Montes de Oca fails to make finals in 500 freestyle

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Olivet College freshman Ana Paula Montes de Oca failed to make the finals in the 500-yard freestyle today at the 2018 NCAA Division IIII Swimming & Diving Championships. She swam the preliminary race in 5:06.34, which ranked 31st of 37 swimmers. Despite being off the pace of her school record (5:00.87), her time was the second-fastest ever in school history.

Montes de Oca's trip to the national championships is not over. She will swim in the 200-yard butterfly on Friday, and the 1,650-yard freestyle on Saturday. Montes de Oca earned the trip to nationals by virtue of posting an NCAA qualifying time in the 1,650 free.

Montes de Oca is just the fourth women's swimmer in school history to compete at the national championships. The other three were Jill Lingbeek in 2005 and 2006, Amy Johnson in 2009 and Caitlin Lohr in 2011. Lingbeek is the only one to advance to the evening finals in an event.