Women’s NCAA Championships, If Seeds Hold, Could Be Single Digits After Day 2 (Prelims Scoring)

Including diving, but not including the 800 free relay, here’s how we sit mid-day on day 2 of the NCAA Championships. Tennessee, thanks to some clutch final dives by Jodi McGroarty and Tori Lamp to each get into the A-Final, are projected to have the lead tonight, though it will take a good swim by their 800 to make that happen. More likely, including that relay, Georgia and Cal will be out in front: but it will be very, very tight.

If seeds hold from the morning, then between Cal and Georgia, the outcome of the 800 free relay will decide the standings at the end of the day. Based on what we saw in the individual 200 freestyle, it’s likely that Cal and Georgia finish 1-2 in that relay in some order, so expect big point swings (with the Bulldogs obviously a huge favorite, unless they’ve changed their finals relay).

Arizona’s Sam Pickens rode high for most of the morning in the 3-meter prelims, but a bad 5th dive left her in the B-Final. At least she can hope to win that, so Arizona should be a few points better than the “Prelims (no relay)” score has them.

The first column is where things will be if seeds hold from this morning. Compare columns 2 and 3 to gauge whether a team moved up and down based on seeds, noting that column 2 includes diving and column 3 does not.

Long story short: this could be a three-way, single-digit meet at the end of day 2. Auburn, who was 15th after one day, should have a good evening too. They could make a run at Minnesota, depending on what happens in the 800 free relay.