Courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner.
WOMEN’S 100 Breaststroke – Reported by Jared Anderson
A tightly-bunched top 4 coming out of the preliminaries turned into a tight group of three trailing Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson. The Olympian cruised out to an early lead, going 1:07.15 to take the event, looking smooth and powerful the whole way. Blue Fish pro and former Texas star Laura Sogar was second (1:09.00) followed by a pair of SwimMAC-ers, Katie Meili (1:10.00) andMicah Lawrence (1:10.04).
A pair of athletes from T2 followed them up – they were Justine Mueller and Ashley Wolter. The youngest A-finalist, 17-year-old Hungarian Fanni Ferenczi, took 7th.
The B final went to German Theresa Michalak, who has been training with the Florida Gators in Gainesville. Michalak is a high-profile signee with the Gators, and though her current eligibility is still uncertain, her 1:11.84 (only a second or so off her best) had to be a good sign for Florida coach Gregg Troy, whether she starts competing with the Gators this post-season or further down the road.
Did Rowdy say Rebecca Soni has the fastest 100 breast short course time ever? That’s not correct in yards or meters. Anyway, great swim from former Texas A&M star Alia Atkinson.