2024 Women’s D1 NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Preview

2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 20-23, 2024
• Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

Day 3 Finals Heat Sheets

Night 3 Finals Schedule

• 400 IM
• 100 fly
• 200 free
• 100 breast
• 100 back
  • 3 meter diving
• 400 medley relay

Leading the way in the first event of the morning was Emma Weyant who swam to a 4:00.98 in the 400 IM, marking a new best time for the Florida junior. She is the top seed by over a second tonight as Caroline Bricker of Stanford was 2nd in a 4:02.20. Weyant will look for her first win in the event as she was 3rd last year and 4th two years ago. Last year’s champion Alex Walsh of Virginia won the 200 IM last night and will look for another win as she is the #4 seed tonight as she swam a 4:02.85 this morning, about two seconds off her seed time.

Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh made history this morning with the 2nd fastest 100 butterfly swim ever clocking a 48.26, only 0.01 seconds off of her NCAA and American record of a 48.25 that she swam at ACCs last month. Walsh was one of two swimmers under the 50-second mark this morning as Emma Sticklen of Texas swam a 49.73. Sticklen led a trio of Texas swimmers as Kelly Pash and Olivia Bray are the #3 and #4 seeds tonight respectively.

Anna Peplowski of Indiana led off the team’s 800 free relay on night 1 in a best time of a 1:41.16. This morning, she led the way swimming a 1:41.85 just ahead of Florida’s Bella Sims who swam a 1:41.87. The two battled last night in the 500 free as Sims won in a 4:32.47 while Peplowski was 3rd in a 4:34.06. The 200 free is the youngest field of the night. Besides Sims, #3 seed Minna Abraham of USC and Camille Spink of Tennessee (#6 seed) will also contend for the title.

Two women were under the 57-mark in prelims of the 100 breast. Tennessee’s Mona McSharry swam to a personal best with a 56.76 and will be next to Virginia’s Jasmine Nocentini who swam a 56.96. Kaitlyn Dobler won the event two years ago and is the #3 seed tonight after swimming a 57.18 this morning. Last year’s champion Lydia Jacoby is also in the A final as the #6 seed.

Katharine Berkoff will look to reclaim her crown in the 100 back after being the only swimmer under the 50 second mark this morning in a 49.34. The other seven A finalists were all under the 51 second mark. Indiana’s Kacey McKenna swam a best time in prelims and will be next to Berkoff tonight while Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller will be on the other side. Fuller was 3rd last night in the 200 IM.

The Virginia women come in as the #1 seed in the 400 medley relay by over two seconds. Gretchen Walsh already did not swim on the 800 free relay so she got the “one relay she can’t be on” out of the way due to the event limit.