2019 WOMEN’S DIVISION I NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 20th – Saturday, March 23rd
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center — Austin, Texas
- Prelims 9 a.m./Finals 5 p.m. (Central Time)
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Full livestream schedule
Firday night finals from the 2019 Women’s Division I NCAA Championships aired on ESPN, but we’ve been able to round up select videos from the night. We’ll update this post as more become available, but for now there’s both heats of the 400 IM, the 100 fly A-final, 200 free B-final, 100 breast B-final and 100 back A-final.
Originally reported by Lauren Neidigh.
400 IM – A- and B-finals
Northwestern’s Calypso Sheridan jumped out to an early lead on the first 50, but American record holder Ella Eastin quickly fought back to have the lead after fly. She built her lead on back, with Sheridan close behind. Eastin held onto her lead with 55.59 final 100. Her 3:57.03 is the 4th fastest performance ever and she’s won the event all 4 years of her NCAA career.
Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem caught up to Sheridan on the first 50 of breast with a 33.0 split, while Stanford’s Brooke Forde, the 500 free champ, starting to track down Sheridan, who was 34.0 on that split. Pickrem dropped almost a full second from her best time as she placed 2nd, now tying Julia Smit as the 6th fastest performer ever in 3:58.23.
In the race for 3rd, Forde fully ran down Sheridan on the first 25 of free, taking her first 50 out in 27.73, nearly 2 full seconds faster than Sheridan. Forde gained some ground on Pickrem as well, with the fastest final 100 of the field (54.57). At the finish, Forde clipped her best time for 3rd in 3:59.26 and remains #9 all-time. Sheridan ended up 4th in 4:01.35, a best time by almost 3 seconds.
Tennessee’s Tess Cieplucha led the B-final after 300 yards by just .05, then built a larger lead over the last 100, taking the heat in 4:04.88. Penn State’s Ally McHugh, the 2018 U.S. National Champion in this race last summer, stormed back on the final 50 to touch second in 4:05.78.
100 fly – A-final only
Louise Hansson’s NCAA-title winning and NCAA record breaking 100-Yard Butterfly (49.26)! #FightOn pic.twitter.com/jRjxCuGxSh
— USC Swim & Dive (@USCswim) March 22, 2019
USC’s Louise Hansson was right on her own record pace at the 50 in 23.03. She held on to her lead, posting the fastest time in history to repeat as champion with a new NCAA Record of 49.26. Behind her, Michigan freshman Maggie MacNeil was within about 2 tenths of the American Record with a 49.66, which is just hundredths shy of her best from Big Tens. MacNeil’s swim was the 4th fastest performance in history.
Cal’s Katie McLaughlin broke 50 for the first time, making her the 5th swimmer ever to break that barrier with a 49.97. That breaks Natalie Coughlin’s former Cal school record of 50.01. Tennessee’s Erika Brown, the 4th fastest performer ever, was 4th here in 50.38.
SEC runner-up Aly Tetzloff of Auburn clipped a few tenths off her best time for a top 5 finish, clocking in at 50.61. Cal freshman Izzy Ivey hit the wall in 50.82 for her first sub-51 swim. Virginia’s Morgan Hillalso broke 51 for the first time, just 2 hundredths behind Ivey for 7th in 50.84. Both Tetzloff and Ivey will compete in the 100 back later tonight.
200 free
100 breast – B-final only
100 back – A-final only
Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson was flying under record pace with a 23.76 at the 50. Nelson followed through with the fastest time in history, crushing the American Record by almost half a second in 49.18. That makes her 2-for-2 in individual titles here. Nelson broke her own NCAA Record tonight, but took back the American Record after Regan Smith broke Nelson’s mark earlier this month. Nelson has now broken 50 for the 5th time in her career and owns 5 of the all-time top 10 performances.
Cal’s Amy Bilquist took almost half a second off her best, closing in on the 50-barrier with a 50.05 for 2nd. She’s now the 10th fastest in history. Stanford freshman Taylor Ruck took 3rd here, posting another lifetime best on the back end of her double. Ruck reached in in 50.34, just out-touching Cal freshman Izzy Ivey, who also swam a best time on the back end of a double in 50.42. There was a 3rd freshman to swim this as their 2nd individual race tonight. Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil finished 6th in 50.98.
Kentucky’s Asia Seidt nabbed a school record, dropping a couple of tenths from her best in 50.68 for 5th place. Florida’s Sherridon Dressel was just a tenth shy of her best to give the Gators their highest finish since 2016, placing 7th in 51.03. Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff, the SEC champion, was 8th in 51.33. Tetzloff also competed in the 100 fly earlier.