Thursday, March 18
Greensboro, NC
All Day
UCLA
vs
NCAA Championships
Ella Kirschke (photo: Suzi Mellano)
Photo by: Suzi Mellano
Swim & Dive Set For 2021 NCAA Championships
March 16, 2021 | Swimming & Diving
No. 22 UCLA will head to Greensboro, N.C. this week for the 2021 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, hosted at the Greensboro Aquatics Center and co-hosted by North Carolina State University and the Greensboro Sports Foundation.
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The four-day meet runs from Wednesday, Mar. 17 through Saturday, Mar. 20, though UCLA does not begin competition until Thursday.
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The Bruins will send a group of nine student-athletes to NCAAs this year, including four individual qualifiers on the swim side, two qualifying divers, and three relay alternates.
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This will be the first time UCLA will compete at NCAAs under second-year head coach Jordan Wolfrum after the 2020 meet was canceled due to COVID.
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ESPN3 will provide digital broadcast coverage for preliminary and finals sessions Wednesday through Saturday. Additionally, ESPNU will air a two-hour, tape-delayed show at 4:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Apr. 6.
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Live stats will be available through the MeetMobile app, or online at NCAA.com. Fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLASwimAndDive for live UCLA-centric updates.
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UCLA's NCAA-bound group is highlighted by four student-athletes who double-qualified: junior Claire Grover (50 free, 100 breast), freshman Sam Baron (100 fly, 200 fly), sophomore Hannah Butler (1M, 3M), and sophomore Katie Shaheen (3M, platform).
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Sophomore Gabby Dang will join Baron in the 100 fly, while junior Ella Kirschke is set to compete in the 200 free. Relay alternates include sophomores Sophia Kosturos and Brooke Schaffer as well as junior Delaney Smith.
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All six individual qualifiers will be making their first NCAAs appearance except for Grover, who was a triple-qualifier as a freshman in 2019. Butler and Grover both secured NCAA bids in 2020 before the meet was canceled.
The Bruins are coming off a third-place result at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships, the program's highest finish at the league meet since 2006. UCLA went 2-1 in dual meets during the regular season, including a 151-148 win over crosstown rival USC that was clinched on the final relay of the meet. The Bruins' lone dual loss this season was to No. 2-ranked Cal.ย
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2021 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Timeline (all times PT)
*events with UCLA entries are bolded
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Wednesday, Mar. 17 ย (Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 800 free relay
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Thursday, Mar. 18 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1-meter diving, 200 free relay, 400 medley relay
Watch: Prelimsย | Finals
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Friday, Mar. 19 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter diving, 200 medley relay
Watch: Prelims | Finals
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Saturday, Mar. 20 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving, 400 free relay
Watch: Prelims | Finals
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UCLA Entries and Seeds/Seed Times
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The four-day meet runs from Wednesday, Mar. 17 through Saturday, Mar. 20, though UCLA does not begin competition until Thursday.
ย
The Bruins will send a group of nine student-athletes to NCAAs this year, including four individual qualifiers on the swim side, two qualifying divers, and three relay alternates.
ย
This will be the first time UCLA will compete at NCAAs under second-year head coach Jordan Wolfrum after the 2020 meet was canceled due to COVID.
ย
ESPN3 will provide digital broadcast coverage for preliminary and finals sessions Wednesday through Saturday. Additionally, ESPNU will air a two-hour, tape-delayed show at 4:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Apr. 6.
ย
Live stats will be available through the MeetMobile app, or online at NCAA.com. Fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLASwimAndDive for live UCLA-centric updates.
ย
UCLA's NCAA-bound group is highlighted by four student-athletes who double-qualified: junior Claire Grover (50 free, 100 breast), freshman Sam Baron (100 fly, 200 fly), sophomore Hannah Butler (1M, 3M), and sophomore Katie Shaheen (3M, platform).
ย
Sophomore Gabby Dang will join Baron in the 100 fly, while junior Ella Kirschke is set to compete in the 200 free. Relay alternates include sophomores Sophia Kosturos and Brooke Schaffer as well as junior Delaney Smith.
ย
All six individual qualifiers will be making their first NCAAs appearance except for Grover, who was a triple-qualifier as a freshman in 2019. Butler and Grover both secured NCAA bids in 2020 before the meet was canceled.
The Bruins are coming off a third-place result at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships, the program's highest finish at the league meet since 2006. UCLA went 2-1 in dual meets during the regular season, including a 151-148 win over crosstown rival USC that was clinched on the final relay of the meet. The Bruins' lone dual loss this season was to No. 2-ranked Cal.ย
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2021 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Timeline (all times PT)
*events with UCLA entries are bolded
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Wednesday, Mar. 17 ย (Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 800 free relay
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Thursday, Mar. 18 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1-meter diving, 200 free relay, 400 medley relay
Watch: Prelimsย | Finals
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Friday, Mar. 19 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter diving, 200 medley relay
Watch: Prelims | Finals
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Saturday, Mar. 20 (Prelims: 7 AM / Finals: 3 PM)
Events: 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving, 400 free relay
Watch: Prelims | Finals
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UCLA Entries and Seeds/Seed Times
- 50 freestyle: Claire Grover (No. 33 โ 22.24)
- 100 butterfly: Sam Baron (No. 11 โ 51.65), Gabby Dang (No. 37 โ 52.58)
- 200 freestyle: Ella Kirschke (No. 36 โ 1:46.15)
- 100 breaststroke: Claire Grover (No. 22 โ 59.53)
- 200 butterfly: Sam Baron (No. 21 โ 1:55.66)
- 1-meter diving: Hannah Butler
- 3-meter diving: Hannah Butler, Katie Shaheen
- Platform diving: Katie Shaheen
- 400 medley relay: No. 19 (3:33.65)
- 400 free relay: No. 15 (3:15.28)
Players Mentioned
Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
IM/Free/Back
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
IM/Back/Free
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