Stanford senior Brooke Forde gave the Cardinal something to cheer about on Friday night at the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Greensboro as she won the fifth straight title for Stanford in the 400 IM, backing up Ella Eastin’s four straight from 2016 – 2019.
Forde was one of the big favorites to win the NCAA title last season before the meet was cancelled and also a potential Olympian in the event. In her final year swimming for a Stanford team missing a lot of pieces, Forde won her second individual NCAA title after taking the 500 freestyle two years ago.
“I am just super happy. I felt like this was kind of a long time coming with last year being canceled. The 400 IM is what I have been focusing on this whole year,” Brooke Forde said after the race. “Just to have the opportunity to let that work show itself this year is super special. It helps (my confidence) a ton. Just to prove my training is paying off and I’m in a good position heading into the summer really helps my mindset.”
It didn’t come easy for Forde, who had her hands full early on with Kentucky’s Lauren Poole (4:02.73), who wound up third overall while Virginia’s Ella Nelson closed the gap on breast and free to take second at 4:02.33. Poole had the lead at the 200 at 1:56.40 with Ohio State’s Katie Trace in tow (1:56.88). Forde stayed poised on the breaststroke leg, taking the lead at the 300 with a 3:04.98 with Poole (3:05.68) in second and Nelson (3:06.37) gaining.
It was all decided in the end as Brooke Forde won the title, although two seconds off her best time from two years ago.
Indiana’s Josie Grote (4:05.06), Texas’ Evie Pfeifer (4:05.41), Ohio State’s Trace (4:06.49), Michigan’s Kathryn Ackerman (4:06.95) and Virginia Tech’s Reka Gyorgy (4:08.69) also swam in the championship final.
Trace’s points allowed Ohio State to temporarily move into fourth place ahead of California.
Stanford has now won 13 400 IM NCAA titles as Brooke Forde joins the likes of Michelle Griglione (1989), Janet Evans (1990), Summer Sanders (1991, 1992), Julia Smit (2008-2010), Maya DiRado (2014) and Eastin (2016-2019) as winners in the event for the Cardinal.
Event 8 Women 400 Yard IM
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NCAA: N 3:54.60 3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
Meet: M 3:54.60 3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
American: A 3:54.60 3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
US Open: O 3:54.60 3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
Pool: P 4:02.47 3/20/2015 Sarah Henry, Texas A&M
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Forde, Brooke SR Stanford 4:04.92 4:01.57P 20
r:+0.75 25.87 55.06 (29.19)
1:26.73 (31.67) 1:57.35 (30.62)
2:30.94 (33.59) 3:04.98 (34.04)
3:33.67 (28.69) 4:01.57 (27.90)
2 Nelson, Ella SO Virginia 4:04.47 4:02.33P 17
r:+0.70 26.43 55.79 (29.36)
1:27.48 (31.69) 1:58.46 (30.98)
2:32.11 (33.65) 3:06.37 (34.26)
3:35.23 (28.86) 4:02.33 (27.10)
3 Poole, Lauren SO Kentucky 4:04.54 4:02.73 16
r:+0.68 26.25 56.15 (29.90)
1:26.68 (30.53) 1:56.40 (29.72)
2:30.89 (34.49) 3:05.68 (34.79)
3:34.89 (29.21) 4:02.73 (27.84)
4 Grote, Josie SR Indiana 4:05.33 4:05.06 15
r:+0.80 26.46 55.97 (29.51)
1:27.25 (31.28) 1:57.24 (29.99)
2:32.52 (35.28) 3:08.51 (35.99)
3:37.31 (28.80) 4:05.06 (27.75)
5 Pfeifer, Evie SR Texas 4:06.29 4:05.41 14
r:+0.77 26.64 56.70 (30.06)
1:28.20 (31.50) 1:58.11 (29.91)
2:33.22 (35.11) 3:08.92 (35.70)
3:38.00 (29.08) 4:05.41 (27.41)
6 Trace, Katie SR Ohio St 4:06.20 4:06.49 13
r:+0.66 25.57 54.89 (29.32)
1:26.28 (31.39) 1:56.88 (30.60)
2:33.39 (36.51) 3:09.96 (36.57)
3:38.80 (28.84) 4:06.49 (27.69)
7 Ackerman, Kathryn FR Michigan 4:07.35 4:06.95 12
r:+0.78 26.61 57.17 (30.56)
1:28.18 (31.01) 1:58.53 (30.35)
2:33.58 (35.05) 3:09.44 (35.86)
3:38.67 (29.23) 4:06.95 (28.28)
8 Gyorgy, Reka SR Virginia Tech 4:06.77 4:08.69 11
r:+0.70 26.49 56.32 (29.83)
1:27.43 (31.11) 1:58.23 (30.80)
2:34.39 (36.16) 3:10.78 (36.39)
3:40.28 (29.50) 4:08.69 (28.41)
=== Consolation Final ===
9 Romano, Kristen SR Ohio St 4:08.20 4:04.28 9
r:+0.75 25.86 55.66 (29.80)
1:27.12 (31.46) 1:57.42 (30.30)
2:32.27 (34.85) 3:07.31 (35.04)
3:36.45 (29.14) 4:04.28 (27.83)
10 Toney, Camryn SR Texas A&M 4:08.61 4:06.30 7
r:+0.69 27.26 57.41 (30.15)
1:29.63 (32.22) 2:00.88 (31.25)
2:35.74 (34.86) 3:10.69 (34.95)
3:38.93 (28.24) 4:06.30 (27.37)
11 Bonnett, Bailey SR Kentucky 4:08.26 4:06.41 6
r:+0.64 26.42 56.78 (30.36)
1:28.62 (31.84) 2:00.03 (31.41)
2:34.06 (34.03) 3:08.90 (34.84)
3:38.37 (29.47) 4:06.41 (28.04)
12 Moore, Kate SR NC State 4:08.53 4:07.30 5
r:+0.71 26.29 56.53 (30.24)
1:28.18 (31.65) 1:58.66 (30.48)
2:34.26 (35.60) 3:10.32 (36.06)
3:39.67 (29.35) 4:07.30 (27.63)
13 Davey, Gillian SO Kentucky 4:08.57 4:07.31 4
r:+0.71 27.00 57.48 (30.48)
1:29.96 (32.48) 2:01.64 (31.68)
2:34.90 (33.26) 3:08.12 (33.22)
3:38.29 (30.17) 4:07.31 (29.02)
14 Yager, Alexis SR Tennessee 4:08.17 4:08.09 3
r:+0.72 26.53 56.71 (30.18)
1:29.29 (32.58) 2:01.17 (31.88)
2:35.74 (34.57) 3:10.27 (34.53)
3:39.57 (29.30) 4:08.09 (28.52)
15 Hay, Abby SO Louisville 4:08.71 4:08.87 2
r:+0.72 26.28 56.59 (30.31)
1:28.16 (31.57) 1:58.92 (30.76)
2:33.88 (34.96) 3:09.93 (36.05)
3:40.05 (30.12) 4:08.87 (28.82)
16 Rice, Anna Havens FR Kentucky 4:09.81 4:12.79 1
r:+0.74 27.10 58.00 (30.90)
1:29.95 (31.95) 2:01.90 (31.95)
2:37.70 (35.80) 3:13.82 (36.12)
3:44.13 (30.31) 4:12.79 (28.66)
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 8 1. Virginia 201 2. Texas 133 3. NC State 129 4. Ohio St 123.5 5. California 114 6. Stanford 104 7. Kentucky 92 8. Michigan 90 8. Alabama 90 10. Georgia 85 11. Louisville 64 12. UNC 61 13. Missouri 55 14. Tennessee 54 15. Florida 53.5 16. Indiana 45 17. Texas A&M 37 18. Northwestern 28 19. Wisconsin 23 20. Virginia Tech 22 21. Southern California 21 22. Minnesota 20 22. Miami 20 24. Arkansas 16 25. Arizona 15 26. Nebraska 3 26. Akron 3 28. Duke 2 29. Houston 1
