Keiner Selected to Compete in NCAA Championships
3/3/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
NCAA Release
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Liberty senior Payton Keiner has been selected to compete in the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships will be hosted at Greensboro Aquatic Center, March 17-20 in Greensboro, N.C.
Keiner will be making her second appearance at the NCAA Championships, as she competed in the 100 and 200 backstroke at nationals as a freshman in 2018. Keiner was selected to compete at the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, but the meet was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the seventh time in 11 years of the program's history that at least one Lady Flame has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. The Lady Flames have had two All-America honorable mention finishers, in Brye Ravettine (13th in 50 free, 2012) and Jess Reinhardt (10th in 100 fly, 2014). All competitors at the cancelled 2020 NCAA Championships were named All-Americans, so Keiner received All-American honors last year.
Keiner will swim in the 100 backstroke on March 19, followed by the 200 backstroke the following night. She earned her spot at nationals with her CCSA-winning 1:54.73 200 backstroke time. That time ranks 38th in the field. The senior also earned a B cut in the 100 backstroke, swimming 53.46 to win the CCSA title for the third year in a row.
At the 2021 CCSA Championships, Keiner won both the 100 and 200 backstroke for the third straight year. She holds the program record with seven individual event victories all-time at CCSA Championships. The Cincinnati, Ohio native is one of just three swimmers all-time to win one event four times at the CCSA Championships, claiming four straight 200 backstroke title.
Keiner is the program record holder in the 50 back (24.82), 100 back (52.60) and 200 back (1:52.63), all set at the 2020 CCSA Championships, while she also holds the CCSA and meet record in the 200 backstroke.
She may be joined by a pair of Liberty divers at the NCAA Championships, as Maddie Freece and Lauren Chennault are competing at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships next weekend in Greensboro.