2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships: Day 4 Distance Live Recap

2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 16-19, 2022
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
• Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video (ESPN3): Swimming / Diving
• Saturday morning heat sheets

Women 1650 Yard Freestyle – Slower Heats

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• Meet Record: 15:07.70 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• American Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• US Open Record: 15:03.31 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• Pool Record: 15:32.72 – Leah Smith, Virginia (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Paige Madden, Virginia – 15:41.86

Top 8:

1. Erica Sullivan, FR Texas – 15:45.94
2. Evie Pfeifer, 5Y Texas – 15:48.34
3. Madelyn Donohoe, JR Virginia – 15:55.14
4. Maya Geringer, SO Ohio State – 15:59.82
5. Ching Hwee Gan, FR Indiana – 16:02. 68
6. Tylor Mathieu, JR Florida – 16:03.73
7. Chase Travis, SO Virginia Tech – 16:05.09
8. Aurora Roghair, FR Stanford – 16:06.04

Penn junior Catherine Buroker dropped 13 seconds to win heat 1 in 16:07.84. Seeded 44th, she swam a time that would have made her the 20th seed this year. It would have scored 10th at last year’s NCAAs. Lia Thomas holds the Penn record of 15:59.71. UCLA’s Paige Maceachern was second with 16:24.50.

Florida sophomore Elise Bauer improved her time by 8.4 seconds to win heat 2 with 16:06.48 and move ahead of Penn’s Buroker. She came to the wall half a pool length ahead of UNC Wilmington Brooke Knisely (16.13.47).

Heat 3 began with Kaitlynn Sims of Michigan getting out to a big lead at the 250, leading the field by about a body. Her lead gradually shrank, and by the 550, Tennessee freshman Summer Smith had taken over the lead. NC State Brooke Travis was third at that wall, but soon moved into second place behind Smith. Meanwhile, out in lane 1, Florida junior Tylor Mathieu joined Smith and Travis; she flipped in third place at the 900 but took over the lead at the 1050 and never looked back. Mathieu won the heat in 16:03.73, improving her seed time by 9.5 seconds. She took over the lead, moving ahead of Buroker, with a time that would have been seventh in 2021. Behind her, Smith and Travis traded leads several times and their sprint to the finish was thrilling. Travis got the touch, 16:09.64 to 16.09.81, and they moved to fourth and fifth so far.

Penn junior Anna Kalandadze shot out to the early lead in heat 4. She had a big lead at the 400 but by the 450, she began to fade and Virginia junior Madelyn Donohoe took over. Donohoe, who finished 11th in this event last year, continued to build her lead over the field and ended up winning by half a pool length in 15:55.14. That would have been the fifth time a year ago. Indiana freshman Mariah Denigan came in second, while Kentucky sophomore Megan Drumm (16:10.90) finished third.

The final heat was dominated by the Longhorns. Texas freshman Erica Sullivan established a very quick pace early on and had already built up a two-body-length lead at the 250. Her teammate Evie Pfeifer, who was runner-up in this event a year ago, was another body length ahead of the rest of the field. Sullivan and Pfeifer put on a show for the rest of the race, way out in front, chasing the clock so as to make the top-8 after the final heat swims tonight. Sullivan finished with 15:45.94. Pfeifer was second in 15:48.34. Ohio State sophomore Maya Geringer came in third with 15:59.82. She was followed by Ching Hwee Gan of Indiana (16:02.68), Virginia Tech sophomore Chase Travis (16:05.09), Aurora Roghair of Stanford (16:06.04), and Virginia freshman Emma Weyant (16:08.34).