2024 Women’s D1 NCAA Champs: Day 4 Prelims Preview

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final day of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships are here.

Florida freshman Bella Sims has already gone 2 for 2 winning the 500 free on night 2 and the 200 free on night 3. She will look to set herself up for another win as she is the top seed coming into the 200 backstroke. Sims is one of three swimmers to have been under the 1:50 mark this season. Only Cal’s Isabelle Stadden and Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller have also been under the mark. 2021 NCAA Champion Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin is the #4 seed and has been 2nd in the event the last two years.

Gretchen Walsh of Virginia has also gone two for two winning the 50 free and 100 fly. She also set NCAA and American records in both events swimming a 20.37 in the 50 free and a 47.42 in the 100 fly. She is the fastest 100 flyer in history by over a second now. Walsh comes in as the top seed in the 100 free and will look to defend her title. Florida’s Isabel Ivey and Tennessee’s Camille Spink are the #2 and #3 seeds and both swam in the A final of the 200 free last night.

Despite holding the NCAA record in the 200 fly, Alex Walsh of Virginia has opted to swim the 200 breast on the final night and comes in as the top seed. Alex Walsh has said she has placed more emphasis on breaststroke in practice this season as well. She will look to go three for three after already winning the 200 and 400 IMs. Tennessee’s Mona McSharry comes in as the #2 seed and was the top seed heading into finals of the 100 breast before placing 2nd.

Last year’s 200 butterfly champion Emma Sticklen of Texas leads the entries with a 1:50.31, the only sub-1:51 entry. Teammate Kelly Pash is the #2 seed with a 1:51.22. The Texas women had a 2-3-4 finish in the 100 fly last night and will look to once again capitalize on points in the butterfly events as Olivia Bray is also the #4 seed. Cal’s Rachel Klinker falls in the middle of the Texas women as the #3 seed. Klinker represented the US last month at 2024 Worlds in Doha.

SwimSwam: 2024 Women’s D1 NCAA Champs: Day 4 Prelims Preview