Douglass, Virginia continue to lead swimming championships

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Virginia’s Kate Douglass smashed the NCAA record by 1.7 seconds in the 200-yard IM on Thursday night and the Cavaliers continue to lead the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships.

Douglass went 1:48.37 to set an American record. Stanford's Torri Huske and Virginia's Alex Walsh, the second and third-place finishers, also beat the previous record.

“Going into this meet I really wanted to get under 1:50, so to go 1:48 is really exciting,” Douglass said in a TV interview.

Douglass, along with Gretchen Walsh, Lexi Cuomo and Maxine Parker, captured Virginia’s second straight title in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1.24.51.

Virginia finished the second day of the four-day event with 208.5 points. Texas is second with 162 and Louisville third at 117.

LSU’s Maggie MacNeil also set an NCAA record in the 50-yard freestyle with a 20.79. MacNeil, an Olympic gold medalist in the 100 fly, had finished fourth, third and second in the 50-yard freestyle. Gretchen Walsh came in second.

Alabama's Kensey McMahon took the first individual NCAA title in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:36.62. McMahon came in with the sixth fastest time in the field and was seeded fourth. Texas sophomore Erica Sullivan, the Olympic silver medalist and top seed in the prelims, finished fourth.

Aranza Vazquez became the first diver in North Carolina’s program history to win an NCAA title with a score of 358.75.