Reported by Hannah Hecht.
2018 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 14th – Saturday, March 17th
- McCorkle Aquatic Pavillion — Columbus, OH
- Prelims 9AM/Finals 5PM (Eastern Time)
- Defending Champion: Stanford (results)
- Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPNU
- Championship Central
- Event-by-Event Previews
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
The Stanford Cardinal fulfilled all expectations at the 2018 Women’s NCAA DI Championships tonight, winning the team title by a monster 220 points. They took the title with 593 points to second-place Cal’s 373 points. With that result, the Cardinal defended their 160.5-point win over Cal in Indy last season.
Much like last season, this performance was mind-bendingly historic. The team, coached by Greg Meehan in his sixth season, came away with five NCAA records, five American/U.S. Open records, thirteen gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.
Leading the way for the Cardinal were sophomore Katie Ledecky, senior (in her final season) Simone Manuel, senior Ally Howe, and junior Ella Eastin.
Ledecky picked up three gold medals (800 free relay, 500 free, 1650 free) and a silver (400 IM). Manuel grabbed three American/NCAA/U.S. Open records (200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay), six gold medals (200 free relay, 50 free, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay, 100 free, and 400 free relay), and a bronze medal (200 free). Howe took three American/U.S. Open/NCAA records (200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay), and four gold medals (200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay, 100 back). And Eastin put up the most-decorated individual performance of the meet with two American/NCAA/U.S. Open records (200 IM, 400 IM), and five gold medals (800 free relay, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly, 400 free relay).
Highlights of the weekend for Stanford included American and NCAA records in prelims and finals of the 200 free relay, Eastin’s American record-shattering performance in the 200 IM, Manuel’s .01 away from her own NCAA record 50 free win, American and NCAA records in the 400 medley relay, Eastin’s 400 IM American record finish over her teammate Ledecky, Howe’s .01 from her own American record 100 back, an American record in the 200 medley relay, Ledecky’s huge wins in the 500 and 1650 free, and the 400 free relay’s come-from-behind victory to close out the meet.
The full team roster for the 2017-2018 Stanford national champions is below:
- Megan Byrnes, sophomore
- Kassidy Cook, senior (diving)
- Katie Drabot, sophomore
- Ella Eastin, junior
- Lindsey Engel, senior
- Haley Farnsworth, sophomore
- Brooke Forde, freshman
- Lauren Green, freshman
- Ally Howe, senior
- Janet Hu, senior
- Hannah Kukurugya, freshman
- Katie Ledecky, sophomore
- Simone Manuel, senior
- Lauren Pitzer, freshman
- Leah Stevens, junior
- Allie Szekely, sophomore
- Erin Voss, sophomore
- Kim Williams, junior
- Grace Zhao, freshman
