2013 Women’s NCAA D1 Swimming and Diving Championships, 100 Breast (as reported by Braden Keith).
Video by Garrett McCaffrey
This hasn’t been a meet with a ton of records going down, but Texas A&M’s Breeja Larson at least was able to get her own NCAA Championship Meet record in the 100 breaststroke with a 57.63 for her second-straight title in this event. The swim was faster than she was in winning last year, but not as good as her in-season American Record.
USC’s Kasey Carlson, who’s having the best NCAA Championship meet of her career, was tied with Larson at the 50, but the back half of this race is where Breeja is so good. Carlson ended up 2nd in 58.36, which is a lifetime best for her. As a junior, that’s the first time she’s hit a season-best at an NCAA Championship meet. That’s especially impressive this year, where best times have been so hard to come by.
Columbia’s Katie Meili finished 3rd in 59.14; she, like most of this final, added from prelims. Arkansas’ Nikki Daniels was 4th in 59.18, just besting Notre Dame’s Emma Reaney in 59.19. The two sophomores were the youngest swimmers in this final: a rare one with no freshmen.
Texas’ Laura Sogar took 6th in 59.25, Arizona’s Ellyn Baumgardner was 7th in 59.37, and Arizona’s Chelsey Salli was 8th in 59.79.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s Molly Hannis won the B-Final in the 100 breaststroke in 58.84: a time that would have been 3rd had she been a little faster in the morning.
She’s a well-spoken girl. Very honest interview. No waffle. And she knows what she still has to work to improve.