University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 18
Atlanta, GA
9:00 AM (Prelims), 5:00 PM (Finals)
University of Minnesota
at
NCAA Championships
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/Butterfly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Butterfly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
IM/Butterfly/Breaststroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Bacon Repeats on 3-Meter for Fifth Career National Title
3/18/2022 8:37:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
MINNEAPOLIS – In the last event of her career at the NCAA Championships Friday night, Minnesota senior Sarah Bacon left no doubt that she's one of the greatest divers in the sport's history.
Bacon repeated as national champion on the 3-meter springboard, claiming the fifth individual title of her illustrious career, on the third day of competition at the McAuley Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Already the most decorated female in school history with her three titles on the 1-meter and two on the 3-meter, Bacon's five individual titles tie her with men's swimmer Steve Jackman and men's gymnast John Roethlisberger for the most in Minnesota annals.
The top seed through the prelims, Bacon led the finals after each of the first three rounds. She slipped to second through round four but was only 2.1 points back of the lead and regained her spot atop the leaderboard heading into the sixth and final dive.
Bacon, the national runner-up on the 1-meter Thursday, needed a 65.95 or better on her final attempt to tie for first, but she blew past it with a 78.00, finishing with a winning score of 409.25.
"It's pretty crazy," Bacon said when asked on the ESPN broadcast about her five titles. "I don't know if it'll sink in for a while. Right now, I'm just excited and I want to enjoy what we just accomplished in that pool with my coach tonight and my family, as well."
Bacon was also asked if she had a renewed love of diving after last year.
"Last year was tough with COVID and just missing the Olympic team over the summer," she said. "So I just wanted to come in to my last NCAAs ever and relax and have fun up there. I did that in that final and I'm really happy about it."
Sophomore Megan Van Berkom became the first Gopher swimmer to reach a final at the Championship when she made the consolation finals of the 400 IM.
The 11th seed through prelims, the Chatham, Ill., native finished in the same spot in the final to claim her first career All-American honors. Her time of 4:04.96 was the second fastest of her career and 1.85 seconds better than her prelim time.
In the final event of the night, the Minnesota 400 medley relay team of juniors Jordan McGinty and Emma Lezer, Van Berkom, and junior Maggie Summit finished 24th with a time of 3:34.46. It was the second-best performance of the season for the Gophers in the event.
With Bacon and Van Berkom each scoring for Minnesota, the Golden Gophers are in 19th place with 43 points.
"We have been picking up steam as we go and had our best day of the championships so far," Minnesota associate head coach Stacy Busack said. "Sarah always does a great job on the boards. Her last dive as a Gopher was a thing of beauty and capped off one of the greatest NCAA diving careers with another national title.
"Megan Van Berkom earned her first NCAA points tonight, and our medley relay did a great job coming back from an unsatisfying start in the 200 medley to put up a really nice showing. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow brings."
Minnesota also had two swimmers compete in Friday's prelims.
Lezer made her NCAA Championships debut in the 100 breast as she finished in 18th place at 59.44, .11 seconds off her personal record. Meanwhile, in the 200 free, freshman Hannah Cornish placed 52nd at 1:48.54.
Also in diving, senior Joy Zhu came in 22nd following Friday's prelims, recording a score of 306.80.
The 2022 NCAA Championships conclude on Saturday. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. CT with Cornish competing in the 100 free, Lezer swimming the 200 breast and Van Berkom taking part in the 200 fly.
Diving will take place on the platform with Zhu in action. The finals start at 5 p.m. with the previously listed events plus the 400 free relay.
Bacon repeated as national champion on the 3-meter springboard, claiming the fifth individual title of her illustrious career, on the third day of competition at the McAuley Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Already the most decorated female in school history with her three titles on the 1-meter and two on the 3-meter, Bacon's five individual titles tie her with men's swimmer Steve Jackman and men's gymnast John Roethlisberger for the most in Minnesota annals.
The top seed through the prelims, Bacon led the finals after each of the first three rounds. She slipped to second through round four but was only 2.1 points back of the lead and regained her spot atop the leaderboard heading into the sixth and final dive.
Bacon, the national runner-up on the 1-meter Thursday, needed a 65.95 or better on her final attempt to tie for first, but she blew past it with a 78.00, finishing with a winning score of 409.25.
"It's pretty crazy," Bacon said when asked on the ESPN broadcast about her five titles. "I don't know if it'll sink in for a while. Right now, I'm just excited and I want to enjoy what we just accomplished in that pool with my coach tonight and my family, as well."
Bacon was also asked if she had a renewed love of diving after last year.
"Last year was tough with COVID and just missing the Olympic team over the summer," she said. "So I just wanted to come in to my last NCAAs ever and relax and have fun up there. I did that in that final and I'm really happy about it."
Sophomore Megan Van Berkom became the first Gopher swimmer to reach a final at the Championship when she made the consolation finals of the 400 IM.
The 11th seed through prelims, the Chatham, Ill., native finished in the same spot in the final to claim her first career All-American honors. Her time of 4:04.96 was the second fastest of her career and 1.85 seconds better than her prelim time.
In the final event of the night, the Minnesota 400 medley relay team of juniors Jordan McGinty and Emma Lezer, Van Berkom, and junior Maggie Summit finished 24th with a time of 3:34.46. It was the second-best performance of the season for the Gophers in the event.
With Bacon and Van Berkom each scoring for Minnesota, the Golden Gophers are in 19th place with 43 points.
"We have been picking up steam as we go and had our best day of the championships so far," Minnesota associate head coach Stacy Busack said. "Sarah always does a great job on the boards. Her last dive as a Gopher was a thing of beauty and capped off one of the greatest NCAA diving careers with another national title.
"Megan Van Berkom earned her first NCAA points tonight, and our medley relay did a great job coming back from an unsatisfying start in the 200 medley to put up a really nice showing. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow brings."
Minnesota also had two swimmers compete in Friday's prelims.
Lezer made her NCAA Championships debut in the 100 breast as she finished in 18th place at 59.44, .11 seconds off her personal record. Meanwhile, in the 200 free, freshman Hannah Cornish placed 52nd at 1:48.54.
Also in diving, senior Joy Zhu came in 22nd following Friday's prelims, recording a score of 306.80.
The 2022 NCAA Championships conclude on Saturday. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. CT with Cornish competing in the 100 free, Lezer swimming the 200 breast and Van Berkom taking part in the 200 fly.
Diving will take place on the platform with Zhu in action. The finals start at 5 p.m. with the previously listed events plus the 400 free relay.
Vivi Del Angel Wins NCAA Bronze
Monday, March 24
Del Angel Earns B1G Platform Diving Silver
Saturday, February 22
Vivi Del Angel Wins NCAA Title
Monday, March 25
Megan Van Berkom Wins 400 IM
Monday, February 26