This year’s Division I Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships began Wednesday, March 20 and concluded Saturday, March 23, hosted in Jack Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia. Senior swimmer Julia Heimstead and junior diver Brooke Earley represented the University of Arizona in four events during the competition.

Day 1: Thursday, March 21

Earley kicked off the competition for the Wildcats in the 1-meter preliminary diving event on Thursday, March 21. She placed 45th of 51 with a score of 226.35, ultimately coming up too short to make it to the finals for that event.

Heimstead swam in the 50-yard freestyle event, facing great competition, in which she placed 53 of 61 with a time of 22.52. This result didn’t place her high enough to swim in the event the following day.

Day 2: Friday, March 22

Friday was the 3-meter diving preliminaries in which Earley placed much higher than the prior day, coming in 18th with a score of 284.65. Earley could not clinch the acceptable position for the final but displayed outstanding effort in her performance. 

Heimstead qualified for the 100-yard butterfly preliminary event in which she placed 35 of 58 with a time of 52.08. While she wasn’t able to swim in the final for this event, Heimstead wasn’t done working because she still had the 200-yard butterfly event the following day.

Day 3: Saturday, March 23

Saturday was the final event for the Wildcats as Heimstead qualified for the 200-yard butterfly preliminary round. Heimstead placed in the highest position yet for herself as she landed the 22 spot out of 48 with a time of 1:55.44, not fulfilling a spot to go onto the final. Heimstead has shown throughout her career at Arizona that she is a top swimmer who has had many notable accomplishments like being named Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month in December 2023, swimming a personal best at the NCAA DI Championships in the 50-yard freestyle (22.85) during the 2020-2021 season and many other accolades.

Looking ahead:

This year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships will begin Wednesday, March 27 in the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Indiana Sports Corporation. Diver Gage DuBois will represent Arizona in the platform event while swimmers Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri, Thomas Palmer and Haakon Naughton will compete in multiple swimming events.

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