NCAA Women’s Championships: Abby McCulloh Captures 1650 Title for Georgia Bulldogs in Home Pool

Abby McCulloh -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Women’s Championships: Abby McCulloh Captures 1650 Title for Georgia Bulldogs in Home Pool

The University of Georgia had not captured a national title in women’s swimming since 2016, when Olivia Smoliga and Brittany MacLean both erned wins as the Bulldogs raced to their seventh team title. Now, Abby McCulloh can join that esteemed club of Bulldog champions after dominating the 1650 freestyle at the 2024 edition of the NCAA Championships — and McCulloh’s title was particularly special as she won it at home in Athens, Ga., racing in Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Women’s distance swimming currently lacks a standout star in college swimming. The more-recognized names racing the 1650 free, including 1500-meter free Olympic silver medalist Erica Sullivan and 2022 NCAA champion Paige McKenna, were well off their top times this season. That opened the door for McCulloh, who swam a time of 15:40.96 to win the SEC title in the mile and establish herself as the top seed for NCAAs.

Stepping up to the blocks for the fastest heat of the 1650 free in lane four, McCulloh delivered from the start, establishing a slight lead over the first 500 yards and then opening up a significant lead over the race’s middle portion. Around the 1000-yard, Stanford’s Aurora Roghair made a significant surge, picking off the other swimmers in the heat and slightly out-splitting McCulloh for several hundred yards, but she never got closer than two-and-a-half seconds.

McCulloh opened up her finishing kick over the final 150 yards, and she reached the wall in 15:37.74, a best time by more than three seconds and good enough to move her to No. 12 all-time in the event. The junior had previously finished as high as fifth in the event at the NCAA Championships two seasons ago, and she was sixth earlier in the week in the 500 free, a tune-up to this impressive title-winning swim Saturday evening.

“I will say it over and over again: I’m so grateful. This program means the world to me, and to know that I have the most amazing alumni, the most amazing teammates, the most amazing staff, none of this is just me. It’s a culmination of all the amazing people around me,” McCulloh said.

“I’m not one of those people that ever expects anything like this. I don’t have a ton of confidence going into a race, and I think that’s important, to let people know that you can achieve things even if you’re not super confident all the time. I rely a lot on my faith and just knowing that God’s going to make happen what’s supposed to happen.”

In the moments after McCulloh finished her triumphant mile, her University of Georgia teammates gathered behind the blocks to greet her, and after McCulloh climbed out of the pool, they enveloped her in a circle and began jumping in celebration. Shortly after, McCulloh credited her team and the culture at the University of Georgia as the key factors in her improvement and national title.

“I would chalk it up to amazing teammates and amazing coaches. Everybody here just wants success for everyone else so bad. I would like to brag that I think we have one of the best D-groups in the nation. Every girl on our team makes each other better, and our culture is just so awesome,” McCulloh said. “Just to see all my teammates screaming and crying and behind the block, I’ve told them, ‘Any success that any of us has is not just one person.’ That victory is every single one of them. I’m just so grateful.”

After learning that she had snapped an eight-year title drought for the Bulldogs, McCulloh pointed out another important accomplishment she had just reached: Georgia’s first national title under second-year head coach Stefanie Williams Moreno.

“It’s awesome. Just to be the first woman under Stef to win a national title is just amazing,” McCulloh said. “I told her after I finished, ‘During that whole time, I was thinking about you. I want to be Stef’s first.’ And being in Athens, obviously there’s a level of comfort. It’s a fantastic city. We have the best food, the best accommodations. I love being here. Being home is fun.”

Roghair ended up finishing second in 15:41.11, capping off a season in which she dramatically improved her standing in distance swimming after previously placing 15th and 17th in the mile at the NCAA Championships in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Roghair now sits 22nd all-time in the event.

Indiana’s Ching Hwee Gan placed third in 15:46.90, less than a second clear of charging Penn swimmer Anna Kalandadze (15:47.86). Emma Weyant, a Florida junior who previously took second in both the 500 free and 400 IM, took fifth (15:49.51). Sullivan was sixth (15:54.82), with Indiana’s Mariah Denigan (15:55.41) and Nebraska’s Gena Jorgenson (15:55.71) rounding out the top-eight. Denigan is already qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 10-kilometer open water event. McKenna was just behind in ninth (15:56.16).

Event 15  Women 1650 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 15:03.31  11/18/2017Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Meet: M 15:07.70  3/17/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
     American: A 15:01.41  3/12/2023 Katie Ledecky, Gator Swim Club
      US Open: O 15:01.41  3/12/2023 Katie Ledecky, Gator Swim Club
         Pool: P 15:39.56  12/6/2015 Leah Smith, Virginia
    Name                 Year School               Seed     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
  1 McCulloh, Abby         JR Georgia          15:40.96   15:37.74P  20  
    r:+0.71  25.82        54.15 (28.33)
        1:22.90 (28.75)     1:51.78 (28.88)
        2:20.80 (29.02)     2:49.70 (28.90)
        3:18.54 (28.84)     3:47.51 (28.97)
        4:16.40 (28.89)     4:45.19 (28.79)
        5:14.08 (28.89)     5:42.46 (28.38)
        6:11.01 (28.55)     6:39.37 (28.36)
        7:07.90 (28.53)     7:36.40 (28.50)
        8:04.66 (28.26)     8:33.19 (28.53)
        9:01.62 (28.43)     9:30.13 (28.51)
        9:58.54 (28.41)    10:26.99 (28.45)
       10:55.41 (28.42)    11:23.75 (28.34)
       11:52.17 (28.42)    12:20.49 (28.32)
       12:49.02 (28.53)    13:17.54 (28.52)
       13:45.75 (28.21)    14:14.07 (28.32)
       14:42.16 (28.09)    15:10.38 (28.22)    15:37.74 (27.36)
  2 Roghair, Aurora        JR Stanford         15:46.35   15:41.11   17  
    r:+0.80  26.61        55.07 (28.46)
        1:23.92 (28.85)     1:52.98 (29.06)
        2:22.17 (29.19)     2:51.29 (29.12)
        3:20.72 (29.43)     3:49.90 (29.18)
        4:19.00 (29.10)     4:47.96 (28.96)
        5:16.66 (28.70)     5:45.38 (28.72)
        6:14.44 (29.06)     6:43.44 (29.00)
        7:12.33 (28.89)     7:40.99 (28.66)
        8:09.50 (28.51)     8:38.02 (28.52)
        9:06.41 (28.39)     9:34.75 (28.34)
       10:03.06 (28.31)    10:31.32 (28.26)
       10:59.61 (28.29)    11:27.82 (28.21)
       11:55.96 (28.14)    12:24.01 (28.05)
       12:52.26 (28.25)    13:20.57 (28.31)
       13:48.68 (28.11)    14:16.88 (28.20)
       14:45.14 (28.26)    15:13.45 (28.31)    15:41.11 (27.66)
  3 Gan, Ching Hwee        JR Indiana          15:48.70   15:46.90   16  
    r:+0.49  26.30        54.57 (28.27)
        1:23.26 (28.69)     1:52.24 (28.98)
        2:21.08 (28.84)     2:50.04 (28.96)
        3:19.00 (28.96)     3:47.86 (28.86)
        4:16.75 (28.89)     4:45.48 (28.73)
        5:14.34 (28.86)     5:42.83 (28.49)
        6:11.52 (28.69)     6:40.31 (28.79)
        7:09.05 (28.74)     7:37.91 (28.86)
        8:06.64 (28.73)     8:35.52 (28.88)
        9:04.33 (28.81)     9:32.94 (28.61)
       10:01.38 (28.44)    10:29.84 (28.46)
       10:58.36 (28.52)    11:26.97 (28.61)
       11:55.66 (28.69)    12:24.37 (28.71)
       12:53.33 (28.96)    13:22.40 (29.07)
       13:51.75 (29.35)    14:20.90 (29.15)
       14:50.13 (29.23)    15:18.89 (28.76)    15:46.90 (28.01)
  4 Kalandadze, Anna       SR Penn             15:54.53   15:47.86   15  
    r:+0.71  26.60        54.90 (28.30)
        1:23.67 (28.77)     1:52.73 (29.06)
        2:21.71 (28.98)     2:50.93 (29.22)
        3:20.04 (29.11)     3:49.19 (29.15)
        4:18.15 (28.96)     4:47.16 (29.01)
        5:16.00 (28.84)     5:44.85 (28.85)
        6:13.54 (28.69)     6:42.30 (28.76)
        7:10.99 (28.69)     7:39.78 (28.79)
        8:08.45 (28.67)     8:37.12 (28.67)
        9:05.91 (28.79)     9:34.40 (28.49)
       10:03.01 (28.61)    10:31.44 (28.43)
       11:00.06 (28.62)    11:28.63 (28.57)
       11:57.45 (28.82)    12:26.38 (28.93)
       12:55.31 (28.93)    13:24.31 (29.00)
       13:53.00 (28.69)    14:21.84 (28.84)
       14:50.84 (29.00)    15:19.69 (28.85)    15:47.86 (28.17)
  5 Weyant, Emma           JR Florida          15:54.62   15:49.51   14  
    r:+0.77  26.22        54.73 (28.51)
        1:23.46 (28.73)     1:52.36 (28.90)
        2:21.25 (28.89)     2:50.28 (29.03)
        3:19.29 (29.01)     3:48.34 (29.05)
        4:17.28 (28.94)     4:45.95 (28.67)
        5:14.70 (28.75)     5:43.50 (28.80)
        6:12.16 (28.66)     6:40.66 (28.50)
        7:09.17 (28.51)     7:37.89 (28.72)
        8:06.33 (28.44)     8:35.03 (28.70)
        9:03.54 (28.51)     9:32.20 (28.66)
       10:01.01 (28.81)    10:29.90 (28.89)
       10:58.69 (28.79)    11:27.62 (28.93)
       11:56.59 (28.97)    12:25.74 (29.15)
       12:55.07 (29.33)    13:24.27 (29.20)
       13:53.65 (29.38)    14:22.84 (29.19)
       14:52.06 (29.22)    15:21.64 (29.58)    15:49.51 (27.87)
  6 Sullivan, Erica        JR Texas            15:52.90   15:54.82   13  
    r:+0.68  26.16        54.26 (28.10)
        1:23.00 (28.74)     1:51.94 (28.94)
        2:21.07 (29.13)     2:50.23 (29.16)
        3:19.74 (29.51)     3:48.80 (29.06)
        4:17.85 (29.05)     4:47.12 (29.27)
        5:15.77 (28.65)     5:44.42 (28.65)
        6:13.05 (28.63)     6:41.72 (28.67)
        7:10.54 (28.82)     7:39.33 (28.79)
        8:08.36 (29.03)     8:37.58 (29.22)
        9:06.53 (28.95)     9:35.55 (29.02)
       10:04.13 (28.58)    10:33.01 (28.88)
       11:01.93 (28.92)    11:30.87 (28.94)
       12:00.14 (29.27)    12:29.28 (29.14)
       12:58.51 (29.23)    13:27.72 (29.21)
       13:57.16 (29.44)    14:26.72 (29.56)
       14:56.22 (29.50)    15:25.85 (29.63)    15:54.82 (28.97)
  7 Denigan, Mariah        JR Indiana          15:59.66   15:55.41   12  
    r:+0.26  27.05        56.03 (28.98)
        1:25.11 (29.08)     1:54.61 (29.50)
        2:24.13 (29.52)     2:53.39 (29.26)
        3:22.73 (29.34)     3:51.84 (29.11)
        4:20.89 (29.05)     4:49.95 (29.06)
        5:19.20 (29.25)     5:48.28 (29.08)
        6:17.35 (29.07)     6:46.48 (29.13)
        7:15.74 (29.26)     7:44.85 (29.11)
        8:14.03 (29.18)     8:43.03 (29.00)
        9:11.98 (28.95)     9:41.01 (29.03)
       10:09.94 (28.93)    10:39.21 (29.27)
       11:08.09 (28.88)    11:37.19 (29.10)
       12:05.93 (28.74)    12:34.60 (28.67)
       13:03.51 (28.91)    13:32.48 (28.97)
       14:01.09 (28.61)    14:29.55 (28.46)
       14:58.25 (28.70)    15:27.21 (28.96)    15:55.41 (28.20)
  8 Jorgenson, Gena        SO Nebraska         16:01.72   15:55.71   11  
    r:+0.77  26.63        56.13 (29.50)
        1:25.58 (29.45)     1:54.72 (29.14)
        2:24.11 (29.39)     2:53.41 (29.30)
        3:22.84 (29.43)     3:52.21 (29.37)
        4:21.71 (29.50)     4:51.08 (29.37)
        5:19.99 (28.91)     5:49.24 (29.25)
        6:18.41 (29.17)     6:47.62 (29.21)
        7:16.72 (29.10)     7:45.94 (29.22)
        8:14.96 (29.02)     8:43.88 (28.92)
        9:12.88 (29.00)     9:42.06 (29.18)
       10:10.85 (28.79)    10:39.92 (29.07)
       11:08.97 (29.05)    11:37.79 (28.82)
       12:06.75 (28.96)    12:35.75 (29.00)
       13:04.76 (29.01)    13:33.72 (28.96)
       14:02.71 (28.99)    14:31.74 (29.03)
       15:00.29 (28.55)    15:28.38 (28.09)    15:55.71 (27.33)
  9 McKenna, Paige         JR Wisconsin        15:54.95   15:56.16    9  
    r:+0.80  26.52        54.88 (28.36)
        1:23.60 (28.72)     1:52.56 (28.96)
        2:21.62 (29.06)     2:50.76 (29.14)
        3:19.75 (28.99)     3:48.78 (29.03)
        4:17.84 (29.06)     4:46.64 (28.80)
        5:15.38 (28.74)     5:44.26 (28.88)
        6:13.35 (29.09)     6:42.16 (28.81)
        7:11.07 (28.91)     7:40.04 (28.97)
        8:09.09 (29.05)     8:37.93 (28.84)
        9:06.94 (29.01)     9:36.09 (29.15)
       10:05.25 (29.16)    10:34.35 (29.10)
       11:03.44 (29.09)    11:32.61 (29.17)
       12:01.86 (29.25)    12:30.99 (29.13)
       13:00.20 (29.21)    13:29.48 (29.28)
       13:58.80 (29.32)    14:28.25 (29.45)
       14:57.79 (29.54)    15:27.26 (29.47)    15:56.16 (28.90)

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