2021 Women’s NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2021 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, March 17 – Saturday, March 20, 2021
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center / Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
• Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (Local Time)
• Short course yards (SCY) format
• Defending champion: Stanford (3x) – 2019 results
• Streaming: ESPN3
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results – Swimming
• Live Results – Diving
• Day 3 Prelims Recap

Day 3 Finals Heat Sheet

The action Greensboro continues with tonight’s scoring finals session at the 2021 NCAA Women’s Championships, including the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and 200 medley relay timed finals. The top 8 qualifiers on the 3-meter diving board will also compete for points before the relay, highlighted by prelims leader and 1-meter champion Sarah Bacon of Minnesota.

Virginia holds top seeds in the 400 IM (sophomore Ella Nelson), 100 fly (sophomore Kate Douglass), and 200 free (senior Paige Madden). Meanwhile, NC State junior Sophie Hansson leads a competitive 100 breast while sophomore teammate Katharine Berkoff and Alabama junior Rhyan White tied as the top seed in the 100 back. Virginia and NC State will then swim in the middle lanes for the 200 medley relay timed finals, where the Cavaliers broke the American record at 1:32.93 at ACCs.

TOP TEN TEAM SCORES  (THROUGH 400 MEDLEY RELAY)

1. Virginia 184
2. NC State 124
3. Texas 119
4. California 114
5. Ohio St 101.5
6. Alabama 90
7. Georgia 85
8. Stanford 84
9. Michigan 78
10. Kentucky 65

400 IM FINALS

• NCAA Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:54.60 – 2018
• American Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:54.60 – 2018
• U.S. Open Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:54.60 – 2018
• Meet Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:54.60 – 2018
• 2019 Champion: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 3:57.03
• 2020 Top Performer: Brooke Forde (Stanford) – 4:01.53

Top 3:

1. Brooke Forde (Stanford)- 4:01.57 *Pool Record
2. Ella Nelson (Virginia)- 4:02.33 *ACC Record
3. Lauren Poole (Kentucky)- 4:02.73

After the 200 fly/back of the 400 IM final, Stanford’s Brooke Forde was running 4th heading into the breaststroke. Forde then pulled ahead of the field into the 100 free, easily winning her first 400 IM NCAA title with a Greensboro pool record of 4:01.57. That was just four one-hundredths off her 2020 season best of 4:01.53. In 2018, Forde placed 4th in the final as a freshman followed by a third-place finish in 2019. Her title today is Stanford’s 5th-straight 400 IM title, following Ella Eastin‘s 2015-2019 sweep and the cancelled 2020 meet. Stanford now has 13 total 400 IM titles, the most of any program.

Placing in second place also under the former pool record was Virginia sophomore Ella Nelson, breaking the ACC conference record with a 4:02.33. Nelson has now moved from 22nd to 18th on the all-time U.S. performers list, only behind Olympian Summer Sanders.

• Read more about Nelson’s ACC record swim here.

Hitting third place by a half second was Kentucky sophomore Lauren Poole, dropping from 4:04.54 in prelims to 4:02.73 tonight. Winning the B-final was Ohio State senior Kristen Romano, whose lifetime best of 4:04.28 tonight would have placed 4th in the championship final.

100 FLY FINALS

• NCAA Record: Louise Hansson (USC)/Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 49.26 — 2019
• American Record: Erika Brown (Tennessee), 49.38 — 2020
• US Open Record: Louise Hansson (USC)/Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 49.26 — 2019
• Meet Record: Louise Hansson (USC), 49.26 — 2019
• 2019 Champion: Louise Hansson (USC), 49.26
• 2020 Top Performer: Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 49.26

Top 3:

1. Maggie MacNeil (Michigan)- 48.89 *U.S. Open/NCAA Record
2. Kate Douglass (Virginia)- 49.55
3. Kylee Alons (NC State)- 50.35

After placing 2nd by 0.04s in the 50 free yesterday, Maggie MacNeil took the 100 fly final out in a 22.67, four-tenths faster than Kate Douglass. MacNeil did not slow down, coming home in a 26.22 to stop the clock at 48.89. That is now the fastest 100-yard fly in history, breaking the NCAA, U.S. Open, and NCAA meet record of 49.26.

• Read more about MacNeil’s historic 100 fly swim here.

Maggie. MacNeil.

That's it. That's the tweet. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/YZel3xXja8

— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) March 19, 2021

Douglass took second place in a lifetime best of 49.55, which ranks 4th in U.S. history and 6th all-time. NC State’s Kylee Alons also swam a lifetime best of 50.35 to place third, which ranks 12th in US history. Cal junior Izzy Ivey placed fourth at 50.68, which is now 21st in US history, passing Olympian Christine Magnuson.

In the B-final, Kentucky junior Izzy Gati touched out Stanford sophomore Emma Wheal 51.81 to 51.83.

200 FREE FINALS

• NCAA Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015 – 1:39.10
• American Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015 – 1:39.10
• U.S. Open Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015 – 1:39.10
• Meet Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015 – 1:39.10
• 2019 Champion: Mallory Comerford (Louisville), 1:40.26
• 2020 Top Performer: Erika Brown (Tennessee), 1:41.66

Top 3:

1. Paige Madden (Virginia)- 1:42.35
2. Talia Bates (Florida)- 1:43.49
3. Kelly Pash (Texas)- 1:43.50

Winning her second title here in Greensboro was Paige Madden, taking 0.04s off her lifetime best with a 1:42.35, remaining the 14th-fastest US performer all-time. Madden had the fastest third 50 split of the entire field at 25.91, more than a half second faster than the next-fastest split.

Taking second place by one one-hundredth was Florida’s Talia Bates at 1:43.49, just ahead of Texas’ Kelly Pash (1:43.50). Bates was just off her lifetime best from this year at 1:43.38 while Pash’s time is just off her program record of 1:42.70 from Big 12s.

Tying for the win in the B-final were Alabama junior Morgan Scott and Nebraska senior Autumn Haebig, both touching at 1:44.39.

100 BREAST FINALS

• NCAA Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 55.73 — 2019
• American Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 55.73 — 2019
• US Open Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 55.73 — 2019
• Meet Record: Lilly King (Indiana), 55.73 — 2019
• 2019 Champion: Lilly King (Indiana), 55.73
• 2020 Top Performer: Sophie Hansson (NC State), 57.74

Top 3:

1. Sophie Hansson (NC State)- 57.23 *ACC Record
2. Kaitlyn Dobler (USC)- 57.46
3. Alexis Wenger (Virginia)- 57.67

After five swimmers were at or under 27.2 at the first 50, NC State’s Sophie Hansson and her competitive stroke pulled ahead of the field to win the 100 breast with an ACC conference record of 57.23. Hansson now ranks 3rd all-time in the event, now tied with Olympian Breeja Larson and faster than Jamaican Olympian Alia Atkinson.

• Read more about Hansson’s ACC record swim here.

Placing second was USC freshman Kaitlyn Dobler, touching in at 57.46, making her the 6th-fastest US performer all-time. Placing third for Virginia was junior Alexis Wenger, hitting 57.67.

Winning the B-final was Northwestern sophomore Hannah Brunzell at 58.50.

100 BACK FINALS

• NCAA Record: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), 2019 – 49.18
• American Record: Regan Smith, 2021 – 49.16
• U.S. Open Record: Regan Smith, 2021 – 49.16
• Meet Record: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), 2019 – 49.18
• 2019 Champion: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin) – 49.18
• 2020 Top Performer: Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), 49.70

Top 3:

1. Katharine Berkoff (NC State)- 49.74 *Pool/ACC Record
2. Rhyan White (Alabama)- 50.21
3. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin)- 50.39

Katharine Berkoff and Rhyan White were neck-and-neck until the final turn, where Berkoff’s underwater boosted her ahead of White, who was coming off a 5th-place finish in the 100 fly. Berkoff then broke 50 seconds for the first time at 49.74, breaking the Greensboro pool record and ACC conference record. Berkoff is now the 4th-fastest US performer in the 100 back, faster than Olympians Kathleen Baker (49.80) and Natalie Coughlin (49.97). Berkoff’s father, Olympian David Berkoff, won the 100-yard back at the 1987 and 1989 NCAA Championships representing Harvard.

• Read more on Berkoff’s historic 100 back swim here.

Taking second was Alabama’s White, finishing at 50.21. Her lifetime best of 50.02 from the 2020 SEC Championships is now 9th all-time in US history. Nabbing third place for Wisconsin was freshman Phoebe Bacon at 50.39, moving up from 21st to 15th all-time in US history.

Cal teammates Izzy Ivey (50.85) and Isabelle Stadden (50.87) placed 4th and 5th respectively in the final.

Winning the B-final was Virginia freshman Reilly Tiltmann at 51.33, ahead of Mizzou senior Sarah Thompson (51.41).

3-METER DIVING FINALS

• NCAA Record: Christina Loukas (Indiana), 437.75 – 2009
• Meet Record: Christina Loukas (Indiana), 437.75 – 2009
• 2019 Champion: Maria Polyakova (UCLA), 396.00

Top 3:

1. Sarah Bacon (Minnesota)- 408.60
2. Aranza Vazquez (UNC)- 384.75
3. Cami Hidalgo (Georgia Tech)- 356.40

After winning the 1-meter board yesterday, Minnesota’s Sarah Bacon won again on the 3-meter diving board by 23.85 points. Taking second was UNC’s Aranza Vazquez (384.75) and Georgia Tech’s Cami Hidalgo (356.40).

Texas’ A-finalist diver put them 1 point behind NC State for third place in the team rankings heading into the sprint medley relay.

200 MEDLEY RELAY TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: Virginia, 1:32.93 – 2021
• American Record: Virginia, 1:32.93 – 2021
• U.S. Open Record: Virginia, 1:32.93 – 2021
• Meet Record: Stanford, 1:33.11 – 2018
• 2019 Champion: Tennessee, 1:34.10
• 2020 Top Performer: Virginia, 1:33.91

Top 3:

1. NC State- 1:33.18
2. Virginia- 1:34.13
3. Ohio State- 1:34.96

Sophomore Katharine Berkoff had one of the fastest 50 backs of the entire field at 23.27, almost six-tenths faster than any other backstoker in that heat. Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil had the fastest back split at 23.17, which is the 2nd-fastest split in history behind her own 23.05. Michigan placed 16th at 1:37.37.

NC State was untouchable after Berkoff’s stellar lead-off, propelling Sophie Hansson (25.92), Sirena Rowe (22.73), and Kylee Alons (21.26) to the 3rd-fastest 200 medley relay in history at 1:33.18, just 0.07s off the 2018 meet record of 1:33.11.

• Read more about NC State’s historic 200 medley relay here.

Virginia took second place at 1:34.13, powered by Kate Douglass‘ 21.19 anchor leg. Sneaking in third place was Ohio State at 1:34.96, just two one-hundredths faster than Cal (1:34.98).

After the medley relay, Virginia remains in the lead at 344 points. NC State’s win boosted them ahead of Texas for second place by 17 points. Cal (210) and Ohio State (177.5) remain comfy in the top five over Alabama (155), Stanford (140), Michigan (127.5), Georgia (115), and Kentucky/UNC (114).

Team Scores (After 200 Medley Relay)

1. Virginia 344
2. NC State 241
3. Texas 224
4. California 210
5. Ohio State 177.5
6. Alabama 155
7. Stanford 140
8. Michigan 127.5
9. Georgia 115
10. Kentucky/UNC 114
11. (tie)
12. Tennessee 90
13. Louisville 81
14. Missouri 79
15. Florida 74.5
16. Texas A&M/Northwestern 64
17. (tie)
18. Indiana 63
19. USC/Miami 42
20. (tie)
21. Minnesota 40
22. Wisconsin 39
23. Virginia Tech 28
24. Nebraska 22
25. Arkansas 21
26. Arizona 17.5
27. Georgia Tech 16
28. Purdue 13
29. LSU 9
30. Houston 6
31. San Diego State 6
32. Notre Dame/Duke 4
33. (tie)
34. Akron 3