The NCAA has released the cuts for the 2023 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, which will take place from March 15-18, 2023 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
On the men’s side, the A-cuts got faster in 4 events, while the B-cuts got faster in 8 individual events and all 5 relay events. Likewise, 4 A-cuts also got faster on the women’s side, with the B-cuts getting faster in 11 individual events. Only one relay event, the 200 freestyle relay, saw its cut get faster on the women’s side, with the cut for the women’s 200 medley relay actually getting slower from last season.
A majority of the cuts only dropped by a few hundredths or tenths of a second. However, in the men’s 200 breaststroke, the B-cut dropped by over 2 seconds from 2:04.80 to 2:02.30. The B-cut for the men’s 800 freestyle relay also dropped by over 2 seconds from 6:47.12 to 6:45.00.
2023 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships – Men’s Cuts
| EVENT | A Standard | B Standard |
| 50 Free | 19.46* | 20.51* |
| 100 Free | 43.31 | 45.11* |
| 200 Free | 1:36.74 | 1:39.80* |
| 500 Free | 4:20.26 | 4:32.31* |
| 1650 Free | 15:02.59 | 16:16.65 |
| 100 Back | 46.91* | 49.68* |
| 200 Back | 1:43.63* | 1:49.86 |
| 100 Breast | 52.11 | 55.78* |
| 200 Breast | 1:53.85 | 2:02.30* |
| 100 Fly | 47.19 | 49.02* |
| 200 Fly | 1:45.31* | 1:50.85 |
| 200 IM | 1:45.47 | 1:51.45 |
| 400 IM | 3:47.19 | 4:01.49 |
|
200 Free Relay
|
1:22.28* | |
|
400 Free Relay
|
3:02.40* | |
|
800 Free Relay
|
6:45.00* | |
|
200 Medley Relay
|
1:30.37* | |
|
400 Medley Relay
|
3:19.92* | |
|
1-Meter Diving (6)
|
275 | |
|
1-Meter Diving (11)
|
425 | |
|
3-Meter Diving (6)
|
285 | |
|
3-Meter Diving (11)
|
440 |
*Indicates time decrease from 2022
2023 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships – Women’s Cuts
| EVENT | A Standard |
B Standard
|
| 50 Free | 22.72 | 23.63* |
| 100 Free | 49.31 | 51.55* |
| 200 Free | 1:47.13 | 1:52.15 |
| 500 Free | 4:45.33 | 5:00.37* |
| 1650 Free | 16:27.52 | 17:21.20* |
| 100 Back | 53.70* | 56.82 |
| 200 Back | 1:55.94 | 2:03.30* |
| 100 Breast | 1:00.05* | 1:04.57* |
| 200 Breast | 2:11.55* | 2:21.44* |
| 100 Fly | 52.92 | 56.29* |
| 200 Fly | 1:56.90 | 2:05.40* |
| 200 IM | 1:58.27* | 2:06.23* |
| 400 IM | 4:13.77 | 4:29.76* |
|
200 Free Relay
|
1:35.59* | |
|
400 Free Relay
|
3:29.60 | |
|
800 Free Relay
|
7:39.30 | |
|
200 Medley Relay
|
1:45.32** | |
|
400 Medley Relay
|
3:51.41 | |
|
1-Meter Diving (6)
|
255 | |
|
1-Meter Diving (11)
|
395 | |
|
3-Meter Diving (6)
|
265 | |
|
3-Meter Diving (11)
|
410 |
*Indicates Time Decrease from 2022
**Indicates Time Increase from 2022
Comparison: 2022 vs 2023 NCAA Division III Cuts
| Men’s Standards | ||||
| EVENT | 2023 A Standard | 2022 A Standard | 2023 B Standard | 2022 B Standard |
| 50 Free | 19.46* | 19.48 | 20.51* | 20.61 |
| 100 Free | 43.31 | 43.31 | 45.11* | 45.27 |
| 200 Free | 1:36.74 | 1:36.74 | 1:39.80* | 1:40.03 |
| 500 Free | 4:20.26 | 4:20.26 | 4:32.31* | 4:33.22 |
| 1650 Free | 15:02.59 | 15:02.59 | 16:16.65 | 16:16.65 |
| 100 Back | 46.91* | 46.97 | 49.68* | 49.91 |
| 200 Back | 1:43.63* | 1:44.47 | 1:49.86 | 1:49.86 |
| 100 Breast | 52.11 | 52.11 | 55.78* | 56.06 |
| 200 Breast | 1:53.85 | 1:53.85 | 2:02.30* | 2:04.80 |
| 100 Fly | 47.19 | 47.19 | 49.02* | 49.31 |
| 200 Fly | 1:45.31* | 1:45.50 | 1:50.85 | 1:50.85 |
| 200 IM | 1:45.47 | 1:45.47 | 1:51.45 | 1:51.45 |
| 400 IM | 3:47.19 | 3:47.19 | 4:01.49 | 4:01.49 |
|
200 Free Relay
|
1:22.28* | 1:22.44 | ||
|
400 Free Relay
|
3:02.40* | 3:03.10 | ||
|
800 Free Relay
|
6:45.00* | 6:47.12 | ||
|
200 Medley Relay
|
1:30.37* | 1:30.97 | ||
|
400 Medley Relay
|
3:19.92* | 3:20.69 | ||
|
1-Meter Diving (6)
|
275 | 275 | ||
|
1-Meter Diving (11)
|
425 | 425 | ||
|
3-Meter Diving (6)
|
285 | 285 | ||
|
3-Meter Diving (11)
|
440 | 440 | ||
| Women’s Standards | ||||
| EVENT | 2023 A Standard | 2022 A Standard | 2023 B Standard |
2022 B Standard
|
| 50 Free | 22.72 | 22.72 | 23.63* | 23.68 |
| 100 Free | 49.31 | 49.31 | 51.55* | 51.71 |
| 200 Free | 1:47.13 | 1:47.13 | 1:52.15 | 1:52.15 |
| 500 Free | 4:45.33 | 4:45.33 | 5:00.37* | 5:00.62 |
| 1650 Free | 16:27.52 | 16:27.52 | 17:21.20* | 17:33.69 |
| 100 Back | 53.70* | 53.94 | 56.82 | 56.82 |
| 200 Back | 1:55.94 | 1:55.94 | 2:03.30* | 2:03.37 |
| 100 Breast | 1:00.05* | 1:00.67 | 1:04.57* | 1:04.60 |
| 200 Breast | 2:11.55* | 2:12.91 | 2:21.44* | 2:21.91 |
| 100 Fly | 52.92 | 52.92 | 56.29* | 56.58 |
| 200 Fly | 1:56.90 | 1:56.90 | 2:05.40* | 2:05.61 |
| 200 IM | 1:58.27* | 1:59.49 | 2:06.23* | 2:06.41 |
| 400 IM | 4:13.77 | 4:13.77 | 4:29.76* | 4:30.76 |
|
200 Free Relay
|
1:35.59* | 1:35.63 | ||
|
400 Free Relay
|
3:29.60 | 3:29.60 | ||
|
800 Free Relay
|
7:39.30 | 7:39.30 | ||
|
200 Medley Relay
|
1:45.32** | 1:45.28 | ||
|
400 Medley Relay
|
3:51.41 | 3:51.41 | ||
|
1-Meter Diving (6)
|
255 | 255 | ||
|
1-Meter Diving (11)
|
395 | 395 | ||
|
3-Meter Diving (6)
|
265 | 265 | ||
|
3-Meter Diving (11)
|
410 | 410 | ||
*Indicates Time Decrease from 2022
**Indicates Time Increase from 2022
Like the Division I Championships, there is a cap on the meet that affects the selection process. First, the 16 fastest swimmers in each of the men’s individual swimming events are selected to the meet, while the 20 fastest women in each individual swimming event are selected. Then, the top 16 men’s and top 20 women’s relays in each relay event are added to the meet. If the maximum number of participants, 260 men (including 24 divers) and 319 women (including 29 divers), is not met, then swimmers will be added one-by-one to each individual event until the cap is met. For diving, selections will take place according to the placements at the Zone Diving Competitions, with 24 men and 29 women receiving selections.
If a swimmer is selected to the competition as a relay only swimmer, they may swim up to three events for which they have achieved the NCAA B-cut. Likewise, swimmers selected for an individual event may also race up to 3 individual events, regardless of whether they’ve achieved the B-cut. All schools roster’s are capped at 18 student-athletes, including both swimmers and divers.
A more useful chart would include the previous invited times in each event. The A cut is meaningless since I it’s the fastest time over the last 3 years (or something like that) and if you make the B cut by a little, you likely won’t get invited. You might as well publish the invited times. They will give a better idea of what it takes to make the meet.
And here the grind begins 😈
I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure if you get invited individually your two other swims don’t need to be B cuts
This is correct. Usually the true one trick ponies and also several NESCAC sprinters who swam stroke 50s at their conference meet will do this.
At what point will DIII start making more reasonable A cuts for swimmers to know that they will safely go to the meet, and add that sense of accomplishment of “yeah I just hit an A time I must be really good” and really be a standout. Plus, for smaller schools, it could be a selling point. The current A standard was the average of the past 3 winning times but it seems to have shifted to like the fastest 3 times ever at NCAAs? Like the distance events or the breaststrokes haven’t changed since the 2018 season following Arthur conover and Andrew Wilson in their events. No one has even been with in 10 seconds of the mile A… Read more »
Go back to 2013 when the A cut situation backfired. 24 (if memory serves) men were under the A cut in the 100 fly (and that was just one example) and we ended up selecting something like a dozen athletes in events to balance it all out. This system works (for the most part). Sure, it is different than D1, but that’s okay.
There’s got to be a middle ground. Average the top 3 times for the last 3 years instead of just the winning times. Would at least lower the effect of outliers like Wilson
Yeah! Andrew Wilson was a cheat code. He ruined the future of DIII swimming because he was so fast.
don’t diss my man
The winning time in the 200 breast last year was a 1:55, but your point is well taken. On the women’s side some of the A-cuts are achievable and some would take near record-breaking races.
It seems like the 2017 times should have rolled off in favor of 2018, 2019, and 2022?
Just wait until December Andy