.88)
  2 Sydney Pickrem   JR Texas A&M         2:04.62    2:06.61 q      
    r:+0.70  29.37      1:01.36 (31.99)
        1:34.00 (32.64)     2:06.61 (32.61)
  3 Bethany Galat    SR Texas A&M         2:06.52    2:07.10 q      
    r:+0.61  29.27      1:01.13 (31.86)
        1:33.68 (32.55)     2:07.10 (33.42)
  4 Bailey Bonnett   FR Kentucky          2:07.17    2:07.68 q      
    r:+0.67  29.20      1:01.47 (32.27)
        1:34.44 (32.97)     2:07.68 (33.24)
  5 Lindsey Kozelsk  SO Minnesota         2:07.37    2:07.75 q      
    r:+0.67  28.12      1:00.40 (32.28)
        1:33.63 (33.23)     2:07.75 (34.12)
  6 Miranda Tucker   SO Michigan          2:06.59    2:07.85 q      
    r:+0.63  28.17      1:00.85 (32.68)
        1:34.27 (33.42)     2:07.85 (33.58)
  7 Anna Belousova   SO Texas A&M         2:05.08    2:07.99 q      
    r:+0.65  29.77      1:02.19 (32.42)
        1:35.65 (33.46)     2:07.99 (32.34)
  8 Esther Gonzalez  SR Texas A&M         2:07.15    2:08.01 q      
    r:+0.74  29.87      1:02.21 (32.34)
        1:35.02 (32.81)     2:08.01 (32.99)

200 Fly

Stanford junior Ella Eastin has been on fire at the NCAA Championships as she has broken the American Record in both the 200 and 400 IM already at this meet. She swam a 1:51.76 in the heats of the 200 fly as she is the top seed ahead of Stanford sophomore Katie Drabot (1:52.23).

Eastin broke the NCAA and American Record last month at the Pac-12 Championships so she could re-break it tonight in the final after the week she has had.

Georgia’s Megan Kingsley (1:53.14), Louisville’s Grace Oglesby (1:53.16), Cal’s Katie McLaughlin (1:53.16), USC’s Maddie Wright (1:53.17), USC’s Louise Hansson (1:53.28) and Michigan’s Vanessa Krause (1:53.31) also placed in the top eight.

 Event 19  Women 200 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
     American: A 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
    U.S. Open: O 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         Meet: C 1:50.61  3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville
         Pool: P 1:51.02  12/4/2010 Katinka Hosszu, Southern Cali
                 1:53.80  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 1:59.59  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Ella Eastin      JR Stanford          1:49.51    1:51.76 q      
    r:+0.70  25.45        53.91 (28.46)
        1:22.63 (28.72)     1:51.76 (29.13)
  2 Katie Drabot     SO Stanford          1:51.74    1:52.23 q      
    r:+0.75  25.35        53.94 (28.59)
        1:23.04 (29.10)     1:52.23 (29.19)
  3 Megan Kingsley   SR Georgia           1:52.62    1:53.14 q      
    r:+0.64  25.50        53.88 (28.38)
        1:23.12 (29.24)     1:53.14 (30.02)
  4 Grace Oglesby    SO Louisville        1:53.87    1:53.16 q      
    r:+0.66  25.76        54.45 (28.69)
        1:23.47 (29.02)     1:53.16 (29.69)
  4 Katie McLaughli  JR California        1:54.97    1:53.16 q      
    r:+0.69  25.19        53.71 (28.52)
        1:22.81 (29.10)     1:53.16 (30.35)
  6 Maddie Wright    JR USC               1:53.38    1:53.17 q      
    r:+0.72  25.71        54.19 (28.48)
        1:23.18 (28.99)     1:53.17 (29.99)
  7 Louise Hansson   SO USC               1:51.13    1:53.28 q      
    r:+0.75  24.78        52.95 (28.17)
        1:22.40 (29.45)     1:53.28 (30.88)
  8 Vanessa Krause   SO Michigan          1:53.44    1:53.31 q      
    r:+0.64  25.99        54.73 (28.74)
        1:24.01 (29.28)     1:53.31 (29.30)

400 Free Relay

Stanford and Cal took the top two seeds after the 400 free relay heats as Stanford has the top spot at 3:11.15 and Cal is second at 3:11.23. Janet Hu (48.24), Lauren Pitzer (48.15), Katie Drabot (47.62) and Simone Manuel (47.14) swam for the Cardinal as they have a lot left in the tank for tonight.

Stanford has the potential to be only the third school to win all five relays at the NCAA Championships. Georgia in 2005 and Arizona in 2008 were the other schools to do so.

Louisville (3:11.51), Michigan (3:11.88), Virginia (3:12.41), Tennessee (3:12.46), Texas (3:12.63) and Texas A&M (3:12.66) will also swim in the championship final. The race for fourth place could come down to the last relay and it could be won in the final heat.

The fastest splits came from Mallory Comerford (46.58), Manuel (47.14), Stanzi Moseley (47.29) and Claire Adams (47.37).

 Event 21  Women 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
====================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:07.61  3/18/2017 Stanford
                          S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal
     American: A 3:07.61  3/18/2017 Stanford
                          S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal
    U.S. Open: O 3:07.61  3/18/2017 Stanford
                          S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal
         Meet: C 3:07.61  3/17/2017 Stanford
                          S Manuel, K Ledecky, J Hu, L Neal
         Pool: P 3:10.96  2/17/2018 Michigan
                          C Deloof, S Haughey, D Pyshnenko, G Deloof
                 3:15.43  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 3:16.93  CONS NCAA B Standard
    School                           Seed    Prelims              
====================================================================
                       === Preliminaries ===                        
 
  1 Stanford                      3:09.76    3:11.15 q      
     1) Janet Hu SR                   2) r:0.23 Lauren Pitzer FR      
     3) r:0.26 Katie Drabot SO        4) r:0.39 Simone Manuel SR      
    r:+0.59  23.15        48.24 (48.24)
        1:11.30 (23.06)     1:36.39 (48.15)
        1:59.28 (22.89)     2:24.01 (47.62)
        2:47.04 (23.03)     3:11.15 (47.14)
  2 California                    3:09.04    3:11.23 q      
     1) Robin Neumann FR              2) r:0.21 Abbey Weitzeil SO     
     3) r:0.28 Maddie Murphy SO       4) r:0.32 Amy Bilquist JR       
    r:+0.68  23.42        48.32 (48.32)
        1:10.74 (22.42)     1:35.67 (47.35)
        1:58.39 (22.72)     2:23.78 (48.11)
        2:46.35 (22.57)     3:11.23 (47.45)
  3 Louisville                    3:10.73    3:11.51 q      
     1) Lainey Visscher SO            2) r:0.22 Mallory Comerford JR  
     3) r:0.17 Arina Openysheva FR    4) r:0.27 Casey Fanz SO         
    r:+0.64  23.33        48.42 (48.42)
        1:10.70 (22.28)     1:35.00 (46.58)
        1:57.99 (22.99)     2:23.17 (48.17)
        2:46.13 (22.96)     3:11.51 (48.34)
  4 Michigan                      3:10.96    3:11.88 q      
     1) Gabby Deloof SR               2) r:0.27 Catie Deloof JR       
     3) r:0.33 Siobhan Haughey JR     4) r:0.41 Daria Pyshnenko FR    
    r:+0.71  23.03        48.01 (48.01)
        1:10.57 (22.56)     1:36.40 (48.39)
        1:59.25 (22.85)     2:23.80 (47.40)
        2:46.59 (22.79)     3:11.88 (48.08)
  5 Virginia                      3:09.45    3:12.41 q      
     1) Morgan Hill SO                2) r:0.14 Caitlin Cooper SR     
     3) r:0.35 Eryn Eddy JR           4) r:0.18 Laine Reed SR         
    r:+0.69  23.41        48.53 (48.53)
        1:10.93 (22.40)     1:36.42 (47.89)
        1:59.47 (23.05)     2:24.71 (48.29)
        2:47.53 (22.82)     3:12.41 (47.70)
  6 Tennessee                     3:12.76    3:12.46 q      
     1) Erika Brown SO                2) r:0.38 Micah Bohon SR        
     3) r:0.48 Bailey Grinter FR      4) r:0.31 Stanzi Moseley SO     
    r:+0.68  23.16        47.96 (47.96)
        1:11.34 (23.38)     1:36.89 (48.93)
        2:00.18 (23.29)     2:25.17 (48.28)
        2:47.94 (22.77)     3:12.46 (47.29)
  7 Texas                         3:11.72    3:12.63 q      
     1) Rebecca Millard SR            2) r:0.32 Claire Adams SO       
     3) r:0.11 Brooke Hansen JR       4) r:0.27 Anelise Diener JR     
    r:+0.71  23.22        48.13 (48.13)
        1:10.76 (22.63)     1:35.50 (47.37)
        1:58.48 (22.98)     2:24.17 (48.67)
        2:47.06 (22.89)     3:12.63 (48.46)
  8 Texas A&M                     3:13.19    3:12.66 q      
     1) Beryl Gastaldello SR          2) r:0.17 Claire Rasmus JR      
     3) r:0.33 Katie Portz SO         4) r:0.22 Kristin Malone SR     
    r:+0.61  23.17        47.46 (47.46)
        1:10.82 (23.36)     1:35.72 (48.26)
        1:59.18 (23.46)     2:24.67 (48.95)
        2:47.51 (22.84)     3:12.66 (47.99)

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My Beach Things

6 years ago

gosh