For the sixth consecutive year, NC State women’s swimming and diving secured a top-10 finish at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, placing 10th with 164 points. The Wolfpack finished 380 points behind Virginia who won its fifth straight national championship.
As a team, NC State earned six All-American honors and eight All-American Honorable Mentions. Freshman Leah Shackley stood out as she claimed four podium finishes and two All-American Honorable Mentions over four days of competition. This comes after she earned four medals at the ACC Championships.
Day 1
On the first day of competition, four members of the Wolfpack earned All-American honors. The 200 medley relay team consisting of junior Aubree Brouwer, senior Olivia Nel and freshmen Erika Pelaez and Shackley clocked a time of 1:34.00 to finish sixth place. It was a personal best for this team and the first All-American recognition for all four swimmers as members of the Pack.
The 800 freestyle relay team of senior Annabel Crush, junior Kennedy Noble, Pelaez and Nel earned All-American Honorable Mention status with a time of 7:01.17 to finish 16th.
Day 2
NC State’s relay team showed out once again, claiming All-American status in the 200 freestyle relay. The team made up of freshman Lily Christianson, Shackley, Nel and Pelaez clocked a 1:26.82 to place sixth, marking the 16th time in program history that the 200 freestyle relay team earned All-American status.
Christianson also became the seventh consecutive Wolfpack swimmer to claim All-American honors in the 50 freestyle as she finished 16th. Graduate Chase Travis and freshman Lisa Nystrand both set top-10 times in program history. Travis clocked a 4:39.41 in the 500 freestyle for the fourth-fastest time in Wolfpack history while Nystrand finished the 200 IM in 1:56.65, the ninth-fastest time in program history.
Day 3
Shackley continued to impress on the third day of competition as she earned one podium finish and one All-American Honorable Mention. Shackley’s podium finish came in the 100 backstroke as she set a personal best and the second fastest time in program history with a time of 50.06 for sixth place. Her honorable mention came when she placed ninth in the 100 fly.
Three other Wolfpack swimmers secured honorable mentions on Day 3. Nystrand set the sixth-fastest time in program history in the 400 IM with a time of 4:07.29 to finish 15th. Pelaez and Noble placed 11th and 12th, respectively, in the 100 backstroke for All-American Honorable Mentions.
Day 4
NC State earned three All-American honors on the last day of competition to stay in the top 10 of the field. In her final appearance in the pool, Travis placed eighth in the 1650 freestyle for her first-ever All-American honor.
Shackley and Pelaez continued their outstanding week of competition as both earned podium finishes in the 200 backstroke. Shackley placed fourth, posting the second-fastest time in school history with a time of 1:48.52. Pelaez finished seventh as she claimed the fourth-fastest time in program history for her first individual All-American title.
In the 400 freestyle relay, the team consisting of junior Cassie Moses, Christianson, Shackley and Pelaez earned All-American Honorable Mention as they placed 11th with a time of 3:11.25.
Although NC State finished one spot further back than it did last season, the future is bright as Shackley, Pelaez, Nystrand and Christianson were all making their NCAA Championships debuts and were major contributors in their first appearances.
While the women’s season is over, the men’s swimming and diving NCAA Championships will take place this Wednesday through Saturday.
