2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 17 – Saturday, March 20, 2021
• Birmingham CrossPlex / Birmingham, AL (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending champion: Queens (5x) – 2019 results
• Streaming
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s psych sheet

Day Four

Saturday night’s finals session will begin with the 1650 free, where Francesca Bains of Queens and Allison Weber of Drury hold the top two seed times. Weber won the 1000 free on Wednesday and Bains finished second behind teammate Sophie Lange. It’s a tight field in the 100 free, with the top eight swimmers all seeded within .77 of each other. 50 free champion Danielle Melilli of Queens notched the top time in prelims. UIndy’s Katie McCoy swam the fastest 200 back time by 1.5 seconds in morning heats and will be trying to take home a national title for the Greyhounds. In the 200 breast, Colorado Mesa’s Lily Borgenheimer topped the field this morning, also by 1.5 seconds.

Women’s 1650 Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• NCAA DII Record: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St (2008)
• Meet Record: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St (2008)

Top 8:

1. Francesca Bains, Queens – 16:30.98
2. Sophie Lange, Queens – 16:31.01
3. Allison Weber, Drury – 16:37.86
4. Rebecca Dany, Queens – 16:43.59
5. Neta Shiff, Grand Valley – 16:44.32
6. Marina Amorim, Drury – 16:45.06
7. Kate Agger, Wingate – 16:47.89
8. Jana Hellenschmidt, Lindenwood – 16:51.75

It was an exciting start to the final session of the 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships, as Queens senior Francesca Bains wrapped up her collegiate career with a dramatic win in the 1650 free. Drury’s Allison Weber took over the lead at the 500 and set the pace for the next 900 yards. Bain was swimming even with teammate Sophie Lange, about a body length back. At the 1400, Lange made her move and drove past Weber. Over the next 50 yards, Bain passed Weber and tried to stay within a body length of Lange, who was now setting a furious pace. As they hear their bells ring, Bain moved into another gear. She pulled within half a body of Lange on the last turn and sprinted home. When the waves settled, Bains had the win in 16:30.98, just .03 ahead of her teammate. Weber finished third with 16:37.86.

Lindenwood’s Jana Hellenschmidt, who had the fastest time from the morning heats, ended up in the top eight with 16:51.75.

Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 16– Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)
• Meet Record: 16– Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)

Top 8:

1. Lexie Baker, Queens (NC) – 49.49
2. Danielle Melilli, Queens (NC) – 49.50
3. Ester Rizzetto, West Florida – 49.97
4. Marizel Van Jaarsveld, Indy – 50.06
5. Sara Aringsmann, Wingate – 50.14
6. Johanna Buys, Indy – 50.20
7. Yasmin Preusse, Drury – 50.56
8. Hannah Foster, Queens (NC) – 50.80

It couldn’t have been any closer in the women’s 100 free, where Queens senior Lexie Baker won the title by .01. Just like in the previous event, the senior came from behind to snatch victory away from the underclassman, in her last individual performance for the Royals. Baker got her hand to the wall in 49.49, making up for a .2 deficit at the halfway point. Queens sophomore Danielle Melilli, who had led at the 50, finished second in 49.50.

West Florida junior Ester Rizzetto fended of a charging Marizel Van Jaarsveld from Indy to claim third place 49.97 to 50.06.

Women’s – Top 10 Teams – Through Event 34

1. Queens (NC) 619
2. Drury 378
3. Indy 326
4. Lindenwood 312
5. Grand Valley 220
6. Tampa 196.5
7. Wingate 192
8. Delta State 162
9. Carson-Newman 161
10. West Florida 157

Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)
• Meet Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)

Top 8:

1. Katie McCoy, Indy – 1:56.39
2. Rachel Massaro, Queens (NC) – 1:56.96
3. Vladyslava Maznytska, Queens (NC) – 1:57.40
4. Stephanie Palczynski, Lewis – 1:58.52
5. Savannah Tice, WCU – 1:58.92
6. Melina De Cort, Grand Valley – 1:59.02
7. Cassie Wright, Nova S’eastern – 1:59.49
8. Laura Pareja, Drury – 2:03.46

It was top-seeded Katie McCoy of UIndy, swimming in lane 4, with the wire-to-wire victory in the 200 back. Going just a tad faster than she had been in the morning, she split 55.7/1:00.6 to stop the clock with 1:56.39. McCoy snapped the Queens seniors’ title run, as Rachel Massaro placed second in 1:56.96. Another Queens senior, Vladyslava Maznytska, was third with 1:57.40.

Stephanie Palczynski of Lewis beat out Western Colorado’s Savannah Tice, 1:58.52 to 1:58.92, for fourth. Grand Valley junior Melinda De Cort finished .1 behind.

Women’s – Top 10 Teams – Through Event 36

1. Queens (NC) 661
2. Drury 389
3. Indy 351
4. Lindenwood 321
5. Grand Valley 233
6. Tampa 200.5
7. Wingate 195
8. Delta State 162
9. Carson-Newman 161
10. Nova S’eastern 150

Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 2:09.12 – Bailee Nunn, Drury (2017)
• Meet Record: 2:09.12 – Bailee Nunn, Drury (2017)

Top 8:

1. Bec Cross, Drury – 2:13.59
2. Claire Mikesell, IUP – 2:14.48
3. Anne-sofie Nissen, Wingate – 2:14.51
4. Beata Maruszczyk, Lindenwood – 2:15.71
5. Lily Borgenheimer, Colorado Mesa – 2:15.84
6. Meredith Ginn, Carson–Newman – 2:16.10
7. Natalie Galluzzo, Truman State – 2:16.15
8. Savanna Best, Nova S’eastern – 2:16.54

Swimming in lane 1, Drury junior Bec Cross dropped nearly 3 seconds from her prelims time to win the 200 breast title in 2:13.59. As a freshman at 2019 NCAAs, she finished 27th in prelims with 2:19.74.

Cross got out to a quick start, building up half a body lead at the 50 and giving herself clear water for the rest of the race. Colorado Mesa junior Lily Borgenheimer and Truman State senior Natalie Galluzzo tried to go with Cross, but fell off pace at the third 50. Wingate senior Anne-Sofie Nissen and IUP senior Claire Mikesell closed the gap a little on the third 50 but really brought it home on the fourth 50 and pushed past Borgenheimer and Lindenwood’s Beata Maruszczyk.

Women’s – Top 10 Teams – Through Event 38

1. Queens (NC) 661
2. Drury 409
3. Indy 351
4. Lindenwood 336
5. Grand Valley 240
6. Wingate 219
7. Tampa 204.5
8. Carson-Newman 174
9. Nova S’eastern 170
10. Delta State 162

Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 3:18.04 – Queens (NC) M Stevens, K Dobson, W Dollmayer, M Prayson (2018) and Lapshina, Lorda, Dollmayer, Prayson (2019)
• Meet Record: 3:18.04 – Queens (NC) M Stevens, K Dobson, W Dollmayer, M Prayson (2018) and Lapshina, Lorda, Dollmayer, Prayson (2019)

Top 8:

1. UIndy – 3:19.98
2. Queens (NC) – 3:21.53
3. Drury – 3:22.49
4. Wingate – 3:24.09
5. Lindenwood – 3:24.36
6. Tampa – 3:25.27
7. West Florida – 3:25.89
8. Delta State – 3:26.64

UIndy, seeded first with 3:20.70, won the final event of the meet with 3:19.98, improving their seed time by .7. Junior Johanna Buys led off with 49.82. She was followed by senior Marizel Van Jaarsveld (49.64), sophomore Leticia Vaselli (50.10), and senior Krystal Caylor (50.42). The three (all but Vaselli) who had swum in the 100 free finals tonight all went faster. Van Jaarsveld had finished fourth in the individual event with 50.06; Buys, sixth with 50.20; and Caylor, ninth with 50.79.

Queens placed second with 3:21.53, while Drury came in third (3:22.49).

West Florida won heat 1 with 3:25.89 over Nova S’eastern and Grand Valley. Delta State touched out IUP and Carson-Newman in heat 2, winning with 3:26.64. Wingate went 3:24.09 to beat Tampa and Colorado Mesa in heat 3.

Women’s – Top 10 Teams – Through Event 41

1. Queens (NC) 695
2. Drury 441
3. Indy 391
4. Lindenwood 364
5. Grand Valley 250
6. Wingate 249
7. Tampa 230.5
8. Nova S’eastern 188
9. Carson-Newman 186
10. Delta State 184