Sims Captures 400 IM Title, Michigan Sixth After Day Two of NCAA Championships

Site: Atlanta, Ga. (McAuley Aquatic Center)

Event: NCAA Championships (Day 2 of 4)

U-M Team Result: sixth Place of 40 Teams (132 Points)

Next U-M Event: Friday, March 20 — at NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships – Day Three (Atlanta, Ga.), 10 a.m./ 6 p.m.

ATLANTA, Ga. — Bella Sims led the best way for the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan girls’s swimming and diving crew, capturing the 400-yard IM nationwide title Thursday (March 19) because the Wolverines checked in at sixth after the second day of competitors on the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at McAuley Aquatic Center.

Sims led wire-to-wire in a loaded subject to put up a time of three:58.08 to seize the nationwide championship within the 400 IM, Michigan’s first particular person NCAA title since Maggie MacNeil in 2021. It can also be the primary 400-yard IM gold by a Wolverine since Mindy Gehrs in 1993.

The crew of Lexi Greenhawt, Brady Kendall, Stephanie Balduccini and Leila Fack posted a time of 1:25.92 to complete fourth general.

In the morning, Balduccini positioned ninth general within the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.44. Letitia Sim took tenth place with a mark of 58.35 seconds within the 100-yard breaststroke, and Hannah Bellard completed thirteenth within the 400-yard IM, touching the wall at 4:05.36. Sims positioned second within the 400-yard IM preliminaries to earn a second swim.

In diving, Kiarra Milligan positioned eleventh within the one-meter dive with a rating of 276.40.

Michigan will return to McAuley Aquatic Center on Friday (March 20) for the third day of the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Preliminaries will begin at 10 a.m., with finals getting underway at 6 p.m.

Team Standings (After Day Two)

 1. No. 1 Virginia        249
 2. No. 3 Texas           183
 3. No. 2 Stanford        173
 4. No. 6 Tennessee       158.5
 5. No. 5 California      133
 6. No. 4 Michigan        132
 7. No. 6 Indiana         128
 8. No. 8 Louisville       79
 9. No. 9 NC State         76
10. No. 10 Florida         62.5
11. No. 11 Ohio State      53
12. No. 12 USC             49
13. No. 13 Alabama         47
14. No. 19 Georgia         38
15. Miami                  33