Alabama Women’s Swimming and Diving Finishes 2017-18 Season Strong
3/20/2018 2:20:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
A total of seven UA swimmers earned All-America honors while the Crimson Tide broke three school relay records and three individual marks during the season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama swimming and diving women's team finished off a good year in the pool with a strong finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships last week in Columbus, Ohio.
The quartet of seniors Bailey Scott and Temarie Tomley and freshmen Leonie Kullmann and Flora Molnar closed out the meet with a school record in the last race of the season, the 400 freestyle relay. The foursome clocked a time of 3:14.37 to shave more than half a second off the previous school mark, set in prelims.
Scott, in the final race of a great career, bettered her own school mark in the 100 freestyle to lead off the relay, posting a 48.38, lowering the school mark for the second time in 2018.
"Our women's team took some definite and very positive steps forward this year and while we're not satisfied with how we finished the season, we are very encouraged by our progress," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "Combine that with the talent that we have coming in next season, our outlook going forward is very positive."
Overall, seven UA women earned All-America honors during this year's national championships. Scott earned three All-America honors, bumping her career total to four. Molnar also earned three All-America accolades in her rookie season while junior Justine Macfarlane and senior Temarie Tomley earned two each and senior Lindsay Morrow, junior Katie Kelsoe and Kullmann all earned one apiece.
"I am most proud of the way the culture on our women's team developed this season," Pursley said. "Whatever situation they were faced with this year, whether it was success or disappointment, their response has been positive, supportive of one another. They kept the focus where it needs to be and I think they've grown and learned a lot and helped one another grow. That has helped us develop a culture that down the road is going to bring the kind of team performances we're looking for."
Along with the 400 freestyle relay, the 200 medley relay of Kelsoe, Macfarlane, Molnar and Scott and the 200 freestyle relay of Molnar, Tomley, Morrow and Scott, earned All-America honors, marking the first time since 2001 that Alabama has had three or more relays earn that distinction in a single season. The Tide's seven All-Americans in 2018 were most since 2001 when Alabama also had seven swimmers earn the honor. The last time Alabama had more in single season came in 1996, when nine UA swimmers and divers took home All-America accolades.
Macfarlane posted a career-best 59.69, a time which ranks her third all-time at UA, on the way to All-America recognition in the 100 breaststroke, while Kelsoe led off Alabama's 400 medley relay at NCAAs with a career-best 53.12, which ranks her second all-time at Alabama.
As a team, Alabama scored 23 points to take 30th place at the NCAA championships. It was Alabama's third top-30 finish in the past four years and its second-best point total since 2005 after scoring 31 points in 2015.
In November, Kullmann broke the school 200 and 500 freestyle records at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational, before bettering both at the SEC Championships, lowering them to 1:45.09 and 4:39.26, respectively. Also at the SEC Championships, Scott tallied her second top-three finish in the 50 freestyle, earning the bronze medal with a season-best 21.96, just off her school record set last season at 21.84.
Alabama also lowered its 200 medley relay (1:36.81) and 200 freestyle relay (1:28.11) records at the SEC championships, reaching the podium of the 200 freestyle relay, earning third place.
Earlier in the regular season, the Tide women beat Auburn in dual-meet competition for the first time since 1996 with a 167-131 victory on the road.
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Players Mentioned
