The 200 backstroke was perhaps the most up-for-grabs event this week at the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Five swimmers looked within striking distance out of prelims and none of them were from Virginia.
It turns out it was a familiar face touching the wall first with Wisconsin senior Phoebe Bacon, who won the title as a freshman, won the event in 1:48.23, breaking the pool record in the process – the ninth-fastest performer of all-time.
“Everybody is hurting on the last day, but you have to push through and finish. (Winning) feels awesome,” Bacon said in the on-deck interview.
Bella Sims was strong off the wall on the first turn and split a 25.04 to take the early lead.
Phoebe Bacon caught her at the 100 and they were neck-and-neck with Bacon slightly pulling ahead at the 125 and 150 marks of the race (1:19.59).
Bacon turned first on the final turn but Sims and Kennedy Noble each had huge pushes off the final wall to close the gap.
But Bacon had just enough to earn the win in 1:48.23, her second NCAA title.
Noble, of NC State, took second in 1:48.43 after that strong final 25. Her time is 12th on the all-time performer list.
Sims finished third in 1:48.47, just ahead of Cal’s Isabelle Stadden (1:49.19), who had a strong race, but just didn’t have as much as the other three off the final wall.
Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller finished fifth in 1:50.49, followed by Texas A&M freshman Miranda Grana (1:51.96), Virginia Tech senior Caroline Bentz (1:52.39) and Florida freshman Catie Choate (1:53.54).
The NCAA and meet record is 1:47.24 set by Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson in 2019. The American record is held by Regan Smith (1:47.16) set in a short-course sectional meet.
Sims was coming off wins in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle already this meet.
Bacon, a U.S. Olympian in Tokyo, won this event in 2021 as a freshman with the Badgers.
Earlier Stadden finished third in the 100 backstroke, her highest finish at an NCAA Championships.
Event 16 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 1:47.24 3/23/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
Meet: M 1:47.24 3/23/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
American: A 1:47.16 3/10/2019 Regan Smith, Riptide
US Open: O 1:47.16 3/10/2019 Regan Smith, Riptide
Pool: P 1:48.23 3/23/2024 Phoebe Bacon, Wisconsin
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Bacon, Phoebe SR Wisconsin 1:48.81 1:48.23P 20
r:+0.77 25.25 51.91 (26.66)
1:19.59 (27.68) 1:48.23 (28.64)
2 Noble, Kennedy SO NC State 1:49.78 1:48.43 17
r:+0.59 25.55 53.08 (27.53)
1:20.64 (27.56) 1:48.43 (27.79)
3 Sims, Bella FR Florida 1:49.44 1:48.47 16
r:+0.64 25.04 51.85 (26.81)
1:20.20 (28.35) 1:48.47 (28.27)
4 Stadden, Isabelle SR California 1:50.37 1:49.19 15
r:+0.68 25.23 52.75 (27.52)
1:20.59 (27.84) 1:49.19 (28.60)
5 Fuller, Josephine JR Tennessee 1:49.57 1:50.49 14
r:+0.66 25.21 52.91 (27.70)
1:21.44 (28.53) 1:50.49 (29.05)
6 Grana, Miranda FR TAMU 1:51.78 1:51.96 13
r:+0.62 26.72 54.79 (28.07)
1:23.44 (28.65) 1:51.96 (28.52)
7 Bentz, Caroline SR VT 1:51.81 1:52.39 12
r:+0.72 26.18 54.30 (28.12)
1:23.08 (28.78) 1:52.39 (29.31)
8 Choate, Catie FR Florida 1:51.99 1:53.54 11
r:+0.70 26.24 55.02 (28.78)
1:24.29 (29.27) 1:53.54 (29.25)
