2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Day Four

On the final morning of prelims at 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Championships we will see 50 free champion Danielle Melilli of Queens and West Florida’s Ester Rizzetto compete for the top spot in the 100 free final; both are seeded with 49s. After Drury’s Laura Pareja, who is seeded first with 1:55.66, the field is crowded at the top of the 200 back. Bobbie Gichard and Rachel Massaro of Queens and Mia Krstevska and Katie McCoy of UIndy, as well as Western Colorado’s Savannah Tice, will all be giving chase. In the 200 breast, both Colorado Mesa’s Lily Borgenheimer and Lindenwood’s Beata Maruszczyk come in with seed times that put them well ahead of the field.

Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle – Prelims

  • NCAA DII Record: 48.16– Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)
  • Meet Record: 48.16– Polina Lapshina, Queens (NC) (2019)

Top 16 qualifiers:

  1. Danielle Melilli, Queens (NC) – 50.03
  2. Lexie Baker, Queens (NC) – 50.22
  3. Johanna Buys, Indy – 50.23
  4. Ester Rizzetto, West Florida – 50.25
  5. Sara Aringsmann, Wingate – 50.36
  6. Marizel Van Jaarsveld, Indy – 50.43
  7. Hannah Foster, Queens (NC) – 50.68
  8. Yasmin Preusse, Drury – 50.80
  9. Hana Van Loock, TAMPA – 50.90
  10. Manon Compagner, Carson–Newman – 51.07
  11. Jia Yi Koh, Wayne State – 51.13
  12. Kolya Vos, Biola – 51.21
  13. Paige Mikesell, IUP – 51.27
  14. Elizaveta Bazarova, TAMPA – 51.33
  15. Krystal Caylor, Indy / Natalie Van Noy, Queens(NC) – 51.38 (tie)

IUP’s Paige Mikesell kicked things off with a 51.27 win out of lane 6 over Drury’s Josie Bushell (51.56) and Grand Valley’s Rebecca Farber (51.64).

Indy junior Johanna Buys went 50.23 to win heat 2, coming to the wall just ahead of Wingate senior Sara Aringsmann (50.36) and Drury junior Yasmin Preusse (50.80).

West Florida junior Ester Rizzetto claimed victory in heat 3 with 50.25, edging Indy senior Marizel Van Jaarsveld (50.43). Queens junior Hannah Foster (50.68) touched third.

Queens sophomore Danielle Melilli took the final heat in 50.03. Teammate Lexie Baker went 50.22 for second; Tampa senior Hana Van Loock was third (50.90).

Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke – Prelims

  • NCAA DII Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)
  • Meet Record: 1:54.48 – Hannah Peiffer, Queens (NC) (2017)

Top 16 qualifiers:

  1. Katie McCoy, Indy – 1:56.58
  2. Cassie Wright, Nova S’eastern – 1:58.07
  3. Rachel Massaro, Queens(NC) – 1:58.39
  4. Stephanie Palczynski, Lewis – 1:58.61
  5. Savannah Tice, WCU – 1:59.17
  6. Vladyslava Maznytska, Queens(NC) – 1:59.26
  7. Melina De Cort, Grand Valley – 1:59.57
  8. Laura Pareja, Drury – 1:59.77
  9. Katerina Matoskova, Colorado Mesa – 2:00.22
  10. Anna Miram, Wingate – 2:00.30
  11. Mady Barnes, TAMPA – 2:00.59
  12. Mia Krstevska, Indy – 2:00.63
  13. Bobbie Gichard, Queens(NC) – 2:00.71
  14. Stephanie Marks, Lindenwood – 2:00.81
  15. Shelby Kasse, Lindenwood – 2:01.04
  16. Elsa Huebsch, Colorado Mesa – 2:01.56

Indy junior Katie McCoy dropped 2.1 seconds from her seed time to demolish the field in heat 1 of the 200 backstroke. Her 1:56.58 was almost two seconds faster than heat runner-up Rachel Massaro of Queens (1:58.39) and third-place finisher Stephanie Palczynski of Lewis (1:58.61). Palczynski dropped a second from her seed time, too. Massaro was runner-up in this event at 2019 NCAAs; Palczynski was seventh.

Nova S’eastern senior Cassie Wright, 13th at 2019 NCAAs, won heat 2 with 1:58.07, improving her seed time by 1.5 seconds. West Chester senior Savannah Tice went 1:59.17 for second place in the heat. Katerina Matoskova from Colorado Mesa was third (2:00.22), just edging Anna Miram of Wingate (2:00.30) and Bobbie Gichard of Queens (2:00.71).

Queens senior Vladyslava Maznytska dropped half a second to win the final heat in 1:58.26. Grand Valley junior Melina De Cort came in second, touching out top-seeded Laura Pareja of Drury, 1:59.57 to 1:59.77.

Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke – Prelims

  • NCAA DII Record: 2:09.12 – Bailee Nunn, Drury (2017)
  • Meet Record: 2:09.12 – Bailee Nunn, Drury (2017)

Top 16 qualifiers:

  1. Lily Borgenheimer, Colorado Mesa – 2:12.99
  2. Natalie Galluzzo, Truman State – 2:14.53
  3. Anne-sofie Nissen, Wingate – 2:14.87
  4. Claire Mikesell, IUP – 2:15.23
  5. Savanna Best, Nova S’eastern – 2:15.32
  6. Meredith Ginn, Carson–Newman – 2:15.43
  7. Bec Cross, Drury – 2:16.51
  8. Beata Maruszczyk, Lindenwood – 2:16.68
  9. Lily Sanocki, Wingate – 2:17.06
  10. Maike Hoener, Wingate – 2:17.17
  11. Delaney Wihebrink, Grand Valley – 2:17.24
  12. Samantha Laurich, Grand Valley – 2:17.75
  13. Grace Kling, Biola – 2:18.19
  14. Julia Augustsson, TAMPA – 2:18.68
  15. Rachel Johnson, IUP – 2:19.02
  16. Ginny Schranck, Truman State – 2:19.06

Nova S’eastern junior Savanna Best won the first heat of 200 breast with 2:15.32 ahead of Drury junior Bec Cross (2:16.51) and Grand Valley junior Samantha Laurich (2:17.75).

Anne-Sofie Nissen of Wingate was the fastest qualifier out of heat 2 with 2:14.87. Next to the wall was Lindenwood sophomore Beata Maruszczyk (2:16.68), then Wingate sophomore Lily Sanocki (2:17.06).

Top-seeded Lily Borgenheimer of Colorado Mesa dominated the final heat with 2:12.99. Truman State senior Natalie Galluzzo was second with 2:14.53 from the outside lane. Clare Mikesell from IUP was third in 2:15.23.

Women’s 1650 Freestyle – Slower Heats

  • NCAA DII Record: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St (2008)
  • Meet Record: 16:17.66 – Kristen Frost, Southern Conn St (2008)

Top 8:

  1. Jana Hellenschmidt, Lindenwood – 16:51.75
  2. Taylor Beagle, Augustana – 16.53.61
  3. Jessie Tobin, Tampa – 16:58.72
  4. Karolina Dubcakova, UIndy – 17:02.06
  5. Karianne Reinertsen, Drury – 17:09.89
  6. Sarah Puscas, Grand Valley – 17:10.35
  7. Robyn Naze, Colorado Mesa – 17:12.19
  8. Andrea Lee, UMary – 17:14.13

 

0
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

Read More »