Florida Gators
NCAA Championships
Hinds Sets School Record, Gators Finish Ninth at NCAA Championships
Sunday, March 22, 2015 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Complete NCAA Championships Results | Natalie Hinds Interview
Ashlee Linn Interview | Jessica Thielmann Interview
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Florida women's swimming & diving team saved its best for last, as the Gators earned seven All-American honors and scored 63 team points on the final day of the 2015 NCAA Championships. This week's meet was held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
Overall, Florida finished the meet in ninth place with a team score of 129 points. UF has now finished in the top-10 at the NCAA meet for 15 consecutive years, tying the program's second-longest streak as the Gators previously achieved this mark from 1982-96.
Individually, the Gators amassed 15 All-American honors and broke one school record over the course of the three day meet.
UF was led by junior Jessica Thielmann as she earned four All-American accolades. The Newcastle, England product captured three as an individual (500 Free, 1,650 Free, 400 IM) and one as a member of UF's 800-yard freestyle relay squad. In addition, junior Natalie Hinds picked up three All-American tributes (100 Fly, 100 Free, 400 FR) bringing her career-total to 17. That number ranks her tied for 15th in school history.
On the boards, junior Kahlia Warner, who competed in her first-career NCAA Championships, earned her first-career All-American honor on day one of the championships as she placed sixth in the one-meter dive finals with a score of 321.75.
Warner became UF's first diver since 2011 to earn an All-American honor and its second-ever female to earn the accolade on the one-meter board. Monica Dodson was the Gators last All-American diver and Megan Neyer (1982-86) was the last to accomplish the feat on the one-meter.
Florida will return its entire NCAA Championship squad next season. 
Jessica Thielmann earned an All-American honor each day at the meet. Photo: Jeremy Esbrandt
Coaches Corner:
Head Coach Gregg Troy:
On the 2015 NCAA Championships…
“I'm really proud of this group of women. They've done such a tremendous job all year with a lot adversity all year long. But, the character they showed was excellent. We limped into the meet, as we weren't very good at all on the first day. We got better every session throughout the meet and we finished with a great evening tonight, as we had a fantastic relay swim this morning. You know, it's never the goal to be ninth at Florida, but we were able to bring ourselves back into the top-10 and add to our consecutive streak. Our team had a lot of pride in that.
We've had some tremendous leadership from out junior class. We don't have any seniors with us at this meet, as everyone here returns. Our junior class is great. Lindsey McKnight had a very discouraging first day, but came back and did a tremendous job in our relays. Ashlee Linn has been fantastic all weekend. Naturally, Natalie Hinds has turned into one of the best sprint freestylers in the country. And, Jess Thielmann has been tremendous all year. The character and the pride these girls showed makes everyone in Gator Nation happy.”
Diving Coach Dale Schultz:
On the women's season overall…
“It's been a good and fun season overall. However, in some ways it's been a trying season. For the simple facts that we went through a lot of illnesses and the trials of everything our divers have been through over the past year. I'm just really proud of every one of them for working hard, staying the course and believing what we are doing. I'm really looking forward to working with all of them going forward and into next year.”
On Kahlia Warner…
“Kahlia (Warner) is just really special. It was her first time at the NCAA Championships and she earned All-American honors on the one-meter, which is just unbelievable. I was hoping for her to be a little bit stronger on three-meter and platform, but she was great. I couldn't be more proud. I can't wait to continue working with her and trying to help her have an incredible senior year.”
Talking Gators:
Junior Natalie Hinds:
On her resetting her own school-record in the 100 free…
“I wanted to break 47 [seconds], but I can't be mad with finishing third place at nationals. It went really well. I do have some little things to work on but overall I'm pretty happy.”
Junior Ashlee Linn:
On the Gators outlook into next season…
“We didn't have any seniors at NCAAs this year, so we are going to have the same amount of people going forward and we're all going to be prepared and ready for next year. All of us are just really excited for next season.”
Junior Jessica Thielmann:
On her week overall at the championships…
“It was nice to start off with the 500 [free], as that was a surprise. The 400 IM was really cool to make the finals today's mile topped off what was a great meet.”
Final 2015 NCAA Championships Standings
| WOMEN | ||
| Rank | Team | Score |
| 1. | California | 513 |
| 2. | Georgia | 452 |
| 3. | Stanford | 363 |
| 4. | Texas A&M | 231 |
| 5. | Virginia | 229 |
| 6. | Louisville | 197 |
| 7. | Texas | 164 |
| 8. | USC | 163 |
| 9. | Florida | 129 |
| 10. | Indiana | 126 |
Florida's 400 FR team placed seventh and earned All-American accolades. Photo: Jeremy Esbrandt
Day Three Recap:
Junior Natalie Hinds paced the Florida women's swimming & diving team on day three of the NCAA Championships. The Midland, Texas native earned two All-American accolades and reset her own school-record in the 100-yard freestyle during today's prelims and finals.
In the finals, Hinds finished third with a time of 47.19.
In the 200-yard backstroke, junior Ashlee Linn recorded her second-career individual All-American honor as she picked up an honorable mention tribute for her runner-up finish (1:52.01) in the 200-yard backstroke B-Final. Her time sits as the fifth-fastest in program history.
Hinds and Linn then combined with junior Lindsey McKnight and freshman Amelia Maughan to finish fifth in the prelims with a time of 3:13.53. That same group then earned All-American accolades in the finals by placing seventh in 3:14.27. Their time in the prelims ranked them fifth in program history.
That groups career All-American honor total is 17 (Hinds), seven (Linn), four (McKnight) and two (Maughan), respectively.
The 1,650-yard freestyle event was a timed final race in which junior Jessica Thielmann paced the Gators and garnered her fourth All-American honor of the week by placing third with a time of 15:46.68. Her time ranks her second in UF history. Thielmann brought her career total to six All-American honors, including four this week.
In addition to her in the mile, sophomore Autumn Finke and junior Taylor Roy recorded times of 16:13.93 and 16:47.26, respectively.
On the boards, junior Kahlia Warner ranked 28th in the platform dive prelims with a score of 235.95 points.
All-Americans:
Over the course of the three-day meet, Florida earned 15 All-American honors, including:
- Natalie Hinds - 100 Fly, 100 Free, 400 FR
- Ashlee Linn – 400 FR, 800 FR*, 200 Back*
- Amelia Maughan – 400 FR, 800 FR*
- Lindsey McKnight – 400 FR, 800 FR*
- Jessica Thielmann - 500 Free, 1,650 Free, 400 IM, 800 FR*
- Kahlia Warner – One-Meter Dive
(*) – Denotes Honorable Mention All-American
School Record:
- Natalie Hinds – 100 Free (47.24)
Florida's Team Finishes under Head Coach Gregg Troy:
- 1998-99: 4th - SEC; 8th – NCAA
- 1999-2000: 3rd - SEC; 19th – NCAA
- 2000-01: 3rd - SEC; 8th – NCAA
- 2001-02: 1st - SEC; 7th – NCAA
- 2002-03: 2nd - SEC; 5th – NCAA
- 2003-04: 3rd - SEC; 4th – NCAA
- 2004-05: 3rd - SEC; 4th – NCAA
- 2005-06: 3rd - SEC; 10th – NCAA
- 2006-07: 3rd - SEC; 7th – NCAA
- 2007-08: 2nd - SEC; 6th – NCAA
- 2008-09: 1st - SEC; 7th – NCAA
- 2009-10: 2nd - SEC; 1st – NCAA
- 2010-11: 2nd - SEC; 7th – NCAA
- 2011-12: 3rd - SEC; 10th – NCAA
- 2012-13: 3rd - SEC; 6th – NCAA
- 2013-14: 3rd - SEC; 6th – NCAA
- 2014-15: 3rd – SEC; 9th – NCAA
NCAA Championships Coverage:
Coverage of the NCAA Championships will be broadcast via tape delay on ESPNU at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 31.
Looking Back:
Click here for a recap of day three's prelims action.
Click here for a recap of day two's finals action.
Click here for a recap of day two's prelims action.
Click here for a recap of day one's finals action.
Click here for a recap of day one's prelims action.
Follow the Gators:
For more information on the meet, check out the NCAA Championships central web page here. Also, Gator fans are encouraged to follow the swimming and diving program via Twitter or Facebook.
