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Women’s 100 Back (Amy Bilquist)
Defending her top seed from her prelims swim this morning, Scottsdale Aquatic Club swimmer Amy Bilquist is the 2019 national champion in the women’s 100 back with a time of 59.64. After coming back from a recent hand injury, the Cal-Berkeley swimmer demonstrated resilience as she not only earned herself a first place finish, but also shaved a little less than half a second off of her prelim swim. Bilquist was the only one to split under a 29 in the first 50 of the race. She came back just as strong as she also had the fastest split of the second half of the race, splitting a 30.73.
At only 15-years-old, TAC Titans swimmer Claire Curzan earned a silver medal in the event, finishing with a time of 1:00.39. That time marked a new personal best for Curzan and she also maintained her second place seed.
More meet coverage here. Check out results here.
Taking home a bronze medal in the event was Caitlin Brooks. The University of Kentucky swimmer also swam a best time in the event, hitting the touchpad at 1:00.46.
Finishing behind Brooks was Tennessee Aquatics swimmer, Erika Brown. Brown was the slowest off the blocks splitting a 29.50, but came strong in a 31.14 to cop fourth place with a time of 1:00.64.
Kylee Alons, Wolfpack Elite swimmer, hit the wall at 1:00.71, finishing in fifth place. The NC State sophomore not only swam a personal best, but also moved up one spot from her seed going into finals.
Sixth place finisher with a time of 1:00.71 was Lucie Nordmann, representing Alto Swim Club. The Stanford University swimmer also finished in 5th in the 200 back at this years 2019 national championships.
It was a close race between California Aquatics swimmer Isabel Ivey and Lakeside Swim Team member Annabel Crush. Despite, Crush being ahead of Ivey within the first 50 of the event, Ivey pulled ahead towards the final stretches of the race, out-touching Crush with a time of 1:00.85. Crush followed behind in eighth with a time if 1:00.88.
Let it be noted that Gretchen Walsh finished first in the B final of the women’s 100 back with a time of 1:00.26.
