2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 20-23, 2024
- Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Official Psych Sheets (with cutlines)
- Invited swimmers by team (not including relay swimmers)
- Alternates list
- Eligible Relays
Vanderbilt junior Kailia Utley earned an invite to the NCAA Championships, becoming the first swimmer from Vanderbilt to do so since 1989 and the first swimming or diver since 1990.
Utley swam to a school record with a 1:55.51 in the 200 butterfly at the Bulldog Last Chance Meet this past weekend. That was over a second and a half faster than she was at SECs as she swam a 1:57.07 in prelims to make the ‘B’ final where she ultimately finished 16th. At the last chance meet, Utley made a huge jump from #72 in the NCAA this season to sit at #39. After NCAA selections sheets came out, Utley sat at #33 in the NCAA in the 200 fly, earning her an invite as she was above the cutline that fell in the middle of line 37.
Vanderbilt’s last swimmer to qualify for NCAAs was in 1989 when Wendy Deacon competed in the 100 and 200 backstrokes. Also making NCAAs with Deacon that year was diver Lauren Szabo. A year later, Szabo alongside fellow diver Anita Schwendt qualified for the 1990 NCAA Championships. Since then, the team has not sent anyone to NCAAs, until now.
Utley had competed at the CSCAA Championships the last two seasons, swimming the 50, 100, and 200 fly as a freshman and the 100 back, 100 fly, and 200 fly as a sophomore.
After earning the B cut in the 100 fly, Utley will also swim the event at NCAAs. She is the #58 seed with a time of a 52.92.
Ultey has made huge progress in the 200 fly since her arrival to Vanderbilt. In high school, she had never broken the 2:00 mark in the event. As a freshman, she swam a 1:58.53 at SECs and dropped to a 1:57.55 her sophomore year.
The Vanderbilt women practice off-campus less than half a mile away at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville.
Go Vandy Swim and Dive program. A team on the rise for sure!
No diving though.
With all that SEC football money, they need a Dive program. Surely they can afford one.
It’s Vandy. They make laughingly less money from football than any other SEC team. Have you seen their crowds? They probably make more money from baseball.
Well there were several years there that the women’s team didn’t exist in the 1990s and early 2000s (roughly 92-06).
I’m unsure if you intend to diminish the accomplishment, but I would argue that makes it even more impressive. It takes awhile to ramp up a program after cutting it for so long, and the funding could be minimal.
I don’t think it diminishes, but it’s interesting context anyway!
No. That is exactly my point. To say it’s been SO LONG since this has happened is not fair/accurate without this context. Anchor down.
Wow! Congratulations!
Let’s go!!! So exciting, go NOVA alumni!
NOVA Irvine or NOVA Richmond?