The NCAA Women's 200 Fly preliminaries showcased some extraordinary performances, with swimmers setting new personal bests and shattering pool records. The competition saw intense rivalries and stunning displays of speed and endurance.

In the first heat, UNC's Ellie Vannote set the tone by beating her entry time by almost 1.6 seconds, touching the wall at 1:54.97. Texas freshman Campbell Stoll took it a step further in heat 2, winning with a time of 1:54.74 and dropping an impressive 1.2 seconds from her seed time. Heat 3 witnessed a close race, with Auburn senior Meghan Lee clocking in at 1:54.83, just out-touching Texas A&M freshman Katie Walker, who finished at 1:54.90. Both swimmers improved their seed times by half a second.

An electrifying performance emerged in the first circle-seeded heat, as Cal's Rachel Klinger dominated the pool with a time of 1:51.80. Klinger left her opponents in her wake and snatched the pool record, previously held by Dakota Luther in 2021 (1:52.04). Lillie Nordmann and Charlotte Hook, both from Stanford, trailed behind Klinger with times of 1:52.41 and 1:53.88, respectively.

UVA freshman Tess Howley showcased her talent from an outside lane in heat 7, clocking an impressive time of 1:51.95. Howley's performance not only broke the pool record but also marked her first personal best in the 200 Fly since December 2021. She held off Texas' Kelly Pash, who finished just .14 seconds behind Howley at 1:52.09. Lindsay Looney, a 5th-year swimmer from Arizona State, claimed the third spot in this heat with a time of 1:53.13.

The final heat stole the spotlight, featuring a captivating battle between Texas seniors Emma Sticklen and Olivia Bray. Sticklen took an early lead with a blistering first 50 split of 24.03, leaving Bray half a body length behind at 24.95. Sticklen maintained her lead at the 100-mark, clocking in at 51.94. However, Bray unleashed a remarkable comeback in the second half, splitting 29.0-29.4 to touch the wall first at 1:51.51. Sticklen's valiant effort fell just short, finishing at 1:51.54. Both swimmers shattered the recently established pool record.

UVA's Abby Harter captured third place in this event, dropping over 2 seconds to finish at 1:52.63. She outperformed South Carolina's Greta Pelzek, who touched the wall at 1:53.44.

The NCAA Women's 200 Fly preliminaries presented an exhilarating display of skill and determination. With record-breaking performances and thrilling head-to-head races, the stage is set for an intense final showdown in this highly anticipated event.