2023 NCAA Division I Women's Championship Psych Sheet
INDIANAPOLIS (uncabulldogs.com) – The NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Committee announced Wednesday that UNC Asheville's Delaney Carlton has qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Carlton is the first Bulldog to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships. Carlton will be one of 322 participants that will compete at the Championships, which will take place March 15-18 at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
"Our staff is elated at Delaney's incredible accomplishment," said UNC Asheville Head Coach Elizabeth Lykins. "Having started the program and watched it grow with improving results almost annually, I cannot be prouder of Delaney earning our first ever nod to attend Nationals. We've never had a UNC Asheville cap race at NCAA's before, so this is a significant accomplishment for the program. Delaney has put in much time and effort throughout her career, and the reward is this moment."
Carlton has had a stellar career in the pool for the Bulldogs. Entering the NCAA Championships, Carlton's 50-yard freestyle time of 22.07 leads all mid-major swimmers and earned her the No. 34 seed at the national meet. Overall, 20 swimmers from mid-major programs were selected for the NCAA Championships with Carlton being one of those 20.
Carlton has posted an impressive streak of performances in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. She is undefeated in both events since January 2020 and has lowered her time in both events in each of her four years as a Bulldog. She has also played a vital role in Asheville's 21-0 record in dual meets since October 2020.
In addition to the 50-yard freestyle, Carlton will also be competing in the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships. At the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Championships, she re-set the school record twice in that event. Furthermore, Carlton became Asheville's second ever CCSA Champion as she took the top spot in the 50-yard freestyle (22.07).
On top of her performances in the pool, Carlton has been equally successful out of it. She was named the 2022 CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, to the 2022 CSCAA Second Team Scholar All-America Team, and recently was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
"She represents what truly makes UNC Asheville Swimming and Diving so special," Lykins added. "Coachable, eager to improve and dedicated to succeeding in-and-out of the pool. We've grown as a program and this is the next step; a trip to the NCAA's is a reality for future and current Bulldogs."
ESPN+ will provide live digital coverage for preliminary and finals sessions Wednesday through Saturday. Tape-delayed coverage of the women's championships will be on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, March 29.
The Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) is a progressive NCAA Division I conference dedicated to the enhancement of opportunities for students. The conference was founded in 2008 to provide a championship opportunity for Swimming and Diving student-athletes and extended that opportunity with the addition of Beach Volleyball in the summer of 2015. The league's footprint extends into several states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The CCSA is dedicated to the student-athletes who compete in its championships and their success in the classroom, in the field of competition, and life after graduation.