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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 22. INDIANA’s Brooklynn Snodgrass pulled off a stunning upset of American-record holder Elizabeth Pelton of California in the women’s 200-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships.
Snodgrass, who lead throughout the race, held off a charging Pelton to win 1:50.52 to 1:50.55. Pelton nearly caught her with a tremendous final wall, but wasn’t able to track down the Hoosier. Snodgrass jumped to ninth all time in the event and joined Kate Fesenko as the only other Hoosier to win the event’s history.
Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew placed third in 1:50.84, while Florida’s Sinead Russell snatched fourth in 1:51.65. Russell’s teammate Elizabeth Beisel wound up fifth in 1:52.21 after having won the event in 2012.
California’s Melanie Klaren (1:52.44), Denver’s Sam Corea (1:53.68) and Auburn’s Jillian Vitarious (1:54.78) also swam in the surprising finale.
The .03 second win isn’t the closest ever as Sue Walsh of North Carolina pipped Tori Trees of Texas, 1:59.84 to 1:59.85, in 1983.
Auburn’s Aubrey Peacock turned in a 28.49 down the stretch to win the consolation heat with a time of 1:52.37. Texas A&M’s Paige Miller, the 100 back victor, took second in the B final with a 1:52.84.
California’s Stephanie Au (1:53.39), FGCU’s Kira Toussaint (1:53.79), UCLA’s Madison White (1:54.24), Stanford’s Annemarie Thayer (1:54.42) and Georgia’s Rachel Zilinskas (1:56.32) also put up times in the consolation heat, while Texas A&M’s Melanie McClure drew a disqualification.
Splits
1 Snodgrass, Broo SO Indiana 1:52.48 1:50.52 20
r:+0.67 26.56 54.50 (27.94)
1:22.65 (28.15) 1:50.52 (27.87)
2 Pelton, Elizabe SO California 1:51.92 1:50.55 17
r:+0.63 26.72 54.99 (28.27)
1:23.27 (28.28) 1:50.55 (27.28)
Team Standings
1. Georgia 411
2. California 321
3. Stanford 300
4. Texas A&M 248.5
5. Florida 194
6. USC 189
7. Tennessee 155
8. Texas 119
9. Virginia 117
10. Minnesota 108.5
