Thiele Closes Championships with Third All-America Finish

GREESNBORO, N.C. - Austin College women's swimmer Sammi Thiele closed out the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championships with her third All-America finish iin as many events, taking seventh in the 200 backstroke to cap off her historic week in the pool.

After taking fourth in the 200 IM on Wednesday and third in the 100 backstroke on Friday, Thiele entered Saturday evenings final as the fifth seed following an Austin College and Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference record-setting performance in prelims. Thiele became the first women's swimmer in conference history to break two minutes in the 200 back, coming in with a time of 1:59.67, breaking her own school and SCAC record. She ended the evening with a time of 2:02.55 in the championship heat, which was good for seventh and All-America status.