2022 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 16-19, 2022
- McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
- Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Championship Central
- Official Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Video (ESPN3): Swimming / Diving
- Thursday morning heat sheets
WOMEN 50 YARD FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- Meet Record: 21.02 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- American Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- US Open Record: 20.90 – Abbey Weitzeil, California (2019)
- Pool Record: 21.00 – Katherine Douglass, Virginia (2022)
A Final Qualifiers:
- Kate Douglass, JR, Virginia – 20.87N
- Gretchen Walsh, FR, Virginia – 21.09
- Cora Dupre, JR, Alabama – 21.47
- Grace Countie, SR, UNC – 21.53
- Maggie MacNeil, SR, Michigan – 21.53
- Katharine Berkoff, JR, NC State – 21.56
- Kylee Alons, SR, NC State – 21.62
- Morgan Scott, SR, Alabama – 21.72
Well…Kate Douglass certainly didn’t come to Atlanta to play around, did she? After swimming a 21.00 in this very pool last month at the ACC Championships, we were speculating that we could see Douglass, along with teammate Gretchen Walsh, and possibly Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil under 21 seconds at this meet. Douglass took no time at all to not only accomplish that feat, but to break every record in the process as well.
The UVA junior indeed broke every record: NCAA, NCAA Champs, American, US Open, and even her own pool record. The previous NCAA, NCAA Champs, American, and US Open Records were all held by Cal alum Abbey Weitzeil from 2019. Douglass becomes just the second woman in history to break 21 seconds flat start. Here is the current list of all-time top 5 performers in the women’s SCY 50 free:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer | Meet |
| 1 | 20.87 | Kate Douglass | 2022 NCAAs |
| 2 | 20.90 | Abbey Weitzeil | Minnesota Invite 2019 |
| 3 | 21.03 | Erika Brown | 2022 SEC Champs |
| 4 | 21.04 | Gretchen Walsh | 2022 ACC Champs |
| 5 | 21.17 | Simone Manuel/Maggie MacNeil | 2017 NCAAs/2021 NCAAs |
Tonight could be a very exciting race. Of course, Douglass could re-break the record, but if she’s just under 21 seconds again tonight, she’ll become the first woman in history to go 20-point twice in the 50 free. We could also see UVA freshman Gretchen Walsh, who went 21.09 this morning, make it under 21 as well. Maggie MacNeil is also in the field and is currently tied with Simone Manuel as the 5th-fastest performer all-time, so we could see her move up as well.
I’d like to see a video of this and not Lia please
It’s the pink nails for sure that made the difference!!
ACC gets 5 A finalists.
Berkoff did not get off the blocks well this morning. She will be right there tonite. Add Gretchen Walsh, Alons, Countie…that’s a high level representation.
6 (!!!) strokes on lap 1… absolute insanity. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that before, male or female
When Ryan Hoffer went a low 41 in the U of Texas pool as a high schooler, he took six strokes on the first length and was seven strokes on each of the next three.
Right. In a 50 though, this has to be unheard of
Honestly, it didn’t look like a 20.8 when I watching it in real time. But it could have been the ESPN/GT blue screen they had us looking at for prelims.
I really want to see what Douglass could do in a 200 free on a full taper but I don’t think we’ll ever see that happen
and a 100 breast while I’m wondering about it
Great underwater, strong, long strokes, reminded me of Kate Campbell at her best.
QUEEN OF NEW YORK!! KATE DOUGLASS, NEW YORK AND ALL NEW YORKERS LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU