Claire Curzan Blisters 49.52 100 Back Best Time at Cary Sectionals; Coleman Stewart Hits 44.69 100 Fly
Over the last few months, Claire Curzan has been on fire every time she has raced. After a strong outing that included multiple individual medals at the Short Course World Championships in December, she set an American record in the 100-yard butterfly at her high school state meet in February, and then she won four titles at the TYR Pro Swim Series last weekend Westmont, including a sub-57 effort in the 100-meter fly and a sub-59 in the 100-meter back. This weekend, Curzan is competing in her home pool in Cary, N.C., at a Sectionals meet, and she is again swimming lights-out.
Curzan opened the meet by leading off a TAC Titans 800 freestyle relay squad in 1:42.42. The team was disqualified for a false start, but the time is likely to count as an official performance, and it would move Curzan into the all-time top-25 in the event, and she was less than a tenth off the time Paige Madden swam to win the NCAA title in the 200 free last season. The 200 free is likely Curzan’s fifth or sixth-best event, but she is still capable of elite performances.
On Friday, she did not compete in any individual events, but she led off a 400 medley relay in 49.52, edging out her best time of 49.61 set last month. Curzan entered as the fourth-fastest performer in history in the 100-yard back behind Regan Smith, Beata Nelson and Katharine Berkoff, and she remains in that slot.
On the men’s side, former NC State standout and 100-meter back short-course-world-record holder Coleman Stewart competed Friday in the 100 fly, and he posted a mark of 44.69. That was just off his lifetime best of 44.46 from the 2019 NCAA Championships, where Stewart placed second. That mark ranks Stewart 14th all-time in the 100 fly. The 24-year-old is scheduled to compete in the 100 back and sprint freestyle races later in the weekend.