Women’s 2021 NCAA Swimming Championships (RACE VIDEOS)

2021 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 17 – Saturday, March 20, 2021
• Greensboro Aquatic Center / Greensboro, NC
• Short course yards (SCY)
• Champion: Virginia (1x)
• Results

After entering the 2020 NCAA Championships as favorites to take the team title, the Virginia Cavaliers received delayed gratification when they won the Women’s 2021 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in March last year. The NCAA’s official YouTube channel hosts several of the race videos from that meet, which you can view below. 

Top 10 Teams 

1. UVA: 491
2. NC State: 354
3. Texas: 344.5
4. California: 290
5. Alabama: 266
6. Michigan: 224.5
7. Ohio State: 215.5
8. Georgia: 181
9. Stanford: 159
10. Tennessee: 153

New NCAA Records

NC State set a new NCAA record in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:24.59 (video below). Canadian Olympian Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) smashed the 100 fly record with a time of 48.89. MacNeil’s fly was the swim of the meet according to Swimulator power points. Video of MacNeil’s record-breaking performance has not been released on the NCAA YouTube channel. 

800 free relay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXF2UHKfWXs&list=WL&index=37

Top 3 

1. Virginia – 6:52.56
2. Kentucky – 6:57.02
3. Cal – 6:57.06

Virginia won the 800 free relay in a time of 6:52.56. The team consisted of Kyla Valls, Paige Madden, Ella Nelson, and Alex Walsh. 

200 free relay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIv0Erd7oo&list=WL&index=29

Top 3

1. California – 1:25.78
2. Virginia – 1:25.97
3. NC State – 1:26.27

The team of Eloise Riley, Emily Gantriis, Elise Garcia, and Isabel Ivey from Cal held off Virginia to win the 200 free relay by two-tenths. Cal overcame a one-second Virginia advantage after the lead-off leg.

500 free 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEUz5g61lE&list=WL&index=27

Top 3

1. Paige Madden (Virginia) – 4:33.61
2. Evie Pfeifer (Texas) – 4:35.02
3. Brooke Forde (Stanford) – 4:35.22

Virginia’s Paige Madden won the 500 free. Evie Pfiefer from Texas was close up to the 200 mark, but began to fade from Madden after that. Stanford’s Brooke Forde swam a fast last 100 to come within two-tenths of Pfiefer to finish third. 

200 IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT1W20ZZNsg&list=WL&index=28

Top 3

1. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 1:51.87
2. Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1:53.34
3. Alicia Wilson (California) – 1:54.51

Freshman Alex Walsh cruised to victory in the 200 IM. Walsh’s time was a little over a second above the current NCAA record time of 1:50.67. 

50 free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH0k9_-SAV0&list=WL&index=26

Top 3

1. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 21.13
2. Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 21.17
3. Sarah Thompson (Missouri) – 21.42

Kate Douglass gave Virginia their 4th title on day 1 by edging out Maggie MacNeil in the 50 by four-hundredths. 

400 medley relay 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVjzmVupcpg&list=WL&index=25

Top 3

1. NC State – 3:24.59
2. Virginia – 3:25.13
3. Texas – 3:27.83

NC State’s relay team of Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Hansson, Kylee Alons, and Julia Poole set an NCAA record in the 400 medley relay. Runners-up Virginia were also fast, missing the old NCAA record by only four-hundredths. 

100 back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZNyMM13ffs&list=WL&index=24

Top 3

1. Katharine Berkoff (NC State) – 49.74
2. Rhyan White (Alabama) – 50.21
3. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 50.39

Berkoff also won an individual event for NC State in the 100 back, holding off Olympian Rhyan White. 

1650 free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzk4TGxGwUc&list=WL&index=21

Top 3

1. Paige Madden (Virginia) – 15:41.86
2. Evie Pfeifer (Texas) – 15:46.41
3. Sierra Schmidt (Michigan) – 15:51.09

The 1650 saw the same Top 2 as the 500, with Paige Madden taking another individual title and Evie Pfiefer finishing second once again. 

200 back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTDPwAgHwvA&list=WL&index=22

Top 3

1. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 1:48.32
2. Rhyan White (Alabama) – 1:48.99
3. Isabelle Stadden (California) – 1:49.66

Olympian Phoebe Bacon held off Olympian Ryan White in the 200 back. White led the race at the midway point, but Bacon brought it home fast on the last 50, out-splitting White by over half-a-second. White would go on to beat Bacon at the Olympic Trials. 

100 free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9i3UzT0aTg&list=WL&index=20

Top 3

1. Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 46.02
2. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 46.30
3. Isabel Ivey (California) – 46.95

MacNeil was able to reverse the 50 free results, this time beating Douglass. Douglass led at the 50 mark, but could not keep MacNeil’s pace on the second 50. 

200 breast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6-YwgfzK_o&list=WL&index=23

Top 3

1. Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 2:03.86
2. Ella Nelson (Virginia) – 2:04.35
3. Mona McSharry (Tennessee) – 2:05.01

Sophie Hansson from NC State won the 200 breast. Hansson also won the 100 earlier in the meet. 

200 fly 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1CHry8O8_M&list=WL&index=19

Top 3

1. Olivia Carter (Michigan) – 1:51.33
2. Olivia Bray (Texas) – 1:52.87
3. Dakota Luther (Georgia) – 1:53.01

Michigan’s Oliva Carter beat Texas freshman Olivia Bray in the 200 fly. Bray held the lead at the 100 mark but could not match Carter’s back-half. Carter and Bray finished 6th and 7th in the 100 fly, respectively. Bray also led the more experienced Carter at the midway point in that race, with Carter coming back stronger on the back-half.