800 Free Relay Results / Live Video / Meet Central
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Purdue women's swimming & diving opened the NCAA Championships by posting the second-fastest time in program history in the 800 freestyle relay.
Megan Johnson, Kaersten Meitz, Gretta DeCoursey and Maizie Seidl teamed up for a time of 7:03.88, becoming just the second quartet of Boilermakers to eclipse 7:04 in the event. They improved on Purdue's season-best time from the Big Ten Championships (7:08.00) by more than four seconds. The 800 free relay team from 2015, Purdue's last relay of any kind to race at NCAAs, is the program record holder at 7:03.15.
The Boilermakers finished in 21st place, besting three teams seeded ahead of them entering the night. But more importantly, Johnson, DeCoursey and Seidl all had an opportunity to compete at the national championship meet as freshmen.
Meitz led the way with a 200 split of 1:43.93 on the second leg of the race. She was one of only six swimmers to post a sub-1:44 split for a team that did not finish among the top 10 in the event.
DeCoursey (1:45.77, 3rd leg), Seidl (1:46.39, 4th leg) and Johnson (1:47.79, 1st leg) also posted 200 splits they could be proud of. Meitz improved on her 200 split from Big Tens (1:44.90) by nearly a full second. Seidl dropped more than a second off her 200 split from a month ago (1:47.43).
The first full day of the NCAA Championships on Thursday features swimming prelims at 10 a.m. ET, diving prelims at 12:30 p.m. and the finals session at 6 p.m. Emily Bretscher, Taite Kitchel, Morgan Meixner, Emmy Rawson, Samm Reese and Meitz are all scheduled to compete Thursday.
PURDUE'S UPCOMING SCHEDULE AT NCAAs
Thursday, March 15 ââ'¬" 10 a.m. Swimming Prelims, 12:30 p.m. Diving Prelims // 6 p.m. Finals
500 Free ââ'¬" Kaersten Meitz
200 IM ââ'¬" Taite Kitchel, Emmy Rawson
1-Meter Diving ââ'¬" Emily Bretscher, Morgan Meixner, Samm Reese
Friday, March 16 ââ'¬" 9 a.m. Swimming Prelims, 11:30 a.m. Diving Prelims // 6 p.m. Finals
100 Fly ââ'¬" Taite Kitchel, Emmy Rawson
100 Breast ââ'¬" Jinq En Phee
200 Free ââ'¬" Kaersten Meitz
3-Meter Diving ââ'¬" Morgan Meixner, Samm Reese
Saturday, March 17 ââ'¬" 10 a.m. Swimming Prelims, 12:15 p.m. Diving Prelims // 6 p.m. Finals
1650 Free (3:45 p.m.) ââ'¬" Kaersten Meitz
200 Breast ââ'¬" Jinq En Phee
200 Fly ââ'¬" Taite Kitchel, Emmy Rawson
Platform Diving ââ'¬" Emily Bretscher, Emily Meaney, Lexi Vincent