The 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships continued from Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday with the Day 2 finals session.
The Day 2 session consists of the 500 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 freestyle as well as the 1-meter diving event and the 200 free relay.
The heat sheets have been released for the finals.
In the NCAA women’s 500 freestyle, Texas sophomore Erica Sullivan took the top seed in 4:36.51.
Wisconsin’s Abby Carlson (4:37.56) leads a group of challengers. Georgia’s Rachel Stege took the third seed in 4:37.72, followed by Alabama’s Kensey McMahon (4:37.81). Texas’ Olivia Bray was fifth in 4:38.48, followed by Georgia’s Dune Coetzee (4:38.54), Indiana’s Ching Hwee Gan (4:39.31) and Florida’s Emma Weyant (4:39.51).
Virginia’s Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh will be joined by Stanford’s Torri Huske, in what is anticipated to be a three-way showdown for the NCAA title in the 200 IM. Douglass opted for this event instead of the 50 freestyle this year, despite winning the 50 last year.
Huske got to the wall in 1:52.38 in the first of three circle-seeded heats. Walsh won her heat in 1:52.89. Douglass won the final prelim heat in 1:51.81 and will have the top overall seed in the finals. Huske is second, followed by Walsh. There is a decent drop off in time (more than a second) between third and fourth.
Louisville senior Abby Hay took the fourth spot in the NCAA final in 1:54.03, fowllowed by Virginia senior Ella Nelson (1:54.06), Texas junior Emma Sticklen (1:54.18), Duke junior Sally Foley (1:54.35) and Wisconsin junior Phoebe Bacon (1:54.43).
In the 50 free, Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh swam a 21.00 from the final prelims heat to take the top seed overall. It was close to her seed time of 20.83, the NCAA and U.S. Open record in the event. LSU fifth year Maggie Mac Neil won her heat to take second seed overall in 21.38. Louisville junior Gabi Albiero took the third spot in 21.46 after inning her heat. It should be quite the battle among this trio.
But, of course, they aren’t alone in the NCAA 50 free.
North Carolina senior Grace Countie took the third seed in 21.46, followed by Virginia senior Lexi Cuomo (21.61), Louisville senior Christiana Regenauer (21.680, NC State senior Katharine Berkoff (21.68) and Ohio State sophomore Teresa Ivan (21.71).
