NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the second straight year, Vanderbilt swimming’s Kailia Utley has qualified for the NCAA Championships. The senior will be included in the field of the 100 and 200 butterfly with the announcement of participants Wednesday by the organization.
The Huntington Beach, California, native becomes just the second Commodore swimmer to advance to the NCAA Championships at the Division I level on multiple occasions. Wendy Deacon first accomplished the feat three seasons in a row from 1987-89.
Utley enters the competition—set to be held in Federal Way, Washington, from March 19-22—among the top 30 in the 200 fly, an event she advanced to the B Final in at the SEC Championships last month. Not only was it the fourth straight season that she has moved on to finals in the discipline, she broke her own school record in the process.
The senior will also swim the 100 fly at the championships after qualifying for the C Final at the conference meet with an effort that also bettered the previous school standard she set in the event last season.
Earlier this winter Utley qualified third overall for the A Final of the 200 fly and reached the 100 fly A Final at the Toyota U.S. Open Championship. She has won the 200 fly four times this season and on 13 occasions overall throughout her collegiate career, adding five other wins in the 100 fly.
