Swimming World’s Predictions For the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships
Part One
The 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will begin this week in Greensboro, North Carolina after a long and uncertain season that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been two years since we last had an NCAA championship meet, so many swimming fans are just grateful we will hold a national championship meet in a normal format, even if we have to sacrifice no fans being allowed at the meet.
Much like the 2020 meet, Virginia is seeded to have its best finish in school history as the Cavaliers have never been higher than fifth and have never actually won a relay at the NCAA championships in school history. NC State is also seeded to have its highest finish in school history as the two ACC teams, who have competed in Greensboro a number of times, are the top two seeded schools on the psych sheet with California in tow. The Golden Bears may not have the team to win the whole meet but will certainly factor into a number of events.
Swimming World’s team of Andy Ross, Dan D’Addona, David Rieder and Matthew De George will be selecting the winners for each swimming event this weekend in Greensboro.
The meet will begin each night starting Wednesday, March 17 at 6 p.m. EST and will be streaming on the Watch ESPN app. Prelims will begin each morning at 10 a.m. EST and will also be streamed on the same app.
800 Free Relay
Photo Courtesy: University of Virginia Athletics
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Virginia (6:54.31) | Virginia (6:54.31) | Virginia (6:54.31) | Virginia (6:54.31) |
| 2nd | California (6:55.43) | California (6:55.43) | California (6:55.43) | California (6:55.43) |
| 3rd | Stanford (6:58.60) | Stanford (6:58.60) | Stanford (6:58.60) | Texas (6:58.42) |
| 4th | Kentucky (6:58.58) | NC State (6:58.48) | Texas (6:58.42) | Stanford (6:58.60) |
200 Free Relay
Photo Courtesy: Virginia Athletics
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | NC State (1:26.59) | Virginia (1:26.54) | Virginia (1:26.54) | NC State (1:26.59) |
| SECOND | Virginia (1:26.54) | NC State (1:26.59) | California (1:26.84) | Virginia (1:26.54) |
| THIRD | Alabama (1:27.02) | California (1:26.84) | NC State (1:26.59) | California (1:26.84) |
| FOURTH | California (1:26.84) | Alabama (1:27.02) | Alabama (1:27.02) | Alabama (1:27.02) |
500 Free
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Madden (4:33.09) | Madden (4:33.09) | Madden (4:33.09) | Madden (4:33.09) |
| 2nd | Forde (4:37.07) | Harnish (4:35.33) | Forde (4:37.07) | Forde (4:37.07) |
| 3rd | Tankersley (4:37.11) | Forde (4:37.07) | Harnish (4:35.33) | Pfeifer (4:35.73) |
| 4th | Harnish (4:35.33) | Tankersley (4:37.11) | Pfeifer (4:35.73) | Harnish (4:35.33) |
200 IM
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1ST | Walsh (1:51.53) | Walsh (1:51.53) | Walsh (1:51.53) | Walsh (1:51.53) |
| 2ND | Hartman (1:53.68) | Wilson (1:53.58) | Wilson (1:53.58) | Hartman (1:53.68) |
| 3RD | Wilson (1:53.58) | Hartman (1:53.68) | Hartman (1:53.68) | Wilson (1:53.58) |
| 4TH | J. Poole (1:54.52) | Romano (1:54.19) | Nelson (1:54.72) | Romano (1:54.19) |
50 Free
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1ST | MacNeil (21.44) | MacNeil (21.44) | MacNeil (21.44) | MacNeil (21.44) |
| 2ND | Douglass (21.42) | Douglass (21.42) | Douglass (21.42) | Douglass (21.42) |
| 3RD | Alons (21.70) | Antoniou (21.69) | Alons (21.70) | Alons (21.70) |
| 4TH | Dupre (21.82) | Alons (21.70) | Thompson (21.57) | Antoniou (21.69) |
400 Medley Relay
Photo Courtesy: Virginia Athletics
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1ST | NC State (3:26.88) | Virginia (3:26.25) | Virginia (3:26.25) | Virginia (3:26.25) |
| 2ND | Virginia (3:26.25) | NC State (3:26.88) | California (3:26.70) | NC State (3:26.88) |
| 3RD | California (3:26.70) | California (3:26.70) | Texas (3:26.86) | California (3:26.70) |
| 4TH | Texas (3:26.86) | Michigan (3:29.84) | NC State (3:26.88) | Texas (3:26.86) |
400 IM
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | Forde (4:02.57) | Forde (4:02.57) | Forde (4:02.57) | Forde (4:02.57) |
| SECOND | Nelson (4:02.62) | Nelson (4:02.62) | Nelson (4:02.62) | Nelson (4:02.62) |
| THIRD | Wilson (4:04.10) | Wilson (4:04.10) | Pfeifer (4:04.61) | Poole (4:03.90) |
| FOURTH | Moore (4:04.73) | Pfeifer (4:04.61) | Wilson (4:04.10) | Wilson (4:04.10) |
100 Fly
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | MacNeil (49.68) | MacNeil (49.68) | MacNeil (49.68) | Douglass (49.73) |
| SECOND | Douglass (49.73) | Douglass (49.73) | Douglass (49.73) | MacNeil (49.68) |
| THIRD | Alons (50.74) | Ivey (50.87) | Bray (50.37) | Bray (50.37) |
| FOURTH | Cuomo (50.65) | Alons (50.74) | Ivey (50.87) | White (50.94) |
200 Free
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
| PLACE | ANDY | DAN | DAVID | MATTHEW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | Madden (1:42.39) | Madden (1:42.39) | Madden (1:42.39) | Madden (1:42.39) |
| SECOND | Neumann (1:43.19) | Harnish (1:42.96) | Pash (1:42.70) | Harnish (1:42.96) |
| THIRD | Pash (1:42.70) | Neumann (1:43.19) | Neumann (1:43.19) | Stepanek (1:43.36) |
| FOURTH | Stepanek (1:43.36) | Pash (1:42.70) | Walsh (1:45.79) | Gaines (1:42.70) |
