10 Kentucky Women’s Swimmers Invited to 2022 NCAA Championships
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ten Kentucky women’s swimmers have earned an invitation to the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, as announced by the committee on Wednesday. The national meet will be held March 16-19 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
To earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships, swimmers had to meet established time standards throughout the season. The Wildcat women who will compete in the big dance include Bailey Bonnett, Caitlin Brooks, Gillian Davey, Megan Drumm, Riley Gaines, Izzy Gati, Parker Herren, Lauren Poole, Anna Havens Rice and Sophie Sorenson.
Experience is certainly not lacking in this championship squad as nine of the 10 swimmers have raced on the national stage at least once before during their collegiate careers. Those who will compete in Atlanta include one fifth-year, four seniors, three juniors and two sophomores.
The 10 invited women are tied for the second-most to ever be invited to compete at NCAAs in program history. Those Wildcats combined for 28 entries, also the second-highest entry total in school history. Eight of the 10 swimmers earned an invitation in three individual events, the max amount of races a student-athlete can have.
Kentucky is also one of 12 schools to have at least 10 swimmers receive an invitation and has the third-highest number of qualified athletes among Southeastern Conference foes.
Three of the UK women’s swimmers invited to this year’s NCAA Championships own a seed time that ranks in the top eight in the nation, which would earn All-America First Team status. Those include Davey (6th, 200 breast), Gaines (2nd, 200 fly; 5th, 200 free) and Poole (6th, 400 IM), as well as the sixth-seeded 800 free relay.
The women’s swimming and diving team collected 152 points to finish 11th a season ago, setting program records for the highest team finish as well as the most points scored at the national meet. Highlighted by silver in the 800 free relay and bronze in the 400 IM from Poole, the Wildcats had eight All-America and 15 All-America Honorable Mention selections in 2021.
Kentucky will look to add even more women to its Atlanta-bound travel roster following the Zone C Diving Championships, which serves as the national qualifying meet for divers. The meet is slated for March 10-12 at the Donald B. Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Last year, Kyndal Knight punched her ticket in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform.
The Wildcats are coming off a successful SEC Championships in which they were the team runner-up with 1043 points, their second-highest finish and second-most point total ever at the conference meet. The women brought home 13 medals, including three gold from Gaines (200 free, 200 fly) and Davey (200 breast).
Additionally, Gaines broke the meet and SEC record in the 200 fly in a time of 1:51.51 just moments after being named the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
For the latest on the Kentucky swimming and diving program, follow @UKSwimDive on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
