Day 1 at the NCAA Championships: What to Expect

Day 1 at the NCAA Championships: What to Expect

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Gators will compete in the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay

By: Benjamin Schmitz

Stream Live Video (Free) | Follow Along via Live Stats

ATLANTA -- The University of Florida women's swimming and diving teams will open the 2016 NCAA Championships tonight at 6 p.m. ET, inside the McAuley Aquatic Center on Georgia Tech's campus.

Tonight's competition will feature just one event; the 800-Yard Freestyle relay. Twenty Seven teams across the country will race in the event.

Among the championship field stands a total of 322 participants (281 swimmers and 41 divers) who will compete in the four-day event which concludes on Saturday, March 19.

Swimmers qualified for the championships by meeting the pre-established times for the events in which they entered while divers competed at a regional zone diving competition where they were required to place among the top tier in each event.

Who Competes Today: 800-Freestyle Relay (Relay Group TBD)
- The Florida women's 800-Yard Freestyle event currently ranks 13th nationally with a time of 7:01.95, which they achieved at the 2016 SEC Championships.
- The Gators rank third among SEC opponents, behind only Georgia (6:55.56) and Texas A&M (7:01.00).
- UF's current time in the 800-Freestyle relay would rank 8th in UF history. The quartet which achieved the qualifying standard previously swam a time of 7:00.25 in 2015.
- At last year's 2015 NCAA Championships, the quartet of Ashlee Linn, Jessica Thielmann, Amelia Maughan, and Lindsey McKnight posted a 10th-place finish, touching out with a time of 7:04.48.

How You Can Keep Up With the Action:
- Fans can stream live coverage of tonight's events for free on the Atlanta Swimming Webcast Page.
- Live Stats will also be available on laptops, tablets, and smart phones: Click here to follow on live stats.
- Follow along on social media by keeping up with the Gators on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Tomorrow's Events Include: (10 a.m. Prelims | 6 p.m. Finals)
Diving Trials - 1 meter: Kahlia Warner
200 Freestyle Relay: Florida (TBD)
500 Free: Jessica Thielmann, Autumn Finke, Taylor Katz, Amelia Maughan
200 IM: Ashlee Linn, Hannah Burns, Georgia-Mae Hohmann
50 Free: Natalie Hinds
400 Medley Relay: Florida (TBD)

Notable Links:
Complete NCAA Championship Notes
2016 Championship Central Page
Psych Sheet

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