2020 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2020 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 11 – Saturday, March 14, 2020
• SPIRE Institute Aquatics Center – Geneva, OH
• Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Defending Champions: Queens (5x) (results)
• Digital Program
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Championship Central

Day One

Women’s 1000 Yard Freestyle – Fastest Heat – Timed Final

• NCAA DII Record: 9:45.86  3/13/2019   Georgia Wright, West Chester
• Meet Record: 9:45.86  3/13/2019   Georgia Wright, West Chester
• Pool: 9:59.65 3/12/2014 Allison Crenshaw, Florida Southern

Podium:

1. Georgia Wright, West Chester 9:43.70
2. Mia Wood, Colorado School of Mines 9:50.96
3. Erica Dahlgren, Drury 9:56.67

West Chester senior Georgia Wright wrapped up her NCAA career for the 1000 free with her fourth consecutive national title in the event. This time she went 9:43.70, breaking her own NCAA Division II and Championship Records and added a pool record to boot.

Mia Wood of Colorado School of Mines was first out of the gate, setting the pace from the first turns. She led through the first 300 yards, swimming under NCAA-record pace. By the 350 mark, Wood began to fall off pace while Wright held steady with 29-lows and closed the gap. She took over at the 450 and proceeded to distance herself from the field. By the 700 mark, Wright was about 3 seconds under record pace. At the 800, it was 4 seconds. In the end, she came home in 58.60 to notch a career-best 9:43.70.

Wood held on for second place, going 9:50.96. A year ago she finished 14th (10:11.21).

Drury’s Erica Dahlgren, who had been battling UCSD’s Julissa Arzave for much of the race, pulled ahead over the final 300 yards to take third place with 9:56.67. A year ago Dahlgren placed 8th (10:03.27).

Women’s 200 Yard Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 1:55.63  3/9/2016    Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
• Meet Record: 1:55.63  3/9/2016    Patri Castro Ortega, Queens (NC)
• Pool Record: 1:58.90  2/21/2019   Emma Brinton, Duquesne

Podium:

1. Lexie Baker, Queens 2:00.00
2. Tina Reuter, UCSD 2:00.28
3. Rebecca Cross, Drury 2:00.29

Queens junior Lexie Baker and West Florida sophomore Ester Rizzetto were first off the blocks, leading with 25.9 on the butterfly. Baker broke free on the backstroke, turning with 55.33 at the halfway mark. Just off her shoulder was teammate Hannah Foster, with sophomore Tina Reuter of UCSD and Rebecca Cross of Drury just behind. Olga Tovstogan of Fresno Pacific had the fastest breaststroke in the field (33.88). She got by Foster, but Baker, Reuter, and Cross were out of reach. Baker held on to the lead while Cross’s 34.95 put her into second place and Reuter’s 35.79 breast had her at third. Baker came home in 28.3 which allowed her to hang on for the win. Reuter (28.0) and Cross (28.1) closed the gap but couldn’t catch Baker. Reuter touched out Cross by .01 for second place.

Baker finished third last year and 22nd in 2018 as a freshman.

Women’s 50 Yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 22.20  3/9/2017    Bailee Nunn, Drury
• Meet Record: 22.20  3/9/2017    Bailee Nunn, Drury
• Pool Record: 22.44  3/11/2020   Polina Lapshina, Queens

Podium:

1. Bailee Nunn, Drury 22.36
2. Polina Lapshina, Queens 22.48
3. Danielle Melilli, Queens 22.81

NCAA Division II record-holder Bailee Nunn of Drury was all business in the final of the 50 free. After having won the 200 IM in each of the last three years, she switched her focus to the sprint free, whose record she had broken leading off Drury’s 200 free relay in 2017. Nunn shot off the block with the best start. She reached the 25 wall first and pushed off the wall about a shoulder ahead of the field. Queens senior Polina Lapshina, the defending champion, powered through the second 25. She accelerated from the flags to the wall, nearly catching Nunn. Nunn stopped the clock at 22.36 for a new pool record while Lapshina finished second in 22.48, .04 off her morning time that had set the pool mark. Queens freshman Danielle Melilli came in third from lane 3, going 22.81, or .09 faster than her morning swim.

Women’s 3 Meter Diving – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 555.70  3/14/2015   Elizabeth Rawlings, Wayne State
• Meet Record: 555.70  3/14/2015   Elizabeth Rawlings, Wayne State
• Pool Record: 351.80 2/22/2014 Michaela Butler, Massachusetts

Podium:

1. Mikayla Karasek, Grand Valley 473.50
2. Cassandry Kury, UIndy 445.95
3. Amanda Hurchalla, Wayne State 432.10

Grand Valley senior Mikayla Karasek won her first NCAA national diving title, scoring 473.50 points on the 3-meter board. As a freshman she finished 12th in this event. She was 9th as a sophomore and 5th last year. Indy junior Cassandra Kury, 15th last year and 6th as a freshman, won the silver medal with 445.95 points. Amanda Hurchalla of Wayne State, who scored 506.80 points a year ago as runner-up, came in third with 432.10.

Women’s 200 Yard Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA DII Record: 1:38.49  2/14/2018   Queens (NC) (DaCruz, Dobson, Massaro, Prayson)
• Meet Record: 1:38.58  3/13/2019   Queens (NC) (R Massaro, M Prayson, G DaCruz, K Dobson)
• Pool Record: 1:39.49  2/19/2020   George Washington University (A Ho, S Petersen, M Burton, R Smolcic)

Podium:

1. Queens 1:39.59
2. UC San Diego 1:39.96
3. Nova S’eastern 1:40.13

Rachel Massaro put Queens out front of the pack from the backstroke leg, getting her hand on the wall at 24.86. Mikaela Fullerton took over and split 27.84 on the breaststroke. She handed off to Georgia DaCruz who went 24.02 on fly. Lexie Baker brought it home in 22.87, holding off strong anchors from Alexis Hargadon of UCSD (22.54), Jenna Johns of Nova S’eastern (22.84), and Lexie Winnett of Lindenwood (22.58). Queens combined for 1:39.59 to get the win, swimming exactly the same time they had gone in morning heats.

This was Queens’ third consecutive national 200 medley relay title.

UCSD came in second with 1:39.96 thanks to Jordan Phillips on back (25.31), Grace Murphy on breast (27.73), Miranda Renner on fly (24.38), and Hargadon. The Tritons had trailed Nova S’eastern until the anchor. Cassandra Wright (25.12), Caily Friel (27.59), Aleksandra Maslova (24.58), and Jenna Johns (22.84) combined for third place with 1:40.13.

Drury won the consolation final with 1:40.37 from Laura Pareja (25.65), Bailee Nunn (27.76), Katarzyna Rogowska (24.35) and Yasmin Preusse (22.61). The Panthers, who finished 9th in prelims this morning, swam the fourth-fastest time in finals (which would have added 12 points to their score).

Women’s Team Scores – Day 1

1. Queens (NC) 115
2. Drury 111
3. UC San Diego 105
4. Indianapolis 65
5. Wingate 59
6. Lindenwood 51
7. Nova Southeastern 49
8. Tampa 45
9. (tie) Grand Valley 36 / West Florida 36
10. –
11. Cloud State 34
12. West Chester 31
13. Carson-Newman 30
14. Wayne State 28
15. Azusa Pacific 22
16. CS Mines 17
17. Clarion 15
18. (tie) Bellarmine 14 / Fresno Pacific 14 / Northern Michigan 14
19. –
20. –
21. Delta State 10
22. Bloomsburg 7
23. McKendree 6
24. Findlay 4
25. (tie) Augustana 3 / Cal State East Bay 3
26. –
27. (tie) Colorado Mesa 2 / Lynn 2 / Sioux Falls 2