2024 Women’s D1 NCAA Champs: Swims You Might Have Missed On Night 4

2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The most likely missed swim of the night was Mariah Denigan of Indiana who swam in the afternoon heats of the 1650 freestyle. Denigan swam to a 15:55.41, faster than her entry time of a 15:59.66. Denigan also made the podium with her swim as she was 7th moving up from her 14th place seed.

Denigan was not the only afternoon 1650 freestyle swimmer to make the podium as Nebraska’s Gena Jorgenson also did so swimming a 15:55.71 for 8th. Jorgenson dropped over six seconds from her seed time of a 16:01.72. Jorgenson became Nebraska’s first swimmer on the podium sine 2001.

The 200 backstroke had two notable swims, although they were most likely “less missed.” The first came from Ayla Spitz of Northwestern in the 200 back. Spitz won the ‘B’ final in a 1:51.72 but was behind much of the race. Spitz charged on the final 50 swimming the fastest split of the field with a 27.73. Spitz also swam best times in the 200 free and 500 free this week. Her previous best time in the 200 back was a 1:52.37 from February’s Big Tens.

Kennedy Noble of NC State also closed in a strong final 50 swimming a 27.79 which is why, despite finishing 2nd in the race overall, her race might have been missed. Noble touched in a 1:48.43 only 0.20 behind Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin who won the National Title. Coming into NCAAs, Noble had never broken the 1:50 mark as her previous best was a 1:50.23 from 2023 ACCs. In prelims she swam a 1:49.78 to break the 1:50 mark and then swam even faster for 2nd.

Like Noble and Spitz, Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini closed strong which is why her race might have been missed. Balduccini closed in a 12.10 in her 100 free, the 2nd fastest final 25 of her heat as she won the B final of the 100 free in a 47.04, faster than her best time of a 47.26 from midseasons.