Alabama Opens Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday
3/20/2019 6:07:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The Crimson Tide gets things started during Thursday’s prelims with the 500 freestyle, 50 freestyle and the 400 medley relay
AUSTIN, Texas – After two days of training at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas, practice is over for Alabama as it rolls into the 2019 Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday.
"This week is really what it's all about," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "It's what you work toward from day one of the season. It's a great opportunity and we're really excited and optimistic that it's going to be a great meet for us. We're looking forward to going against the best in the nation and see what we can do."
Freshman Kensey McMahon opens competition for the Crimson Tide with the preliminaries of the 500 freestyle. McMahon is ranked second all-time at Alabama in the 500 with a career-best 4:41.64. She is also slated to swim the 1,650 freestyle on Saturday, an event she holds the school record in.
"Going into the 500 free, that's a sprint for me, as crazy as that sounds," McMahon said. "I'm going to try and control my legs in the beginning, but really, really get after it from the first 50, because there's nothing to lose. In the mile, I'm going to control that one a little more, because it is a 1,650, but it is all about racing."
Sophomore Flora Molnar will also get her start on Thursday, swimming in the prelims of the 50 freestyle, where she is ranked second all-time at Alabama. A three-time All-American at last year's NCAA Championships, Molnar is also slated to swim the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle this week.
The Tide closes the morning session with the 400 medley relay, with a likely lineup of freshman Rhyan White, senior Justine Macfarlane, Molnar and freshman Kalia Antoniou. That quartet set the school record with a 3:32.65 at last month's Southeastern Conference Championships.
"Typically, our forte is our relays, which score double points at the championship events," Pursley said. "If we're going to do well in the team rankings, we're going to have to do well in those events."
In addition to the 200 medley relay, White will swim the 100 and 200 backstrokes this week, while Macfarlane will compete in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. Macfarlane is at her second NCAA Championships after earning All-America honors in the 100 breaststroke as a junior.
"I'm pretty excited," Macfarlane said. "It is my last meet as a senior, so it's kind of wrapping up my career. I'm going into it with a mindset of giving it everything I have and bringing all the work I've put in over the last 18-19 years and having fun with it."
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