The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
Women’s Swimming and Diving Preview: NCAA Championships
03.12.2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving
NCAA Championships open Wednesday in Indianapolis.
WHAT: Nine-time national champion and five-time defending Big 12 champion No. 2 Texas wraps up its season this week at the NCAA Championships. Texas has qualified 10 swimmers and three divers for competition, and the Longhorns will compete in all five relays, as well.
Swimmers
Claire Adams (1st appearance, 50 free, 100 & 200 back)
Olivia Anderson (2nd appearance, 100 & 200 breaststroke)
Lauren Case (1st appearance, 500 free, 100 & 200 fly)
Madisyn Cox (4th appearance, 200 & 400 IM, 200 breast)
Anelise Diener (1st appearance, 50 & 100 freestyle)
Joanna Evans (2nd appearance, 500, 200 & 1,650 free)
Tasija Karosas (4th appearance, 100 & 200 back)
Nora McCullagh (2nd appearance, 200 IM)
Rebecca Millard (3rd appearance, 50 & 100 freestyle)
Remedy Rule (2nd appearance, 50 free, 100 & 200 butterfly
Divers
Alison Gibson (1st appearance, one-meter & three-meter)
Meghan O'Brien (2nd appearance, one-meter & three-meter)
Sofia Rauzi (1st appearance, platform)
WHEN/WHERE
Wednesday, March 15, 6 p.m. ET (800 freestyle relay only)
Thursday, March 16-Saturday, March 18 (10 a.m. prelims/12:30 p.m. diving prelims/6 p.m. finals)
IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Hosted by IUPUI and the Indiana Sports Corporation
Full championship schedule can be found here.
CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION
http://www.indianasportscorp.org/events/events-calendar/ncaa-swimming-diving
LIVE RESULTS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/ncaa/swimming/index.htm
LIVE DIVING SCORES: www.DiveMeets.com
LIVE VIDEO
Wednesday & Thursday finals + Thursday-Saturday prelims
http://iupuijags.com/watch/?Live=480
Friday & Saturday finals
www.espn3.com
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
Texas its tied for second all-time with its seven NCAA women's swimming and diving team championships (1984-88, 1990-91). The Longhorns posted a meet record of 746 points when they captured their last NCAA title in 1991. That record still stands today. UT also won AIAW national championships in 1981 and 1982. Texas placed 15th with 79 points at the 2016 NCAA Championships in Atlanta.
In addition to its nine national championships, Texas has registered three NCAA runner-up finishes and three third-place showings. Texas has finished in the top-five at 14 of 32 NCAA Championship meets, most recently in 2009.
The Longhorns have won 70 NCAA individual and relay championships, good for No. 4 all-time. Laura Sogar won UT's most recent NCAA individual swimming crown in 2013 (200 breaststroke). Texas' last NCAA diving champion was Jessica Livingston in 2007 (platform).
Texas boasts the most NCAA titles in the 200 backstroke (seven), 200 freestyle relay (nine) and three-meter diving (T-1st with four).
MORE ON TEXAS' NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS
Madisyn Cox
The Women's Swimmer of the Meet at the Big 12 Championships, Cox is the No. 3 national seed in the 200 individual medley (1:52.82), the No. 2 seed in the 400 IM (4:01.15) and the No. 10 seed in the 200 breaststroke. The Lubbock native set school and Big 12 records in both individual medley events at the Big 12 Championships. Cox placed third in the 200 IM at the 2015 NCAA Championships and fourth in the same event a year ago.
Tasija Karosas
UT's school record holder in the 100 and 200 backstroke events, Karosas is seeded ninth in the 100 backstroke (50.86) and seventh in the 200 backstroke (1:51.11). The Vermont native won the 200 backstroke consolation final at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Rebecca Millard
Millard holds the No. 16 seed in the 50 freestyle (21.95) and the No. 13 seed in the 100 freestyle (47.84). The Californian won the consolation final in the 100 freestyle at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Joanna Evans
A Rio Olympian from The Bahamas, Evans is seeded eighth in the 500 freestyle (4:36.97), 18th in the 200 freestyle (1:44.41) and 22nd in the 1,650 freestyle (16:05.11). She swept all three of those events last month and set school and league marks in the 500 freestyle at the Big 12 Championships.
Olivia Anderson
Anderson earned her second NCAA Championships invitation by way of her 32nd seed in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.14). The Minnesotan was a semifinalist in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events last summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Remedy Rule
Rule will take a No. 11 seed in the 200 butterfly (1:53.97) plus the No. 33 seed in the 50 freestyle (22.18) and the No. 22 seed in the 100 butterfly (52.03) to the NCAA Championships.
Anelise Diener
Diener came through at a most opportune time and earned her NCAA Championships invitation with her final individual swim at the Big 12 Championships, where she finished as the 100 freestyle runner-up in a personal best of 48.60 seconds. The San Antonio native is seeded 39th in that event and 53rd in the 50 freestyle (22.61).
Nora McCullagh
McCullagh was invited by way of her 35th seed in the 200 IM (1:57.51). The native of Charlotte, North Carolina will be on-site for her second NCAA Championship after joining the Longhorns as a relay alternate at the 2016 NCAA Championships
Claire Adams
Adams is seeded eighth in the 200 backstroke (1:51.16) and 11th in the 100 backstroke (51.19). A native of nearby Carmel, Indiana, Adams is no stranger to the IUPUI Natatorium, where she helped Carmel High to multiple state championships.
Lauren Case
Case holds the 10th seed in the 200 butterfly (1:53.85), the 21st seed in the 100 butterfly (52.03) and 26th in the 500 freestyle (4:40.09) The Georgia native put together an impressive Big 12 Championship meet, where she swept the 100 and 200 butterfly titles and posted a lifetime best in the 500 freestyle.
Alison Gibson
Gibson earned an automatic NCAA qualifying berth on three-meter and posted a top-12 finish on one-meter to earn a bid in that event at the NCAA Zone "D" Diving Meet. The Austin native, who is still only 17 years of age, placed sixth in the three-meter finals last summer at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials, which were held at the same site as this week's NCAA Championships, the IUPUI Natatorium.
Meghan O'Brien
O'Brien, now a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier, earned an NCAA automatic qualifying berth on one-meter and earned a berth on three-meter with her top-12 finish in that event at the Zone meet. O'Brien's older brother, Sean, completed his diving career at Texas last week.
Sofia Rauzi
Rauzi, a first-time NCAA Championships qualifier, earned an automatic berth on platform last week at the Zone meet. The Round Rock native won her first Big 12 title last month on platform.
TEXAS CLAIMS 15TH BIG 12 TITLE
Texas completed its unblemished run through the Big 12 Championships and won its fifth consecutive league title last month (Feb. 25) at UT's Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Texas won its 15th Big 12 title with 991 points while Kansas took second with 683.5 points. Iowa State placed third with 591.5 points and West Virginia placed fourth with 581.5 points. TCU took fifth at 434.5.
Madisyn Cox earned her second straight selection as the Outstanding Women's Swimmer of the Meet while sophomore Meghan O'Brien was selected as the Women's Diver of the Meet. Freshman Lauren Case earned the honor of Women's Newcomer of the Meet.
Carol Capitani was selected for a third time as the Women's Swimming Coach of the Meet while Diving Coach Matt Scoggin was named the Women's Diving Coach of the Meet for a fifth straight time and 14th time overall.
SCHOOL RECORDS TAKE A TUMBLE AT BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Texas toppled four school records, including a 25-year-old school mark, during its dominant run through the Big 12 Championships.
UT kicked off the four-day championship with its record-setting swim in the 200 medley relay, where Tasija Karosas, Madisyn Cox, Remedy Rule and Rebecca Millard clocked 1:35.39, well under the previous league mark of 1:36.02 set by Texas A&M in 2012. The swim beat the previous school mark of 1:36.32 set by Karosas, Jordan Surhoff, Mimi Schneider and Millard at the 2016 Big 12 Championships.
Joanna Evans opened night two of the championship by breaking the long-standing school mark in the 500-yard freestyle, where she was victorious in 4:36.97. The swim broke the previous school mark of 4:37.73 set by Olympian Erika Hansen at the 1992 NCAA Championships. It also took down the Big 12 mark of 4:37.81 set by Texas A&M's Cammile Adams at the 2011 Big 12 Championships.
Cox followed by lowering her school and Big 12 marks in the 200 IM, as she claimed her fourth straight conference title in the event at 1:52.82, one one-hundredth of a second off her 1:52.83 school mark from the Texas Invitational in December.
The following night, Cox took the 400 IM school record for herself, as well. The Lubbock native clocked 4:01.15 for the win and eclipsed the school and Big 12 marks of 4:01.91 set by Kathleen Hersey at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
HORNS HAND GEORGIA FIRST HOME LOSS IN 22 YEARS
Texas snapped then-No. 2 Georgia's 103-meet home winning streak and dealt the defending NCAA champion Lady Bulldogs their first home loss since 1995, as the Longhorns posted a 171-124 win (Jan. 14) at UGA's Gabrielsen Natatorium.
The win was the first for fifth-year Texas head coach Carol Capitani over Georgia and her mentor, UGA head coach Jack Bauerle, for whom she served 14 years as an assistant coach over two stints. Capitani left Georgia in 2012 to take over the Longhorns' women's swimming and diving program.
COX EARNS FOURTH CAREER SELECTION AS NATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
CollegeSwimming.com selected Texas All-America senior Madisyn Cox as its National Division I Women's Swimmer of the Week (Jan. 17) for a second straight week, the third time this season and the fourth time in her decorated Longhorns career.
On Saturday (Jan. 14), Cox and the Longhorns ended Georgia's 103-meet home winning streak and handed the Lady Bulldogs their first home loss since 1995, as UT posted a convincing 171-124 victory.
Cox remained true to her dominant form in UT's win over the second-ranked Bulldogs its victory at No. 15 Auburn. The Lubbock native claimed the 200-yard freestyle in 1:45.28, the 200 breaststroke in 2:09.56 and the 200 individual medley 1:57.26 in the Horns' win at Georgia. She also helped the Horns to victory in the meet-opening 200 medley relay.
Cox swept her three individual events two days earlier at Auburn, where she claimed the 100 breaststroke (1:00.35), the 200 backstroke (1:55.99) and the 200 individual medley (1:56.07).
Cox was first selected this season as a National Swimmer of the week on Nov. 8 and picked up her second honor on Dec. 6 following the Texas Invitational. She joined Team USA the following week at the FINA Short Course World Championships and won silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
MILLARD, O'BRIEN EARN BIG 12 HONORS
The Big 12 Conference announced Wednesday (Jan. 18) the selections of Texas junior swimmer Rebecca Millard as the league's Women's Swimmer of the Week and UT sophomore diver Meghan O'Brien as its Women's Diver of the Week. Millard picks up her first Big 12 weekly honor of the season while O'Brien earns her fourth.
Millard's individual and relay swims helped Texas hand No. 2 Georgia its first home loss in 22 years. She anchored UT's 200 medley relay to victory in 21.88 seconds. Millard defeated Canadian Olympian Chantal Van Landeghem in the 50 freestyle and held off both Van Landeghem and U.S. Olympian Olivia Smoliga in the 100 freestyle, winning in 49.56.
Millard capped the meet with her 48.80 anchor on UT's victorious 400 free relay.
She was a force on relays in UT's win at Auburn, as the Californian anchored the 200 medley relay to victory in 22.10 and the 400 medley relay to victory in 49.01.
O'Brien posted valuable points in UT's wins at No. 15 Auburn and No. 2 Georgia. She swept the one-meter (288.98) and three-meter (332.18) boards at Auburn and took second behind teammate Alison Gibson on one- and three-meter at Georgia.
GIBSON QUALIFIES FOR 2017 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Texas freshman diver Alison Gibson fell just short of the one-meter title but earned a berth for next summer's World Championships at the 2016 USA Diving Winter National Championships.
The Austinite led all qualifiers through the one-meter preliminary round with 267.80 points, which carried over to the final. Gibson placed second in the final with a cumulative score of 513.70 points, just six tenths of a point shy of the top finisher. However, she earned a qualifying berth on one-meter for next summer's FINA World Championships by surpassing the meet's qualifying standard of 486 points.
Gibson also earned a berth to compete at the 2017 World University Games by landing the top finish for a collegiate diver in the one-meter final.
KAROSAS LOWERS SCHOOL MARK TWICE AT TEXAS INVITE
Texas senior Tasija Karosas lowered her school record in the 100 backstroke not once but twice at the four-day Texas Invitational.
Karosas entered the meet with school and Big 12 records in the 100 backstroke at 51.40. She lowered the marks to 51.08 while leading off the 400 medley relay, and she took the record even lower the following night, as she became the first Longhorn to clear 51 seconds in the event. The All-American clocked 50.86, good for the No. 2 time in the country this season.
Below is a complete listing of the Longhorns' top-25 national rankings in the final week of the regular season:
MORE ON THE LONGHORNS
- Fifth-year head coach Carol Capitani returns 22 swimmers and divers, including 10 All-Americans, from the 2015-16 squad that swept the Big 12 Championship and placed 15th at the NCAA Championships.
- The Longhorns return a talented senior class headed by Madisyn Cox and Tasija Karosas. Cox, a member of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 USA Swimming National Teams, placed fourth in the 200m and 400m individual medley events at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The Lubbock native is a two-time All-American in the 200-yard individual medley and boasts 10 All-America certificates overall.
- Karosas, a 10-time All-American and 13-time Big 12 champion, reached the semifinals of the 100m and 200m backstroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She holds school and Big 12 records in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events.
- Millard returns as the leader of the Longhorns' sprint group. The U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier is a nine-time All-American who won the 100 freestyle consolation final last March at the NCAA Championships.
- Sophomore Joanna Evans represented The Bahamas over the summer at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She placed 13th in the 400m freestyle, 23rd in the 800m freestyle and 37th in the 200m freestyle in Rio. The 2016 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, Evans returns as the Big 12 champion in the 500 and 1,650 freestyle events.
- Olivia Anderson brings momentum into her sophomore campaign after reaching the semifinals of the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The Minnesotan qualified for the 2016 NCAA Championships and won the Big 12 title in the 100 breaststroke.
- Sophomore Nora McCullagh earned All-America honors in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays for Texas at the NCAA Championships.
- Texas welcomes one of the nation's premier freshman classes. Claire Adams and Lauren Case members of the USA Swimming National Junior Team. Adams is a former world junior record holder in the 100m backstroke.
Players Mentioned
