Photo by: Justin Casterline
Cardinals Qualify Four Events to Friday's Finals
March 22, 2019 | Swimming & Diving
Alina Kendzior broke her own 50 backstroke record with a 23.96.
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Louisville women's swimming and diving team qualified for four finals and broke their fifth school record of the weekend on Friday morning's prelims at the NCAA Championships.
Mallory Comerford will be the top-seeded Cardinal, entering the 200 free as the No. 3 seed with a qualifying time of 1:42.27. Comerford is a two-time champion in the event and will look for her third straight national championship at tonight's finals.
Grace Oglesby also qualified for the A final in the 100 fly, sneaking into the eighth position with a time of 51.27. The junior is an All-American in the event after taking seventh at NCAAs a year ago.
Alina Kendzior rounds out the Cards' individual qualifiers, finishing 15th in the 100 back with a time of 51.79 and earning a spot in the B final for the second consecutive season.
The Cardinals' 200 medley relay team of Kendzior (23.96), Kaylee Wheeler (27.20), Oglesby (23.07) and Casey Fanz (21.93) will also swim in tonight's A final after vaulting 16 spots from their seed to finish fourth overall in a time of 1:36.16.
Kendzior's 50 back split in the 200 medley relay also shattered her own school record by nearly three tenths of a second.
In addition to Comerford, the Cardinals also had three swimmers entered in the 200 free. Arina Openysheva finished with a time of 1:46.20, followed by Sophie Cattermole with a 1:46.71 and Alena Kraus with a 1:46.84.
The 100 breast featured three Louisville swimmers, led by Wheeler, who finished 23rd with a time of 59.87. Sophomore Morgan Friesen finished third in her heat of the 100 breast, registering a personal best time of 59.95. Fellow sophomore Mariia Astashkina also competed for the Cards, finishing with a time of 1:00.01.
In the 400 IM, Maria Sumida posted a time of 4:21.97.
On the 3-meter, the Cardinals had two NCAA competitors for the first time in school history. Molly Fears led the way for Louisville with a score of 298.35, while Michaela Sliney wrapped up her championships with a score of 248.50.
The Cards will return to the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center tonight at 6 p.m. ET for finals.
Mallory Comerford will be the top-seeded Cardinal, entering the 200 free as the No. 3 seed with a qualifying time of 1:42.27. Comerford is a two-time champion in the event and will look for her third straight national championship at tonight's finals.
Grace Oglesby also qualified for the A final in the 100 fly, sneaking into the eighth position with a time of 51.27. The junior is an All-American in the event after taking seventh at NCAAs a year ago.
Alina Kendzior rounds out the Cards' individual qualifiers, finishing 15th in the 100 back with a time of 51.79 and earning a spot in the B final for the second consecutive season.
The Cardinals' 200 medley relay team of Kendzior (23.96), Kaylee Wheeler (27.20), Oglesby (23.07) and Casey Fanz (21.93) will also swim in tonight's A final after vaulting 16 spots from their seed to finish fourth overall in a time of 1:36.16.
Kendzior's 50 back split in the 200 medley relay also shattered her own school record by nearly three tenths of a second.
In addition to Comerford, the Cardinals also had three swimmers entered in the 200 free. Arina Openysheva finished with a time of 1:46.20, followed by Sophie Cattermole with a 1:46.71 and Alena Kraus with a 1:46.84.
The 100 breast featured three Louisville swimmers, led by Wheeler, who finished 23rd with a time of 59.87. Sophomore Morgan Friesen finished third in her heat of the 100 breast, registering a personal best time of 59.95. Fellow sophomore Mariia Astashkina also competed for the Cards, finishing with a time of 1:00.01.
In the 400 IM, Maria Sumida posted a time of 4:21.97.
On the 3-meter, the Cardinals had two NCAA competitors for the first time in school history. Molly Fears led the way for Louisville with a score of 298.35, while Michaela Sliney wrapped up her championships with a score of 248.50.
The Cards will return to the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center tonight at 6 p.m. ET for finals.
Players Mentioned
Breaststroke
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IM/Free
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Free/Fly
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Free/Back
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Diver
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Breast/IM
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IM/Back
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Fly/Free
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Fly
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Freestyle
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Diver
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IM/Free
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Breaststroke
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