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NCAA Women’s Championships: Regan Smith Leads Trio of 49s in 100 Back Prelims; Berkoff, G. Walsh 2-3
Regan Smith is no stranger to deep and competitive domestic fields in the 100 backstroke, and the American-record holder will have another tight battle on her hands in her first individual NCAA Championships final. The Stanford freshman led the way in the 100 back prelims in 49.66, a half-second off her own record of 49.16 set last year. But Smith’s two top rivals for the win in the event, NC State’s Katharine Berkoff and Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh, finished just off that mark, and the two will swim on either side of Smith in the final.
Berkoff and Walsh each won their prelims heat, and they ended up tying for second at 49.93. Berkoff is the defending NCAA champion in the event and third-fastest performer in history, and Walsh was the runnerup in the 50 free Thursday night.
Smith did not race at all Thursday while both Berkoff and Walsh competed in the 50 free and 200 free relay. On Wednesday, all three swam backstroke on the 200 medley relay, and Berkoff was first to the wall there in 22.76, just ahead of Walsh in 22.81. Those two splits were the fastest ever recorded in the women’s 50 back. Smith, however, slipped on her turn and ended up recording a 24.31, which was actually slower than her 50-yard split in the 100 back prelims. Given the impressive form that all three have shown recently, the first ever 48-second 100 backstroke is within reach in the final.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s Rhyan White was the fourth qualifier in 50.65. White took second to Berkoff at NCAAs last year, and in the 100-meter back, she finished second at Olympic Trials and then fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. White is a definite spoiler with a real chance to break up the expected top-three here.
Texas’ Olivia Bray (50.69), Virginia’s Reilly Tiltmann (50.72), North Carolina’s Grace Countie (50.96) also broke 51, while Cal’s Katharine Berkoff took eighth in 51.19, just keeping reigning 200 back NCAA champion Phoebe Bacon of Wisconsin (51.27) out of the A-final.
Further down in the standings, Ohio State’s Nyah Funderburke and North Carolina’s Sophie Lindner tied for 16th at 51.83, setting up a swim-off for the last spot in the consolation final. Linder ended up narrowly winning the swim-off, 51.38 to 51.55.
Event 12 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 49.18 3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
Meet: M 49.18 3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
American: A 49.16 3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
US Open: O 49.16 3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
Pool: P 49.41 2/18/2022 Katharine Berkoff, NCSU
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Smith, Regan FR Stanford 49.66
r:+0.54 24.12 49.66 (25.54)
2 Berkoff, Katharine JR NCSU 49.93
r:+0.53 24.32 49.93 (25.61)
2 Walsh, Gretchen FR Virginia 49.93
r:+0.63 23.85 49.93 (26.08)
4 White, Rhyan SR Alabama 50.65
r:+0.60 24.70 50.65 (25.95)
5 Bray, Olivia SO Texas 50.69
r:+0.70 24.54 50.69 (26.15)
6 Tiltmann, Reilly FR Virginia 50.72
r:+0.65 24.92 50.72 (25.80)
7 Countie, Grace SR UNC 50.96
r:+0.66 24.24 50.96 (26.72)
8 Stadden, Isabelle SO California 51.19
r:+0.70 24.79 51.19 (26.40)
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9 Bacon, Phoebe SO Wisconsin 51.27
r:+0.64 24.79 51.27 (26.48)
10 Nordmann, Lucie JR Stanford 51.33
r:+0.61 24.76 51.33 (26.57)
11 Bernal, Aria 5Y Arizona 51.50
r:+0.59 24.58 51.50 (26.92)
12 Ruck, Taylor JR Stanford 51.55
r:+0.66 24.90 51.55 (26.65)
13 McConagha, Mackenzie FR Wisconsin 51.75
r:+0.51 24.99 51.75 (26.76)
13 Muzzy, Emma SR NCSU 51.75
r:+0.75 25.52 51.75 (26.23)
15 Rees, Meredith JR Missouri 51.77
r:+0.66 24.84 51.77 (26.93)
16 Funderburke, Nyah FR Ohio St 51.83
r:+0.71 25.19 51.83 (26.64)
16 Lindner, Sophie SR UNC 51.83
r:+0.70 25.08 51.83 (26.75)
