2022 W NCAAs: Day 1 Relay Analysis

2022 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 16–19, 2022
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
• Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video (ESPN+)
• Wednesday night heat sheets

Night one kicked off in Atlanta for Women’s NCAAs. Tonight only featured relays so it is time to do some relay analysis for each team as decisions had to be made. The relays had 45 minutes in-between, and some athletes were used on both relays.

Women – Team Rankings – Through Event 2                      

1. Virginia 74  
2. Texas 58
3. California  56  
4. Stanford 54
5. Louisville 46  
6. NC State 44
7. Alabama/Ohio St 38
8.  Tie
9. Georgia / Tennessee 34
10. Tie
11. Florida / Michigan 26
12. Tie
13. Kentucky / Southern California 18
14. Tie
15. Wisconsin  14 
16. Arizona St  12
17. UNC 10 
18. Northwestern/Indiana  8
19. Tie
20. Virginia Tech/Arizona  2
21. Tie

Virginia has already taken a lead of 16 points over Texas. Their big decision of the night was using Emma Weyant on the 800 freestyle relay. Weyant was not on the relay that won the ACC Championships. She swam the anchor leg tonight replacing Ella Bathurst. The decision was not super impactful as Weyant split a 1:44.80 tonight, and Bathurst split a 1:44.72 at ACCs.

Stanford decided to use Regan Smith on both the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. Smith led off in a 24.31 on the 200 medley relay and split a 1:43.35 on the 800 freestyle. Both were just off of her splits from Pac-12s a few weekends ago. Something to note is that Stanford was the seventh seed in the 200 medley relay but ended up finishing 10th. Smith was third heading into the wall but came out seventh and ended up splitting a 24.31, over a second slower than what she led off in at Pac-12s. Using Smith on both relays tonight means that they most likely will leave her off of the 200 freestyle as each athlete is limited to only four out of the five relays.

Texas used Evie Pfeifer on the 800 freestyle relay tonight after not being on the school’s fastest time this season prior to tonight. Tonight, Pfeiffer split a 1:44.29, right around her split of 1:44.00 from last year’s NCAAs.

Unlike last year where Cal left Isabel Ivey off of the 800 freestyle relay, the Golden Bears did opt to use her this year. Ivey came up with a huge split leading off the relay in a 1:41.35, the fastest leadoff split of the field and the second fastest split overall. That time was over two seconds faster than she led off the relay in at Pac-12s.

Like Stanford, Tennessee also opted to use a swimmer on both relays tonight. Freshman Ellen Walshe swam the butterfly leg of the 11th place 200 medley relay as well as the second leg of the 800 freestyle relay. This was the same as she swam at SECs where she was left off of the 200 freestyle relay. The same most likely will happen here as she is limited to four relays.

Wisconsin did the opposite of Tennessee and Stanford as they took Mackenzie McConagha off both relays after swimming both at B1Gs. McConagha did lead off the 200 medley relay tonight. The change did look as if it paid off though as McConagha split a 1:46.43 at B1Gs and Alana Palmer who swam in her place tonight split a 1:45.91.

The top five teams in the 200 medley relay all held their seeds. The biggest mover was Louisville which was seeded 17th but ended up eighth.

The 800 freestyle relay was a much different top eight. Stanford and Virginia both held their top two seeds whereas Georgia (14th), Louisville (12th), and Florida (15th) moved up to finish in the top eight.

200 Medley Relay Splits

Katharine Berkoff led off NC State’s relay in an unofficial American record. The biggest difference between Virginia and NC State’s relays was that NC State was faster on the front half whereas Virginia was faster on the back half.

800 Freestyle Relay

Isabel Ivey led things off for Cal in the fastest flat start split to help them earn a third place finish. Torri Huske was the second fastest lead off split to keep Stanford close behind. Taylor Ruck of Stanford swam the fastest split overall on the second leg to help the Cardinal get the win. Regan Smith had the fastest split of the third leg to help keep the Cardinal in the lead.

Zoie Hartmann anchored in the fastest split of the event to help Georgia earn a fifth place finish.