2018 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships – Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2018 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, March 14 – Saturday, March 17
• Swimming: prelims 10am, finals 6pm; Diving: 2pm
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Queens (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Video
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Day 4

Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DII: 48.44 3/11/2017 Theresa Michalak, West Florida
• Meet: 48.44 3/11/2017 Theresa Michalak, West Florida

Qualifiers:

1. Miranda Yarnell, JR WSCU 49.71
2. Vera Johansson, SR Drury University 49.90
3. Zuzanna Chwadeczko, SR Drury University 49.97
4. Kyrie Dobson, JR Queens (NC) 49.97
5. Mckenzie Stevens, SR Queens (NC) 49.99
6. Alexis Divelbiss, SR Wingate 50.08
7. Victoria Fonville, SO Oklahoma Baptist 50.26
8. Wanda Dollmayer, FR Queens (NC) 50.35
9. Lara Marshall, SR Queens (NC) 50.38
10. Josephina Lorda, JR Queens (NC) 50.43
11. Michelle Prayson, JR Queens (NC) 50.44
12. Margaret Stansberry, SR Carson-Newman 50.44
13. Natalia Garriock, SR Saint Leo 50.54
14. Yekaterina Rudenko, SR Drury University 50.57
15. Hana Van Loock, FR TAMPA 50.63
16. Krystal Caylor, FR Indy 50.69

Drury senior Yekaterina Rudenko opened the morning session with a 50.57 win in heat 1 of women’s 100 free, dropping 1.2 seconds from her seed time. Cal State East Bay sophomore Allie Klinger (51.33) and Cal Baptist senior Sofia Petrenko (51.38) each took a half-second off their entry times to finish second and third in the heat. Queens sophomore Georgia DaCruz (50.96) won the next heat ahead of UC San Diego freshman Ciara Franke (51.05) and Bloomsburg senior Nicole Young (51.80).

Heat 3 was an all-Truman State affair; senior Jamie Fitzpatrick, swimming in the outside lane, out-touched her classmate Nicole Sisson, 51.11 to 51.16. LIU Post senior Laura Bendfeldt was third in 51.44.

Oklahoma Baptist sophomore Victoria Fonville dropped 8/10 to win the last heat before the circle-seeds in 50.26, with Wayne State junior Lezlie Bueno Estrada (51.14) and Tampa sophomore Megan Waddell (51.27) in second and third. Queens senior Lara Marshall opened the championship-seeeded heats with 50.38. Behind her were teammate Michelle Prayson and Carson-Newman senior Margaret Stansberry, tied at 50.44.

Drury senior Vera Johansson dropped just over 1 second to win heat 6 from out in lane 8 with 49.90. There was another tied for second place as Kyrie Dobson of Queens and Drury senior Zuzanna Chwadeczko came to the wall in 49.97. Top-seeded Miranda Yarnell of Western State Colorado won the last heat with 49.71 ahead of Queens senior Mckenzie Stevens (49.99) and Wingate senior Alexis Divelbiss (50.08).

Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke – Prelims

• NCAA DII: 1:54.48 3/11/2017 Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC)
• Meet: 1:54.48 3/11/2017 Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC)

Qualifiers:

1. Rachel Helm, SO NMU 1:58.15
2. Edda Skoric, SO Northern State 1:58.72
3. Courtney Deveny, SR Nova S’eastern 1:58.92
4. Stephanie Palczynski, FR Lewis 1:59.00
5. Rachel Massaro, FR Queens (NC) 1:59.30
6. Cassandra Wright, FR Sioux Falls 1:59.84
7. Georgia Wright, SO West Chester 2:00.27
8. Celina Marquez, SO Oklahoma Baptist 2:00.38
9. Alexandra Rodman, SR UCSD 2:00.50
10. Jessie Gibson, SO Simon Fraser 2:00.87
11. Emily Marginean, JR Wayne State 2:00.95
12. Samantha Postmus, SR Grand Valley 2:01.07
13. Sydney Rey, SO McKendree 2:01.18
14. Chelsea Calhoon, SR Minnesota State 2:01.22
15. Suzanne Afchain, JR Oklahoma Baptist 2:01.61
16. Karis Fuller, JR LIU Post 2:01.68

Sioux Falls freshman Cassandra Wright got things started with a massive 2.1-second drop from her seed time to win the first heat of 200 backstroke. Trailing behind her were Simon Fraser sophomore Jessie Gibson (2:00.87, a 1.6-second improvement) and MSU-Mankato senior Taylor Bass (2:01.79, a .25-second improvement).

Nova S’eastern senior Courtney Deveny went 1:58.92 to win heat 2 in an incredibly tight battle with Lewis freshman Stephanie Palczynski (1:59.00) and Queens freshman Rachel Massaro (1:59.30). Northern State sophomore Edda Skoric went 1:58.72 to take heat 3, with West Chester sophomore Georgia Wright (2:00.27) and Grand Valley senior Samantha Postmus (2:01.07) touching second and third.

Queens freshman Vladyslava Maznytska took the final heat out quickly. She led Oklahoma Baptist sophomore Celina Marquez and Northern Michigan sophomore Rachel Helm at the 100. But the second half belonged to Helm, and she finished in 1:58.15 followed by Marquez (2:00.38) and UCSD senior Alexandra Rodman (2:00.50).

Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke – Prelims

• NCAA DII: 2:09.12 3/11/2017 Bailee Nunn, Drury
• Meet: 2:09.12 3/11/2017 Bailee Nunn, Drury

Qualifiers:

1. Bailee Nunn, SO Drury University 2:13.51
2. Olga Tovstogan, SO Fresno Pacific 2:13.97
3. Claire Beaty, SR CSU East Bay 2:14.35
4. Marlena Dudek, SR Fairmont State 2:14.81
5. Daria Belova, SR Fresno Pacific 2:15.29
6. Maggie Melhorn, SR Carson-Newman 2:15.75
7. Sarah Atkinson, FR Queens (NC) 2:15.95
8. Rachel Taylor, FR UCSD 2:16.03
9. Malin Westman, SR Nova S’eastern 2:16.05
10. Ewa Dymarek, SR Lindenwood 2:16.16
11. Anne-Sofie Nissen, FR Wingate 2:16.50
12. Natalie Galluzzo, FR Truman St. 2:16.64
13. Katharina Vos, SO Wingate 2:16.73
14. Stephanie O’Toole, JR SHIP 2:16.87
15. Mckenzie Street, JR TAMPA 2:17.69
16. Nicole Young, SR Bloomsburg 2:17.07

Shippensburg junior Stephanie O’Toole (2:16.87) dropped 1.2 to claim the first heat of 200 breaststroke, with Queens junior Hayley Blaauw (2:18.03) and Hillsdale junior Anika Ellingson (2:18.44) battling for second.

Fairmont State senior Marlena Dudek improved her seed time by 2.1 seconds to win the first circle-seeded heat with 2:14.81 and qualify fourth overall. Dudek was 10th in this event last year. Fresno Pacific senior Daria Belova, sixth in 2017, went 2:15.29 for second in the heat, just ahead of Queens freshman Sarah Atkinson (2:15.95).

Fresno Pacific sophomore Olga Tovstogan led heat 3 from start to finish, winning with 2:13.97. Cal State East Bay senior Claire Beaty went 2:14.35 for second; Truman State freshman Natalie Galluzzo was third in 2:16.64.

Defending champion and NCAA record-holder Bailee Nunn claimed the final heat in a leisurely 2:13.51. Carson-Newman senior Maggie Melhorn touched out Nova S’eastern senior Malin Westman, 2:15.75 to 2:16.05, over the final 50 yards.

Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Prelims

• NCAA DII: 3:18.75 3/14/2015 Queens (NC) (Castro Ortega, Gordy, Marshall, Arakelian)
• Meet: 3:18.75 3/14/2015 Queens (NC) (Castro Ortega, Gordy, Marshall, Arakelian)

Qualifiers:

1. Queens (NC) 3:21.83
2. Wingate 3:22.39
3. UCSD 3:23.74
4. TAMPA 3:23.75
5. Nova S’eastern 3:23.82
6. Fresno Pacific 3:23.93
7. Drury University 3:23.95
8. Lindenwood 3:24.05
9. Oklahoma Baptist 3:24.27
10. Carson-Newman 3:24.44
11. Florida Southern 3:24.65
12. Wayne State 3:25.03
13. Minnesota State 3:25.08
14. Cal Baptist 3:25.18
15. Saint Leo 3:25.18
16. West Florida 3:25.63

Women’s 1650 Yard Freestyle – Slower Heats

• NCAA DII: 16:17.66 3/15/2008 Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St
• Meet: 16:17.66 3/15/2008 Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St

Top 8 from morning session:

1. Melina Goebel, SO Grand Valley 16:52.72
2. Haley Hamza, SR UCSD 16:53.55
3. Annagrazia Bonsanti, SR Bridgeport 17:01.23
4. Emma O’Neill, SO West Chester 17:01.85
5. Rosalee Santa Ana SR Azusa Pacific 17:02.38
6. Madeline Pitt, SR West Florida 17:03.05
7. Gabriella Spajic, FR NMU 17:04.30
8. Mia Wood, SO Colorado School 17:07.26

UC San Diego senior Haley Hamza set the pace early on in the first heat of the women’s mile. She was followed by Grand Valley sophomore Melina Goebel, Bridgeport senior Annagrazia Bonsanti, and West Florida senior Madeline Pitt. Goebel began to descend at the 1200, and really made her move with 150 yards to go. Goebel ended up winning by half a body length with 16:52.72. Hamza was second in 16:53.55, followed by Bonsanti (17:01.23) and Pitt (17:03.05).

In heat 2, Azusa Pacific senior Tamara Miler, Colorado School of Mines sophomore Mia Wood, and Nova S’eastern senior Madison Yelle were together at the 500. By the 1000, Wood and Miller were still battling it out, having traded leads several times up to that point. Wood began to pick up her pace at about the 1150 and extended her lead with each 50. She finished with 17:07.26; Miler was second in 17:15.27. UCSD junior Reagan Eickert out-touched Yelle at the end, 17:16.25 to 17:16.99.

West Chester sophomore Emma O’Neill won heat 3 on the strength of a huge back half; she dropped 11.4 seconds to win in 17:01.85. Azusa Pacific sophomore Rosalee Santa Ana, who had led throughout most of the race, finished second in 17:02.38, also improving her seed time by 11 seconds. Northern Michigan freshman Gabriella Spajic was third in 17:04.30.

Missouri-Saint Louis sophomore Merel Visser dropped 6 seconds to win the final heat in 17:15.67. West Chester senior Lovisa Nyman was second in 17:30.77.