Ella Eastin Becomes First Woman to Win 400 IM NCAA Title Four Times

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Stanford senior Ella Eastin won the 400 IM for the fourth consecutive year on Friday night at the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas. Eastin swam a 3:57.03 as she led after all four strokes of the race. Eastin is also the first woman to ever win this event four times at NCAAs for Division I. Eastin was off her record swim of 3:54.60 from last year but she still finished first.

Texas A&M senior Sydney Pickrem (3:58.23) finished in the runner-up spot as she swam a best time, moving up to sixth all-time in a tie with Julia Smit.

Stanford picked up 48 points in the final with sophomore Brooke Forde (3:59.26) placing third and freshman Allie Raab (4:06.11) placing seventh. The Cardinal are looking for the third straight team title this year. They took advantage of zero Cal swimmers in either final in the 400 IM.

Northwestern’s Calypso Sheridan was up with Eastin at the 200 but was caught by Pickrem and Forde, who both specialize in the back-half. Sheridan was fourth at 4:01.35.

South Carolina’s Emma Barksdale (4:03.51), Indiana’s Bailey Andison (4:03.87) and Florida’s Kelly Fertel (4:09.92) also swam in the A-Final.

Stanford now has 12 NCAA titles in the 400 IM. Eastin joins Michelle Griglione (1989), Janet Evans (1990), Summer Sanders (1991, 92), Julia Smit (2008-10), Maya DiRado (2014) and herself (2016-19) as winners for the Cardinal in the event.

Eastin is also the first woman to ever win the 400 IM four times at NCAAs. Four women have won it three times in Auburn’s Maggie Bowen, Florida’s Tracy Caulkins, USC’s Kristine Quance and Stanford’s Smit.

All-Time List:

Ella Eastin, Stanford, 3:54.60 (2018)
Katie Ledecky, Stanford, 3:56.53 (2018)
Katinka Hosszu, USC, 3:56.54 (2012)
Caitlin Leverenz, Cal, 3:57.89 (2012)
Maya DiRado, Stanford, 3:58.12 (2014)
Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M, 3:58.23 (2019)
Julia Smit, Stanford, 3:58.23 (2010)
Elizabeth Beisel, Florida, 3:58.35 (2012)

 Event 8  Women 400 Yard IM
=========================================================================
         NCAA: I 3:54.60  16-Mar-18 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         Meet: M 3:54.60  16-Mar-18 Ella Eastin, Stanford
     American: A 3:54.60  16-Mar-18 Ella Eastin, Stanford
      US Open: O 3:54.60  16-Mar-18 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         Pool: P 3:58.86  01-Dec-11 Katinka Hosszu
                 4:04.16  AUTO NCAA A Standard
                 4:17.30  CONS NCAA B Standard
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Ella Eastin      SR Stanford          4:02.05    3:57.03P        20  
    r:+0.73  25.79        54.55 (28.76)
        1:24.59 (30.04)     1:53.88 (29.29)
        2:27.55 (33.67)     3:01.44 (33.89)
        3:29.09 (27.65)     3:57.03 (27.94)
  2 Sydney Pickrem   SR TAMU              4:03.43    3:58.23P        17  
    r:+0.68  26.28        55.98 (29.70)
        1:26.43 (30.45)     1:56.32 (29.89)
        2:29.38 (33.06)     3:02.75 (33.37)
        3:31.29 (28.54)     3:58.23 (26.94)
  3 Brooke Forde     SO Stanford          4:02.65    3:59.26         16  
    r:+0.73  26.04        55.39 (29.35)
        1:26.78 (31.39)     1:57.16 (30.38)
        2:30.92 (33.76)     3:04.69 (33.77)
        3:32.42 (27.73)     3:59.26 (26.84)
  4 Calypso Sherida  SO Northwestern      4:04.30    4:01.35         15  
    r:+0.73  25.25        54.72 (29.47)
        1:25.18 (30.46)     1:55.10 (29.92)
        2:29.11 (34.01)     3:03.60 (34.49)
        3:33.11 (29.51)     4:01.35 (28.24)
  5 Emma Barksdale   SR South Carolina    4:04.62    4:03.51         14  
    r:+0.69  26.42        56.14 (29.72)
        1:27.79 (31.65)     1:58.75 (30.96)
        2:32.45 (33.70)     3:06.49 (34.04)
        3:35.57 (29.08)     4:03.51 (27.94)
  6 Bailey Andison   SR Indiana           4:04.80    4:03.87         13  
    r:+0.65  25.77        55.65 (29.88)
        1:27.36 (31.71)     1:58.13 (30.77)
        2:32.43 (34.30)     3:06.94 (34.51)
        3:36.03 (29.09)     4:03.87 (27.84)
  7 Allie Raab       FR Stanford          4:05.28    4:06.11         12  
    r:+0.72  26.22        56.21 (29.99)
        1:28.74 (32.53)     1:59.83 (31.09)
        2:34.62 (34.79)     3:09.21 (34.59)
        3:38.27 (29.06)     4:06.11 (27.84)
  8 Kelly Fertel     JR Florida           4:05.32    4:09.92         11  
    r:+0.74  26.35        56.44 (30.09)
        1:28.41 (31.97)     1:59.38 (30.97)
        2:34.97 (35.59)     3:11.28 (36.31)
        3:40.99 (29.71)     4:09.92 (28.93)

Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 8                 
 
  1. Stanford                        221.5   2. California                        173
  3. Michigan                          129   4. Louisville                        100
  5. NC State                           92   6. Texas                              87
  7. Southern Cali                      83   8. Tennessee                          80
  9. Minnesota                          76  10. Indiana                            71
 11. Virginia                           66  12. Texas A&M                          62
 13. Auburn                             52  14. Arizona                          48.5
 15. Wisconsin                          44  16. Florida                            32
 17. Kentucky                         31.5  18. UCLA                               31
 19. Arkansas                           29  20. Georgia                            28
 21. South Carolina                   27.5  22. Arizona St                         25
 23. Ohio St                            21  24. Duke                               16
 25. Northwestern                       15  26. Missouri                           14
 27. Lsu                                13  28. Kansas                             11
 29. Purdue                              7  29. Penn St                             7
 31. Virginia Tech                       5  32. University of Miami                 3
 33. UNC                                 2

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