2023 Women’s Division I NCAAs: Night 4 Finals Preview

2023 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Night 4 Heat Sheets

Kicking off the night will be the fastest heat of the 1650 freestyle. The rest of the heats will conclude in the afternoon. Tonight’s final will feature defending NCAA champion Paige McKenna of Wisconsin who is the top seed and will swim out of lane four. McKenna is the top seed by 0.12 seconds and will be next to Kensey McMahon of Alabama. McMahon won the 500 free on night two of the meet.

Stanford freshman Claire Curzan led the way in the 200 back this morning swimming a 1:49.48 to be the only swimmer under the 1:50 mark. Curzan was the top seed coming into the meet. Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon will be next to Curzan tonight after swimming a 1:50.03 in prelims. Bacon was second in the event a year ago.

Gretchen Walsh of Virginia swam the fastest time in the 100 free this morning with a 46.66. Next to Walsh will be Gabi Albiero of Louisville after she swam a personal best of 46.88 this morning. Notably, Maggie MacNeil of LSU was the top seed coming in to the meet and will be in lane three tonight.

Virginia’s Kate Douglass cruised to the top time in the 200 breast this morning swimming a 2:02.60. She is the top seed by over three seconds as teammate Ella Nelson swam a 2:05.72. Douglass is the American record holder in the event as she swam a 2:01.43 in a time trial last month. As it was a time trial, it does not technically count as the NCAA record, but Douglass also holds that record already as she swam a 2:02.19 to win the event a year ago.

Texas placed three swimmers into the 200 fly A final. Junior Emma Sticklen leads the way after swimming a 1:51.71. Sticklen came into the meet as the top seed. Teammate Dakota Luther will be next to Sticklen tonight after swimming a 1:51.91 this morning.

Closing the night will be the 400 free relay. Virginia won the event last year and looks to do so again here as they are the top seed by two seconds over Stanford. As stated in our ups/downs, the race for fourth between Louisville and NC State looks to be close, and they are the #3 (Louisville) and #4 (NC State).

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About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022 and 2023 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. Currently, Anya is pursuing her B.A. in Economics and a minor in Government & Law at …

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