Four Gophers will be making their NCAA Championships Debut
The Minnesota Golden Gophers have qualified six athletes for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships that will take place this weekend in Athens, Georgia. Two of the Gophers will be making a return trip to the NCAA tournament, while the other four will make their debut. It’s the 17th out of the past 18 seasons that Minnesota has sent at least four competitors to the NCAA Championships.
Making her fourth trip to NCAA’s is senior Megan Van Berkom. She will compete in three events at the NCAA meet including the 400 IM, the 200 IM and the 200 fly. Her best ranking comes in the 400 IM where she currently holds the 10th-fastest time in the country at 4:04.36. For the season, she has swum the 400 IM five times and has won it each of those times, including being crowned Big Ten Champion.
Van Berkom ranks 21st in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.88. She recorded the time at the Big Ten Championships last month, where she took home the bronze medal. Van Berkom won four of her five races in the event, placing third in the other. She also owns the 23rd-fastest time in the 200 fly this year.
Also making a return trip to the NCAA’s is sophomore diver Vivian Del Angel. The Veracruz, Mexico native will compete in all three diving events. Del Angel won the 3-meter at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships with a score of 353.60 in the prelims and 335.00 in the finals. She placed third on both the 1-meter and the platform to secure spots in each event.
Minnesota will have four athletes making their NCAA Championship’s debut. Junior Eliot Kennedy is swimming the 1650 free. Her time of 16:11.50, set at the Big Ten Championships, currently ranks 32nd in the country. Joining her in the 1650 free making her debut is freshman Katie McCarthy from Edina. McCarthy’s season-best time of 16:11.89 ranks 34th in the country.
Minnesota has a pair of divers making heir first appearances at the NCAA Championships. Freshman Elna Widerstrom will compete in both the 1-meter and 3-meter after securing top-12 finishes in both at Zones while sophomore Addie Albrecht will participate in the 1-meter after finishing 11th at Zones with a 295.45 prelim score and 270.75 finals score.
The full list of dates the Gophers will hit the pool is below. Prelims start at 9 AM central with the finals for the events beginning at 5 PM central. ESPN+ will have streaming coverage of each finals session.
Thursday, March 21
200 IM: Megan Van Berkom
1-Meter Diving: Vivi Del Angel , Elna Widerstrom, Addie Albrecht
Friday, March 22
400 IM: Megan Van Berkom
3-Meter Diving: Vivi Del Angel , Elna Widerstrom
Saturday, March 23
200 Fly: Megan Van Berkom
1650 Free: Eliot Kennedy , Katie McCarthy
Platform Diving: Vivi Del Angel