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AUBURN, Alabama, March 17. CALIFORNIA's Caitlin Leverenz put together the second-fastest time ever in the 200 breast by the slimmest of margins at the NCAA Division I Women's Championships. Leverenz blasted the pool with a sterling time of 2:04.76. That swim just missed Rebecca Soni's American, U.S. Open and NCAA record of 2:04.75 set back in 2009.
Leverenz defeated defending champion Haley Spencer of Minnesota (2:07.24) by 2.48 seconds. While the convincing conquest was amazing, it fell short of the NCAA record for the largest margin of victory in the 200 breast. Hawaii's Jeanne Childs (2:13.35) topped Florida's Kathy Treible (2:16.62) by 3.27 seconds back in 1983. The win is California's second ever in the event, joining Hiroko Nagasaki's 2:11.65 from 1988.
Texas A&M's Breeja Larson (2:07.44), Louisville's Gisselle Kohoyda (2:07.87), George Mason's Ashley Danner (2:08.49), Southern California's Stina Gardell (2:08.67), Texas' Laura Sogar (2:09.17) and Indiana's Allysa Vavra (2:09.61) completed the championship field.
Purdue's Emily Fogle hit the wall in 2:08.28 to win the B final, while Georgia's Michelle McKeehan (2:08.84), Melanie Margalis (2:09.31) and Jana Mangimelli (2:09.48) finished second through fourth. Southern California's Jessica Schmitt (2:09.49), Notre Dame's Emma Reaney (2:09.73), South Carolina's Amanda Rutqvist (2:09.92) and Florida's Hilda Luthersdottir (2:10.76) finished fifth through eighth in the consolation heat.
California increased its leading total to 352 points, while Georgia held strong to second with 334 points. Stanford (278), Southern California (259) and Arizona (257) stood third through fifth after the event.
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