INDIANAPOLIS – Alaska sophomore swimmer
Oda Bygdnes will be the lone representative from the Nanooks to participate in the 2019 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championships at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bygdnes will compete in the 100-yard butterfly on Thursday, Mar. 14.
Where to Watch & Listen
The 2019 NCAA DII Swimming & Diving National Championships will be streamed live through the links posted above, with the morning sessions beginning at 6am AKT and the evening sessions slated to begin at 2pm AKT. There will be live results posted in the link posted above, as well.
Championships Breakdown
The NCAA DII Swimming & Diving National Championships will take place Mar. 13-16 at the IU Natatorium. A total of 157 male and a 183 female swimmers qualified for this year's championships. Swimmers who qualified for the meet hit at least a "B" standard for their event. Any swimmer who earned an "A" standard in his or her event earned automatic qualification, while swimmers who earned a "B" standard were eligible for qualification based on their time. Athletes may only swim up to four individual events, ant three relays, at the championships.
Thursday Schedule
Bygdnes will compete in the 100-yard butterfly event on Thursday, Mar. 14. Starting at 6am AKT, the schedule for Thursday's morning preliminary races are as follows:
- 200-yard freestyle relay
- 400-yard individual medley
- 100-yard butterfly
- 200-yard freestyle
- 400-yard medley relay
The swimmers will take a break if they've qualified for the finals, which are set to begin in the same order beginning at 2pm AKT.
Bygdnes Breakdown
Bygdnes is currently ranked 14th in all of NCAA DII women's swimming in the 100-yard butterfly and will be competing against 36 other swimmers in the event. Bygdnes' set her qualifying time of 55.11 at the Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference Championships on Feb. 15. Her career-best time trails No. 1-ranked Bailee Nunn (Drury) by 02:16.
The top-16 swimmers from the 100-yard butterfly will advance to the finals later that night, with the top-nine individuals earning All-America honors.
The Last Time
Bygdnes becomes the first Alaska Nanook swimmer to qualify for the NCAA DII Swimming & Diving National Championships since the 2016-17 season, where senior
Cassidy Heaton was the lone representative for the Nanooks in her sophomore season.
The Alaska Nanooks swim team's last individual NCAA national championship title was won by former Nanook Bente Heller in the 100-yard backstroke on Mar. 8, 2013.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swim team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Swimming team page on Facebook.
