No. 12 Texas A&M Set for NCAA Championships

AUBURN, AL - February 23, 2024 - Bobbi Kennett of the Texas A&M Aggies, Olivia Theall of the Texas A&M Aggies and Miranda Grana of the Texas A&M Aggies during the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships game at James e. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, AL. Photo By Ethan Mito/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Ethan Mito/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 19, 2024 | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: Rachel Perreault, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

ATHENS – The No. 12 Texas A&M women's swimming & diving team is set for NCAA Championships March 20-23 at the Gabrielson Natatorium on Georgia's campus. Fourteen Aggies punched their tickets to the championship meet, including 12 individually qualified swimmers who will also contribute on the five eligible relays and a pair of divers.

Chloe Stepanek leads the way for the Maroon & White, heading to her fourth NCAA Championships with nine All-America honors to her name. Stepanek is qualified individually in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free. She recently brought home bronze in the 200 free at SEC Championships and helped the 400 medley podium with the third-fastest time in program history (3:38.61), notching the team's third A cut in the event this season. Stepanek's time of 1:42.41 in the 200 free from SEC Championships, just 0.01 off her school record, is the seventh-fastest time in the nation this season, while she also ranks 18^th in the 100 free (47.77) and 29^th in the 50 free (22.06). At last year's NCAA meet, Stepanek returned to the championship final in the 200 free, placing seventh, while adding a 13^th-place finish in the 100 free and helping the 400 medley relay notch a top-16 finish.

Miranda Grana punched her ticket to NCAAs in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly after an impressive SEC Championships debut that saw her medal in all three of her individual events and join the 400 medley relay on the podium. Grana started the meet earning bronze in the 100 fly, an event she only raced late in the dual meet season. In the first of her main events, Grana took down Paige Miller's school record in the 100 back with a time of 50.65 and later clocked the second-fastest time in school history, going 1:51.06, to tack on a pair of individual bronze medals. The freshman's 100 and 200 back times rank eighth and ninth in the nation this season, respectively, while her 100 fly time of 51.32 from SECs stands at 17^th.

Joslyn Oakley earned her spot at her second NCAA Championships with top-seven finishes on each of the springboards at Zones. A two-time All-American, Oakley recently claimed the first SEC gold of her younger career, winning a league title on the 1-meter with a score of 325.65. She earned four SEC Diver of the Week accolades this season and set career-high scores of 337.15 on the 1-meter and 395.80 on the 3-meter in the dual meet at TCU. Mayson Richards will join Oakley in the 3-meter competition after placing ninth in the event at Zones. Richards added big points for the Aggies at SEC Championships with top-10 finishes on both springboards. She advanced to her first final and went on to place seventh on the 3-meter.

Olivia Theall, Bobbi Kennett and Aviv Barzelay (200 back) will make their third appearance at NCAAs, while Hayden Miller, Giulia Goerigk (400 IM), Abby Grottle (1650 free) and Kaitlyn Owens (100 back) return to the championship meet for the second time. Abigail Ahrens (200 back), Jordan Buechler (200 free) and Katie Walker (200 fly) will make their individual debuts this week at NCAAs. Theall and Kennett earned All-America honors on the 400 medley relay a season ago. Theall has qualified in both butterfly events this year and Kennett punched her ticket in the 100 breast. Miller boasts top-20 times in the nation this season in each of her events after going a personal-best 4:29.16 in the 500 free at SECs to take fourth and adding a season-best time of 16:02.35 in the 1650 free to finish third and make her podium debut.

All sessions of the championship meet will be streamed and live results for both swimming and diving will be available and can be found here.

Complete Schedule
Wednesday, March 20
Finals – 5 p.m.
200 medley relay, 800 free relay

Thursday, March 21
Prelims - 9 a.m.
Diving Prelims – 11 a.m.
Diving Consolation Final – 4:15 p.m.
Finals –  5 p.m.
500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1-meter, 200 free relay

Friday, March 22
Prelims - 9 a.m.
Diving Prelims – 11 a.m.
Diving Consolation Final – 4:15 p.m.
Finals –  5 p.m.
400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-Meter, 400 medley relay

Saturday, March 23
Prelims - 9 a.m.
Diving Prelims – 11 a.m.
1650 Free (early heats) – 2:45 p.m.
Diving Consolation Final – 4:15 p.m.
Finals –  5 p.m.
1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform, 400 free relay

Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's swimming & diving. Fans can keep up to date with the Aggies Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter/X by following @AggieS wimDive.