The NCAA has released the qualifying standards for the 2025 Division III Championships.
On the men’s side, the cut times got faster across the board compared to last year, particularly in the breaststroke. The women’s side also saw faster qualification times in nearly every event in the A-cut. The biggest changes coming from the 200 fly and other middle-distance events. Women’s B-cuts got slightly faster in butterfly, breaststroke, and IM events while remaining the same in freestyle and backstroke.
Men’s Cuts
| Event | 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut | 2024-25 ‘B’ Cut | 2024 Invite Time |
| 50 Free | 19.46 | 20.37 | 20.16 |
| 100 Free | 43.31 | 45.02 | 44.51 |
| 200 Free | 1:36.16 | 1:39.40 | 1:38.62 |
| 500 Free | 4:20.26 | 4:31.24 | 4:29.54 |
| 1650 Free | 15:02.59 | 15:50.88 | 15:43.03 |
| 100 Back | 46.29 | 49.28 | 48.62 |
| 200 Back | 1:42.02 | 1:49.01 | 1:47.52 |
| 100 Breast | 52.11 | 55.29 | 54.62 |
| 200 Breast | 1:53.85 | 2:01.06 | 1:59.78 |
| 100 Fly | 46.52 | 48.63 | 48.12 |
| 200 Fly | 1:43.96 | 1:49.88 | 1:48.62 |
| 200 IM | 1:44.94 | 1:50.25 | 1:49.24 |
| 400 IM | 3:47.19 | 3:58.93 | 3:56.33 |
| 200 FR-R | N/A | 1:21.55 | 1:21.20 |
| 400 FR-R | N/A | 3:01.31 | 3:00.30 |
| 800 FR-R | N/A | 6:40.49 | 6:37.94 |
| 200 MR-R | N/A | 1:29.60 | 1:28.93 |
| 400 MR-R | N/A | 3:18.26 | 3:16.80 |
Women’s Cuts
| Event | 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut | 2024-25 ‘B’ Cut | 2024 Invite Time |
| 50 Free | 22.65 | 23.57 | 23.53 |
| 100 Free | 49.31 | 51.42 | 51.28 |
| 200 Free | 1:47.13 | 1:52.17 | 1:51.64 |
| 500 Free | 4:45.33 | 5:00.37 | 4:58.57 |
| 1650 Free | 16:27.52 | 17:21.20 | 17:18.05 |
| 100 Back | 53.70 | 56.76 | 56.73 |
| 200 Back | 1:55.94 | 2:03.17 | 2:03.08 |
| 100 Breast | 59.84 | 1:04.25 | 1:03.99 |
| 200 Breast | 2:10.99 | 2:20.43 | 2:19.78 |
| 100 Fly | 52.92 | 55.96 | 55.74 |
| 200 Fly | 1:56.90 | 2:05.01 | 2:04.49 |
| 200 IM | 1:58.27 | 2:05.70 | 2:05.44 |
| 400 IM | 4:13.77 | 4:29.40 | 4:28.50 |
| 200 FR-R | N/A | 1:35.10 | 1:34.49 |
| 400 FR-R | N/A | 3:29.09 | 3:28.16 |
| 800 FR-R | N/A | 7:38.31 | 7:33.95 |
| 200 MR-R | N/A | 1:44.61 | 1:44.06 |
| 400 MR-R | N/A | 3:50.46 | 3:49.31 |
You can find the official documents here:
Comparing to last year’s standards
Men’s ‘A’ Cut Standards Comparison
| Event | 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut | 2023-24 ‘A’ Cut | Time Difference (s) | Percentage Difference |
| 50 Free | 19.46 | 19.49 | -0.03 | -0.15% |
| 100 Free | 43.31 | 43.33 | -0.02 | -0.05% |
| 200 Free | 1:36.16 | 1:36.16 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 500 Free | 4:20.26 | 4:22.06 | -1.80 | -0.69% |
| 1650 Free | 15:02.59 | 15:14.69 | -12.10 | -1.33% |
| 100 Back | 46.29 | 46.29 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 200 Back | 1:42.02 | 1:42.23 | -0.21 | -0.20% |
| 100 Breast | 52.11 | 52.99 | -0.88 | -1.66% |
| 200 Breast | 1:53.85 | 1:55.65 | -1.80 | -1.54% |
| 100 Fly | 46.52 | 46.73 | -0.21 | -0.45% |
| 200 Fly | 1:43.96 | 1:44.48 | -0.52 | -0.50% |
| 200 IM | 1:44.94 | 1:46.29 | -1.35 | -1.27% |
| 400 IM | 3:47.19 | 3:49.29 | -2.10 | -0.92% |
Men’s ‘B’ Cut Standards Comparison
| Event | 2024-25 ‘B’ Cut | 2023-24 ‘B’ Cut | Time Difference (s) | Percentage Difference |
| 50 Free | 20.37 | 20.43 | -0.06 | -0.29% |
| 100 Free | 45.02 | 45.11 | -0.09 | -0.20% |
| 200 Free | 1:39.40 | 1:39.71 | -0.31 | -0.31% |
| 500 Free | 4:31.24 | 4:31.63 | -0.39 | -0.14% |
| 1650 Free | 15:50.88 | 15:50.88 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 100 Back | 49.28 | 49.48 | -0.20 | -0.40% |
| 200 Back | 1:49.01 | 1:49.15 | -0.14 | -0.13% |
| 100 Breast | 55.29 | 55.55 | -0.26 | -0.47% |
| 200 Breast | 2:01.06 | 2:01.59 | -0.53 | -0.44% |
| 100 Fly | 48.63 | 48.76 | -0.13 | -0.27% |
| 200 Fly | 1:49.88 | 1:50.26 | -0.38 | -0.34% |
| 200 IM | 1:50.25 | 1:50.64 | -0.39 | -0.35% |
| 400 IM | 3:58.93 | 3:59.21 | -0.28 | -0.12% |
Women’s ‘A’ Cut Standards Comparison
| Event | 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut | 2023-24 ‘A’ Cut | Time Difference (s) | Percentage Difference |
| 50 Free | 22.65 | 22.75 | -0.10 | -0.44% |
| 100 Free | 49.31 | 49.52 | -0.21 | -0.42% |
| 200 Free | 1:47.13 | 1:47.87 | -0.74 | -0.69% |
| 500 Free | 4:45.33 | 4:49.75 | -4.42 | -1.52% |
| 1650 Free | 16:27.52 | 16:32.84 | -5.32 | -0.54% |
| 100 Back | 53.70 | 53.83 | -0.13 | -0.24% |
| 200 Back | 1:55.94 | 1:56.94 | -1.00 | -0.86% |
| 100 Breast | 59.84 | 1:00.11 | -0.27 | -0.45% |
| 200 Breast | 2:10.99 | 2:11.20 | -0.21 | -0.16% |
| 100 Fly | 52.92 | 53.81 | -0.89 | -1.65% |
| 200 Fly | 1:56.90 | 1:59.83 | -2.93 | -2.45% |
| 200 IM | 1:58.27 | 1:58.47 | -0.20 | -0.17% |
| 400 IM | 4:13.77 | 4:15.91 | -2.14 | -0.84% |
Women’s ‘B’ Cut Standards Comparison
| Event | 2024-25 ‘B’ Cut | 2023-24 ‘B’ Cut | Time Difference (s) | Percentage Difference |
| 50 Free | 23.57 | 23.57 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 100 Free | 51.42 | 51.46 | -0.04 | -0.08% |
| 200 Free | 1:52.17 | 1:52.15 | 0.02 | 0.02% |
| 500 Free | 5:00.37 | 5:00.37 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 1650 Free | 17:21.20 | 17:21.20 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 100 Back | 56.76 | 56.76 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 200 Back | 2:03.17 | 2:03.17 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| 100 Breast | 1:04.25 | 1:04.39 | -0.14 | -0.22% |
| 200 Breast | 2:20.43 | 2:20.85 | -0.42 | -0.30% |
| 100 Fly | 55.96 | 56.06 | -0.10 | -0.18% |
| 200 Fly | 2:05.01 | 2:05.26 | -0.25 | -0.20% |
| 200 IM | 2:05.70 | 2:05.76 | -0.06 | -0.05% |
| 400 IM | 4:29.40 | 4:29.67 | -0.27 | -0.10% |
Meet Selection Process
First, the top 20 women and top 16 men in each individual event are selected. After that, members of the top 20 women’s and top 16 men’s relays receive invites. If the maximum invite of 319 women and 260 men is not yet met, swimmers are added one by one in individual events until the invite capacity is reached. There are 24 men’s and 29 women’s diving spots reserved out of the total invites from their respective meets. Invite selection for divers take place according to regional placements
The meet will take place from March 19-22, 2025 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
The A cuts are crazy fast. My daughter, who was a D1 Mid-Major Conference Champion in the 1650 two years ago and 500 champion last year, isn’t close to those A cuts.
I remember 1992, when the D-3 “A” cut for the backstrokes was not changed, even though the NCAA adapted the FINA/USAS rule for backstroke turns in December, 1991. That was also the first year for “A” and “B” cuts, though enough planning had been done to make the “A” cuts the average of the 5th best time in each event for the previous 3 years. This was NCAA’s attempt to hold down the cost of flying people to the meet and putting them up in hotels.
The result was that something like 22-25+ or more guys made the 200 back “A” cut. The cut time had been based on 7 old-style turns. The selection rules stated that every event… Read more »
What is the actual purpose of A cuts? Barely anyone gets them and it doesn’t impact the number of swimmers invited in each event. Why not just get rid of them altogether?
Sort of a ‘motivational’ thing, I guess.
I think A-Cuts are three year average of winning time. Prior to the 2013 Championships, I think there based off something like a three year average of 5th place time. This resulted in 22 A-Cuts in Men’s 100 Fly and 19 in men’s 200 Fly. This was in addition to 16 Relays being priority number two after A-Cuts. Some events had as few as 12 Qualifiers. The next year A-Cuts were changed to prevent this from happening again. The process was also adjusted to make sure this is no more than 1 line difference between relay and individual qualifiers.
These A cuts are beyond stupid
Yup. They’ll have two A cut qualifies and the rest will be invites.