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)
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Among the Olympians and other big names at the top of the field in the women’s 100 back prelims on Friday morning at the NCAA Championships was Southern Illinois University senior Celia Pulido.
Pulido, 22, turned heads with a 49.84 split in the event, making her the 14th woman, and first from a mid-major school, to go under 50 seconds in the event.
She already held the status as the fastest-ever mid-major woman in the event thanks to a 50.73 that she swam at last year’s NCAA Championship meet to finish 7th and earn CSCAA First Team All-America honors.
Hi Braden, Geoff Hanson here. Johno said you might be looking for a quote from me and Celia. I sent her your contact.
“I am extremely proud of Celia and the work she has put in during her four years as a Saluki,” head coach Geoff Hanson said. “She has steadily developed year over year, and from the moment NCAAs finished last year she has been solely focused on this meet and being at her best. I’m very happy for her, but not necessarily surprised at her breakthrough this morning. We are all excited to see how the rest of her meet goes!”
Pulido, a Mexican Record holder and 2024 Olympian, is racing in her third-straight NCAA Championship meet.
As a freshman in 2022, she swam both backstrokes and finished 31st in the 100 in 52.49. After not qualifying for her sophomore championships, she really turned heads as a junior last season when she won the 100 backstroke at the Purdue Invite, dipping under 52 seconds mid-season to secure a return to the national championship meet.
She made the most of that opportunity, placing 7th at NCAAs and swimming 50.73 – breaking the unofficial mid-major record.
With a 51.07 mid-season, she was three-quarters of a second ahead of schedule, and after managing the season well last year, that lined her up for something big at NCAAs – which is exactly what she hit on Friday. With the benefit of no relays, this is her first swim of the meet so far.
Southern Illinois has had a lot of recent success with backstrokers. Notably South African Ruard van Renen, who won the B Final and finished 9th at the NCAA Championships in 2023 as a freshman at SIU before transferring to Georgia.
100 Backstroke All-Time Rankins, Women’s Mid-Majors
| RANK | SWIMMER | SCHOOL | TIME | SEASON |
| 1 | Celia Pulido | Southern Illinois | 49.84 | 2024-25 |
| 2 | Scarlett Ferris | Nevada | 51.49 | 2023-24 |
| 3 | Madeline Padevic | Miami (OH) | 51.52 | 2024-25 |
| 4 | Maddy Gatrall | Akron | 51.59 | 2022-23 |
| 5 | Elise Haan | FGCU | 51.65 | 2015-16 |
| 6 | Kira Toussaint | FGCU | 51.68 | 2013-14 |
| 7 | Laticia-Leigh Transom | Hawaii | 51.88 | 2022-23 |
| 8 | Anika Apostalon | San Diego State | 51.92 | 2013-14 |
| 9 | Alex Roberts | San Diego State | 51.95 | 2023-24 |
| 10 | Izzy Ackley | FGCU | 51.97 | 2024-25 |
Would love to see an article or list of the fastest mid-major times across all events!
Here was the mid-season update. We’ll update again after NCAAs:
https://swimswam.com/the-all-time-top-ten-mid-major-swimmers-in-every-event-through-2024-25-midseason-invites/
Love seeing SIU crushing the meet thus far, killer coaching staff for that location. To add to this list, Izzy Ackley at FGCU was 51.97 this year as a freshman, 3 in the all-time top 10 in this event for Dave Rollins’s squad, also one of the best mid-major coaches currently
Good catch, will update the list.
Awesome
That was a killer swim. Excited to see the final.