LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- University of Louisville senior Mallory Comerford accomplished a three-peat at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, on Friday.
She won the 200 freestyle national championship for a third straight season, with a time of 1:40.26, becoming the first three-time champion in a single event in U of L history.
Her performance leaves U of L in fourth place overall after three days in the competition, and gives the program an individual event champion for the eighth consecutive season.
She now, according to a release from the school, is a nine-time individual All-American and a 16-time relay All-American, in addition to her trio of national titles.
"What a day, I'm so proud of this group," Louisville coach Arthur Albiero said in a release from the school. "We battled hard this morning, put ourselves in a position for success, especially in the 200 medley relay. We were seeded 22nd, nowhere to be found, to qualify for the final and hold on for fifth overall was exciting. I'm proud of the group, and obviously Mallory. Winning a title never gets old. As a matter of fact, this is the eighth consecutive year winning an NCAA individual title. It says a lot about the program and the support we have that goes with it. We're going to get ready for the next races and we'll be ready to go for session six tomorrow."
A year ago, Comerford's national championship time of 1:39.80 was the second-fastest time in NCAA history, and that came after tying Olympic champion Katie Ledecky for the championship in 2017.
The Cardinals return to action in the championships at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
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