2020 NAIA Women’s Swimming & Diving National Championship
- Dates: March 4-7, 2020
- Times: Prelims 9 AM; Finals 5 PM
- Location: Allan Jones Aquatic Center – Knoxville, Tennessee (Central Time Zone)
- Defending Champions: SCAD Savannah (2x) (results)
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results: Available here
- Live Video: Available here
- Championship Central
Day Four
Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke – Prelims
- Meet Record: 1:56.87 Amanda Moran, Olivet Nazarene 3/4/2017
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Dóra Reizinger, Life 2:04.13
- Maria Basto, Cumberlands 2:05.45
- Allie Rassenfoss, SCAD 2:05.54
- Sydney Darnell, Indiana Wesleyan 2:05.73
- Gaja Kristan, Keiser 2:06.21
- Kamy Alexander, Loyola 2:06.59
- Meagan Abad, Keiser 2:06.88
- Maggie Halloran, MILL 2:08.83
Top-seeded freshman Dóra Reizinger of Life University headed the list of qualifiers for the women’s 200 back final with 2:14.13, only .95 off her seed time. Cumberlands freshman Maria Basto posted the second time of 2:05.45, just ahead of SCAD sophomore Allie Rassenfoss (2:05.54), who dropped over 1 second to land in the third spot. Rassenfoss was runner-up last year.
Indiana Wesleyan sophomore Sydney Darnell, who placed 6th in 2019, dropped almost 7 seconds from her entry time to qualify 4th in 2:05.73. That is 3.4 seconds faster than her time from finals last year. Keiser sophomore Gaja Kristan (-2.2), Loyola junior Kamy Alexander (-1.4), Keiser senior Meagan Abad (-3.5), and Milligan junior Maggie Halloran (-3.2) also dropped time to make the A final.
There were numerous time drops among the B-final qualifiers: Erika Roller of SCAD (-2.4), Varvara Klyueva of Keiser (-1.1), Sophia Greco from Soka (-2.1), Harley Van Luvender of SCAD (-1.4), and Bayley Blackmon of Brenau (-1.8). Yanne Toussaint of Brenau, Izzy Jackson from Cumberlands and Westmont’s Morgan Bienias will also compete in the B final.
Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle – Prelims
- Meet Record: 49.24 Julie Woody, SCAD 3/4/2017
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Mendy De Rooi, Cumberlands 51.00
- Sloan Sizemore, SCAD 51.06
- Spencer Sheridan, SCAD 51.12
- Emma Sofie Augustsson, Keiser 51.62
- Elianna Kennon, Keiser 51.74
- Jessica Macdonald, Lindsey Wilson 52.09
- Anna Kate McGinty, SCAD 52.51
- Maya Murphy, College of Idaho 52.84
Cumberlands sophomore Mendy De Rooi, looking to repeat her 2019 Swimmer of the Meet honor with another three individual victories, landed lane 4 for tonight’s 100 free final with 51.00. That’s .45 faster than her winning time last year. Spencer Sheridan of SCAD, runner-up to De Rooi in 2019, also went .45 faster than that final. She and classmate Sloan Sizemore qualified 3rd and 2nd, respectively. Emma Sofia Augustsson and Elianna Kennon of Keiser and Jessica Macdonald of Lindsey Wilson will be battling at the 51-mid range tonight. SCAD sophomore Anna Kate McGinty took .76 off her seed time to qualify 7th, just ahead of Maya Murphy from College of Idaho. Macdonald was 3rd and Augustsson was 7th last year.
Swimming in the B final will be Brenau freshman Hanne te Velthuis, College of Saint Mary sophomore Emily Jacobson, ONU junior Leanna Latocha (-.5 from seed time), Lincoln junior Colleen Furgeson (-.2), Brenau junior Makenzie Norman (-.4), Karina Braathen of Keiser, freshman Jasmine Wilkins of Loyola New Orleans, and Lezly Plahn of The Masters University (-.9).
Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke – Prelims
- Meet Record: 2:14.90 Laurette Hakansson, Drury 1993
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Isabella Song, SCAD 2:18.66
- Ali Sippel, SCAD 2:20.58
- Payton DeZur, Olivet Nazarene 2:21.42
- Julia Hnidenko, Cumberlands 2:22.40
- Ori Freibach, Keiser 2:22.80
- Lillian Thurber, Life 2:22.90
- Sarah Scargill, SCAD 2:23.62
- Hannah Springer, Asbury 2:23.87
SCAD freshman Isabella Song knocked over 1 second off her seed time to notch a field-leading 2:18.66 in prelims. She finished nearly 2 seconds ahead of her classmate Ali Sippel who dropped 2.7 seconds of her own to land the 2nd spot. ONU sophomore Payton DeZur improved her seed time by 4.3 seconds to qualify 3rd with 2:21.42. She finished sixth in this event a year ago.
Julia Hnidenko of Cumberlands, third in 2019, led a trio of 2:22s that also included Keiser sophomore Ori Freibach and Life freshman Lillian Thurber. SCAD sophomore Sarah Scargill, 8th in the 2019 final, qualified 7th with 2:23.62, just ahead of Asbury junior Hannah Springer.
College of Idaho’s Caroline Yanelli (7th last year) led the qualifiers for the B final with 2:25.10. She will be joined by Loyola junior Melanie Dunnuck (-.3), Keiser freshman Alexandra Giourtzidou, Vivienne Kunkler from Bethel-Indiana (-2.4), Cumberlands freshman Isabelle Asserstahl, Loyola junior Katie Szum, and Union’s Solveig Refve and Sloan Smith.
Women’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Prelims
- Meet Record: 2:00.89 Christine Tixier, BIOLA 3/7/2015
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Lydia Reinhardt, SCAD 2:03.92
- Thea Brandauer, SCAD 2:06.42
- Noelia Garzon, Keiser 2:08.57
- Emily Elz, SCAD 2:09.55
- Maggie Davis, Thomas 2:09.63
- E. Smith, Cumberlands 2:10.22
- Anna Lofton, Keiser 2:10.52
- Anna Herbst, Keiser 2:10.85
Defending champion Lydia Reinhardt of SCAD went .31 faster than her winning time in last year’s final to post the morning’s top time of 2:03.92. A win in tonight’s final will give the senior a four-year sweep of the event. SCAD freshman Thea Brandauer improved her seed time by .32 to earn the right to lane 5 tonight. She will swim right next to her classmate Emily Elz who improved her entry time by .18 to qualify 4th with 2:09.55. Lane 3 will feature Keiser freshman Noelia Garzon (2:08.57).
Maggie Davis of Thomas (-.43), Cumberlands freshman M.E. Smith (-.1), Keiser junior Anna Lofton, and her teammate Anna Herbst (runner-up in 2019) will also compete in the A final.
Casey Walin from Cumberlands (7th last year) will head the qualifiers for the B final. She will be joined by Keiser freshman Barbara Rodrigez (-.7), Life sophomore Victoria Acosta (-1.3), College of Idaho’s Reina Watkins (-4.7), ONU’s Ashley Basham (-1), Keiser’s Varvara Klyueva, Sara Overly of Cumberlands (-1.8), and Keiser’s Amanda Stromberg (-.15).
Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Prelims
- Meet Record: 3:23.11 Oklahoma Baptist University, OBU (L Galarza, E Forbes-Milne, A Antonissen, L Keller 3/7/2015)
Top 8 qualifiers:
- SCAD 3:30.74
- Keiser 3:31.58
- Cumberlands 3:33.49
- Olivet Nazarene 3:33.71
- IWU 3:34.77
- Loyola 3:36.34
- College of Idaho 3:36.57
- Brenau 3:37.24
SCAD went 3.3 seconds slower than their entry time but still landed the top slot for tonight’s final with a 3:30.74 from Sheridan (51.55), McGinty (53.02), Elz (52.62), and Chloe Hui (53.55).
Keiser used Braathen (53.40), Lofton (53.72), Stefania Sofoulis (53.50), and Kennon (50.96) to land the second slot with 3:31.58.
Cumberlands’ De Rooi led off with 50.62 and was joined by Nicole Ceausu (54.47), Becca Loftus (54.59), and Basto (53.81) to qualify third with 3:33.49.
Last year, Keiser won this event and Cumberlands edged SCAD by .01 for second place.
Olivet Nazarene dropped 2.4 seconds from their seed time to qualify fourth. Indiana Wesleyan (-.8), Loyola New Orleans (-.35), College of Idaho (-7.35), and Brenau (-.13) will join SCAD, Keiser and Cumberlands in the A final.
Life (-.9), Asbury (-1.1), Arizona Christian (-2.1), and Soka (-3) all dropped time and made the B final but the biggest improvement came from Bethel-Indiana. The Pilots improved by 11.2 seconds and set a new school record with their 3:43.89. Sarah Hyska (55.86), Vivienne Kunkler (55.80), Abigail Barnes (57.95), and Elisabeth Wolfe (54.28) contributed to the record.
Women’s 1650 Yard Freestyle – Slower Heats
- Meet Record: 16:43.37 Kathryn Rosberg, Simon Fraser 2007
Top 8:
- Grayson Reynolds, SCAD 17:32.23
- Annamaria Zombai, Keiser 18:16.89
- Kailee Sunada, CSM 18:16.99
- Linnea Holmgren, Indiana Wesleyan 18:17.20
- Laurel Rowe, College of Idaho 18:26.66
- Mary Bonanno, Indiana Wesleyan 18:30.26
- Morgan Bienias, Westmont 18:33.62
- Maci Montgomery, Olivet Nazarene 18:35.57
SCAD junior Grayson Reynolds, who placed 10th last year with 18:08.23, dropped 39.5 seconds to post the morning’s top time of 17:32.23. In 2019, that time would have made her the runner-up behind ONU’s Karla Islas, the #1 seed this year.
Keiser senior Annamaria Zombai also dropped time, swimming 16.5 seconds faster than her entry time to finish second with 18:16.89. Sophomore Kailee Sunada from College of Saint Mary was only .10 behind Zombai thanks to a 19.7-second drop from her seed time.
Also expected to score in the top 16 are Linnea Holmgren (-8) and Mary Bonanno (-15.2) of Indiana Wesleyan, College of Idaho’s Laurel Rowe, Morgan Bienias from Westmont, and Maci Montgomery of ONU (-20.1).
Women’s Team Scores – Day 3
- SCAD Savannah 511.5
- Keiser University 418
- University of the Cumberlands 267
- Olivet Nazarene University 205
- Life University 166
- Indiana Wesleyan University 163
- Brenau University 144
- Loyola University New Orleans 121
- St Ambrose University 101
- Asbury University 99
- The College of Idaho 78
- Bethel University (IN) 53
- Lindsey Wilson College 45
- Soka University 40
- College of Saint Mary / The Master’s University (tie) 38
- –
- Lincoln College 37.5
- Arizona Christian University 33
- Midland University 28
- Milligan College 27
- Westmont College 20
- Thomas University 15
- Thomas Moore University 14
- Union College 5
- Sterling College 3
