Wildcats Save Best Day for Last, Finish 14th at NCAA Championships
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team saved its best day for last, more than doubling its team total on the final day of the 2018 NCAA Championships to finish 14th with 97 points.
“Honestly I could not be more proud of the team,” said Kentucky head coach Lars Jorgensen. “We had a couple things that didn’t go right for us, but our team is such a great group of girls, great character, great culture that we’ve built. They had so much fight in them this week. They’ve worked together and we accomplished a lot. Great day for the Cats.”
Kentucky’s team finish marks its second consecutive top-15 finish having matched its placing from a season ago. It’s the first time since the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons that the Wildcats have finished in the top 15 in back-to-back years.
The highlight of the day came in the first race of the night as the Wildcats placed three in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke. Her signature event, sophomore Asia Seidt finished as national runner-up with a new school record time of 1:49.27. The second-place finish was Kentucky’s highest individual finish of the meet.
“For Asia slipping on her 100 backstroke, for her to come back and win the consolation final and coming back tonight, an American record is what it took to beat her,” commented Jorgensen. “It was tremendous.”
Seidt cranked out the fastest final 50-yard split (27.68) to run down Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson and improve upon her third-place finish from a season ago. With the conclusion of the meet, Seidt is now a five-time First-Team All-American.
Sophomore Ali Galyer also made the championship final of the 200 back, going 1:51.15 to finish sixth overall and earn First-Team All-America honors for the second straight season. Senior Bridgette Alexander rounded out Kentucky’s swims in the event, going 1:52.16 in the consolation final to finish 12th overall and earn All-America honorable mention.
Freshman Bailey Bonnett made her first individual NCAA championship final appearance, earning All-America distinction with her fifth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke. Bonnett was the only freshman in the country to earn First-Team honors in the event, touching the wall in 2:07.22, just .05 seconds off her school record mark.
Lexington native Madison Winstead also scored for Kentucky in the 200 breast, placing 10th overall with a lifetime-best 2:07.65. It was the first individual NCAA final for the sophomore.
In the prelims, junior Courtney Clark finished just shy of the consolation final in the platform diving competition, finishing 20th overall with a score of 241.45.
2018 Kentucky All-America Honors
Bridgette Alexander – 400 Medley Relay (HM), 200 Backstroke (HM)
Bailey Bonnett – 200 Breaststroke (5th), 400 Medley Relay (HM)
Geena Freriks – 800 Freestyle Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay (HM)
Ali Galyer – 800 Freestyle Relay (HM), 200 Backstroke (6th)
Haley McInerny – 800 Freestyle Relay (HM)
Asia Seidt – 200 Backstroke (2nd), 200 Individual Medley (7th), 100 Backstroke (HM), 800 Freestyle Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay (HM)
Madison Winstead – 200 Breaststroke (HM)
While the women’s swimming and diving season comes to a close, the Kentucky men’s team will be back in action March, 22-24 for the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis. The Wildcats will have four representatives at the meet in Isaac Jones, Seb Masterton, Kevin Frebel and Chase Lane.
For the latest on the Kentucky swimming and diving program, follow @UKSwimDive on Twitter, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKSwimDive, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
