2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
- March 19-22, 2025
- Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center — Federal Way, Washington
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Start Times: Prelims: 10 AM ׀ Finals: 6 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
- Meet Central
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- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
Women’s 500 Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- U.S. Open Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- American Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
- 2024 NCAA Champion: Bella Sims, Florida – 4:32.47
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 4:33.93
- Aurora Roghair (Stanford) – 4:34.87
- Jillian Cox (Texas) – 4:35.84
- Katie Grimes (Virginia) – 4:36.03
- Cavan Gormsen (Virginia) – 4:36.15
- Rachel Stege (Georgia) – 4:36.41
- Ching Gan (Indiana) – 4:36.97
- Mila Nikanorov (OSU) – 4:37.01
Florida sophomore Bella Sims missed the 500 freestyle final after posting the 17th fastest time of the morning with a 4:38.92. She is the first alternate.
Sims will not have the chance to defend her NCAA title after swimming to a 4:32.47 last year. She swam a 4:35.01 in prelims a year ago to make her the 5th seed heading into finals. It took a 4:38.76 to make the ‘B’ final this year and a 4:37.01 to make the ‘A’ final.
She entered the event as the #2 seed after posting a 4:31.06 at midseason. She had not swam the event since midseason, notably opting for the 200 IM at SECs last month.
This is not the first time that a top finisher in the 500 free has missed the final completely a year later. Michigan’s Felix Auboeck finished 2nd in the 500 at NCAAs in 2018 but was 18th in prelims a year later. If history repeats itself it bodes well for Sims as Auboeck went on to win the NCAA title in the 1650 free just two days later.
Sims is the top seed in the 100 backstroke tomorrow after blasting a 48.97 at SECs. She also is the #2 seed in the 200 back sitting only behind Claire Curzan who set an NCAA and American Record in the event with a 1:46.27 at midseason. Sims is entered with a 1:48.28.
Nesty’s approach seems to be a “one style fits all” training approach. For athletes coming in who are used to high volume to maintain their endurance, that’s not going to work. And if he’s tapering everyone the same way, too….. disaster.
Maybe it’s time for Nesty to realize a “one size fits all” training approach isn’t working.
Actually, it’s a double whammy for the University of Florida, since B. Sims and E. Weyant finished 1st and 2nd last year in the W 500 FR.
#letbellasprint..?
But seriously, maybe the coaching isn’t great but no way a 4:38 is just a coaching issue after she split 1:39.5 and was 4:31.0 earlier this season
Nesty hasn’t really made anybody better but Bobby. I don’t think the jury is out, he sucks. I bet he does not even train Bella, but bet your bottom dollar he would take the credit if it worked out.
Praying she transfers. She should have when she didn’t make the Olympic Team. Nesty owns that failure and proved her club Coach is a way better coach.
Nesty hasn’t made anybody better? Looking at Bella’s class alone you have swimmers like Choate and Kruger (just two examples of many) who have seen improvements across multiple events. People also seem to forget the Bella went 4:31 at midseason and split a 1:39 at SECs a month ago. This seems like a taper/mental/possibly not 100% situation more than anything.
Bella, come join the Cal Lady Bears! Coach Durden has proven he is the best women’s coach in the U.S. He will get you back to the top!
Im legit curious. What makes you think Durden is the best women’s coach in the US?
Desorbo sends his regards
in the last 15 years, I have never heard anyone affiliated with Cal swimming refer to the women’s team as the “Lady Bears”
and yall wonder why alex shackell might want to be overly hesitant to abruptly change her training program… this is why
No, it’s bc she’s a home body.
I mean, you’re not wrong. And look at Regan when she went to Stanford.
Regan was in shape though: she didn’t necessarily swim all best times while at Stanford, but she was around them in many of her swims and still winning at the highest levels. For her, it seemed like the biggest thing was mental, which for her required a new environment to break through.
Maybe her usual race strategy of taking it out. Incredibly fast and trying to hold on isn’t working out anymore.
Emma Weyant also out in 20th