NCAA Championships Begin Wednesday

Notes • NCAA Championship Site

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 2022 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships will begin on Wednesday with a pair of relays at the McAuley Aquatics Center in Atlanta, Ga. The meet will run through March 19.

The men’s meet will follow from March 23-26, also in Atlanta.

“We’re excited to get started tomorrow,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We have a great group of ladies here and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can achieve. I always feel like having relays is the key to success and it’s a sign of a strong team. This year, it’s a little special having three relays competing.”

The Florida State women’s swimming and diving team will open the meet by competing in the 200 medley relay at 6 p.m.

In addition to the 200 medley relay, the Seminoles will be represented individually by Nina Kucheran, Tania Quaglieri and Edith Jernstedt.

Rebecca Moynihan, Zsofia Kurdi, Jenny Halden and Gloria Muzito will contribute as relay swimmers.

Individual races will start on Thursday, with the top 16 from prelims in each event will advancing to finals.

All relays will be contested at finals. The Seminoles will also race in the 400 medley and 400 free relays later in the week.

Prelims will start at 10 a.m., with finals following at 6 p.m. All sessions will be available via ESPN3.

Photo: Mitch White

Nina Kucheran • Senior • Sudbury, Ontario – 200 IM/100 breast/200 breast

200 IM: 1:56.68/100 breast: 59.02/ 200 breast: 2:08.57

The 2021-22 team captain earned her third bid to NCAAs, qualifying in all three of her races.

Kucheran established the FSU record in the 200 IM in November of 2021 and lowered it at the ACC Championships to 1:56.68. She is seeded 36th in the event.

Kucheran took fourth at ACCs in the 100 breast at 59.02, which is the third-fastest time in FSU history. She also swam a personal best in November in the 200 breast at 2:08.57, which lowered her school record she set back in 2019.

She is seeded 15th in the 100 breast and 29th in the 200 breast and will be a key contributor on FSU’s medley relays. Kucheran swam the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay that won bronze at ACCs in FSU record timing of 1:35.40.

Tania Quaglieri • Junior • Nonantola, Italy – 100 back

50 free: 22.72/ 100 back: 52.45

The 100 back record holder (52.17), Quaglieri qualified for her second-straight NCAAs in the 100 back, after clocking a 52.45 at the ACC Championships for 12th place.

She enters the meet seeded 36th and has option to swim the 50 free after she posted a consideration time of 22.72 at ACCs.

Quaglieri has been the lead-off swimmer in the medley relays all season where she helped the Noles win bronze in the 200 medley relay behind a school record. She also competed on the 200 and 400 free relays that placed sixth at ACCs.

In her first NCAAs in 2021, Quaglieri placed 18th (52.45) in the 100 back, just shy of the consolation final.

Edith Jernstedt • Freshman • Västerås, Sweden – 200 fly

100 fly: 52.46/ 200 fly: 1:55.80/ 200 IM: 1:59.83

Jernstedt earned her bid to her first NCAAs after placing seventh in the 200 fly at ACCs behind a time of 1:55.80, which is the second-fastest swim in FSU history.

She also has the option to swim the 100 fly and 200 IM, as both of her races at ACCs were faster than the consideration times.

Jernstedt scored 11th place points in the 100 fly at ACCs (52.46) and was 21st in the 200 IM (1:59.83).

The five-time Swedish National champ also set the Morcom Aquatics Center Pool Record this season in the 200 fly against Tampa at 1:58.64.

Relay Swimmers:

Rebecca Moynihan • Senior • Palmerston North, New Zealand

A team captain, Moynihan anchored the Noles to bronze and the FSU school record in the 200 medley relay. She was also a part of the 200 free, 400 free and 400 medley relays that placed sixth at ACCs. Individually, Moynihan placed 12th in the 50 free (22.44) and 14th in the 100 free (49.39) at ACCs.

She is also a part of the relay that holds the Morcom Aquatics Center pool record in the 200 medley relay and was named the ACC Swimmer of the Week following her performance at the Auburn Invite.

Jenny Halden • Sophomore • Kongsberg/Bærum, Norway

Halden has swum the fly legs of the medley relays for the Noles all season. Individually, Halden placed 13th in the 100 fly (52.70) and 20th in the 50 free (22.62) at the ACC Championships.

She competed at the 2021 LEN European Championship, representing Norway, where she made the semifinal of the 50m fly (25.76), placing 10.

This will be her second NCAAs, after competing individually in 2020 in the 100 fly.

Zsofia Kurdi • Sophomore • Erd, Hungary

A free and breast specialist, Kurdi finished 16th in the 100 free (49.58) at the ACC Championships after posting her personal best in the prelims at 49.29.

She also contributed to a sixth place finish in the 400 free relay at the meet.

Gloria Muzito • Freshman • Sundsvall, Sweden

Muzito helped the Noles place sixth in the 400 free relay at ACCs after finishing 21st in the 100 free (49.82) behind a personal best.

She also swam her personal best 50 free time at the Auburn Last Chance Invite at 22.98.