NCAA WOMEN'S SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: Thursday-Saturday
Where: University Aquatic Center
Schedule: Preliminaries 11 a.m., finals 7 p.m. each day
Tickets: All-session reserved seats, $65; single-session $13 for preliminary rounds, $16 for finals. Tickets are available at the Aquatic Center or online at www.gophersports.com
TEAMS TO WATCH
Georgia: The defending champions will bring the largest contingent of any team with 17 swimmers and one diver. Top performers include diver Laura Ryan of Elk River.
California: Since 2009, the Golden Bears have won three NCAA championships. Their star-studded lineup is headlined by U.S. Olympians Missy Franklin and Rachel Bootsma and U.S. national team member Elizabeth Pelton.
Stanford: The Cardinal placed second at the Pac-12 meet. Maya DiRado, a 15-time All-America, holds seven Pac-12 titles.
SWIMMERS TO WATCH
Rachel Bootsma, Cal: The defending champion in the 100 backstroke, the Eden Prairie native was second in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 fly at last year's NCAA meet; she will swim those events again.
Breeja Larson, Texas A&M: A 2012 Olympian, Larson owns the fastest time this season in the 100 breaststroke — a U.S. record 57.28 seconds — and has the second-fastest time in the 200 breaststroke (2:04.92).
THE GOPHERS
After winning their third consecutive Big Ten title, the No. 12 Gophers will bring perhaps their strongest team ever to the NCAA meet. Standouts include Kierra Smith, the Big Ten champ in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke; diver Maggie Keefer, who defended her league title in the 3-meter event and placed second in 1-meter; and freestyle specialist Kiera Janzen.
RACHEL BLOUNT