Apostalon, 3-Time Swim-Off Winner of 2014 NCAAs, Will Swim-Off Again

2017 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 15 – Saturday, March 18
• IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champion: Georgia (results)
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• Live Stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
• Live Results

Swim-off master Anika Apostalon has a chance to try her luck again, after tying for 16th with Amy Bilquist this morning in the 50 free at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Both swimmers were 22.00.

Apostalon famously won three swim-offs at the 2014 NCAA Championships, back when she was competing for San Diego State. Her swim-offs in the 200 free relay, the 50 free, and the 100 back each won her a slot in the 2014 finals.

It’s worth noting (as pointed out by commenter “Tea Rex”), that Apostalon’s 22.01 tied her for 8th in 2014, and her 22.00 tied her for 16th in 2017.

Lauren Case of Texas and Genevieve Miller of Air Force Academy also tied for sixteenth this morning, this tie in the 500 free with 4:39.97.

Miller’s swim this morning was about a second off her personal best 4:38.98. Case swam her best time by a tenth (4:40.09 was her previous best from Big 12s). This 22.00 was Bilquist’s personal best. Apostalon is off her best; she was 21.75 to lead off the 200 free relay at Big 12s this year.

Both swim-offs feature match-ups between a senior and an underclassman. In the 500 free, veteran Miller will take on the young freshman Case out of Texas. Case has been a big contributor this season to Texas’s surge forward in the national rankings. Senior Apostalon will take on Cal sophomore Bilquist in the 50 free. If Bilquist wins, she will be the fourth Cal swimmer to make the top 16 in this event (Abbey Weitzeil, Farida Osman, and Maddie Murphy all made the top eight).