Alabama Qualifies Nine Women for 2018 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

2/28/2018 2:40:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

A total of five swimmers earned individual berths to this year’s NCAA Championships while four more earned relay spots

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The NCAA released the qualifiers list for the upcoming women's national swimming and diving championships and the Alabama Crimson Tide has qualified five individuals and four relays.

This year's championships will be held in Columbus, Ohio on the Ohio State campus March 14-17.

Seniors Mia Nonnenberg and Bailey Scott earned bids to NCAAs for the fourth time in their respective careers, while junior Justine Macfarlane along with freshmen Leonie Kullmann and Flora Molnar all earned a place at the national championships for the first time.

Seniors Lindsay Morrow, Hannah Musser and Temarie Tomley along with junior Katie Kelsoe all made the Tide's NCAA roster as part of its relay contingent. It will be the third NCAAs for Musser and Tomley and the first for Morrow and Kelsoe.

"We've got a good mix of youth and experience going to this meet," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "We also have more individual swims than we have had in quite a while and we will be competing in four of the five relays. Our women's team took a big step forward in early season competition this year which should reinforce their confidence heading into post season championship competition."

Scott and Molnar qualified in the 50 and 100 freestyle with Molnar also earning a slot in the 100 butterfly. Kullman qualified in the 500 freestyle while Nonnenberg once again qualified in the 400 individual medley. Macfarlane qualified in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.

Alabama earned an automatic bid in the 200 medley relay as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, while the 400 medley relay posted a provisional cut and was added to the field by virtue of its national rank.

Scott and Nonnenberg have both earned All-America honors in individual events, Scott in the 50 freestyle and Nonnenberg in the 400 individual medley, while Musser earned All-America as part of the Tide's 400 medley relay.

The Tide has the opportunity to add to its NCAA squad early next week when the UA divers will look to qualify at the NCAA Zone B Championships March 3-6 in Knoxville, Tenn.

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