Celia Pulido Continues SIU Backstroke History, Becomes Fastest Mid-Major In 100 Back All-Time

2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

100 BACKSTROKE — FINAL

• NCAA Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• Meet Record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023
• American Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• US Open Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• Pool Record: 49.34, Katharine Berkoff (NC State) — 2024
• 2023 Champion: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia)

Top 8:

1. Katharine Berkoff (NC State) — 48.55 *Pool Record*
2. Isabelle Stadden (California) — 50.47
3. Kennedy Noble (NC State) — 50.54
4. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) — 50.55
5. Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) — 50.56
6. Kacey McKenna (Indiana) — 50.65
7. Celia Pulido (SIU) — 50.73
8. Miranda Grana (Texas A&M) — 51.65

Southern Illinois junior Celia Pulido continued the program’s backstroke history on Friday night as well as Saturday morning, becoming the fastest mid-major swimmer ever in the 100 backstroke as she finished 7th in the event in finals with a 50.73.

This is Pulido’s first NCAA Championships and has made big progress in the 100 backstroke during her time at SIU. As a freshman, Pulido adjusted to short course yards as she is from Mexico, and swam a best time of a 52.42 in the event. Last season, her season best was a 52.51.

Her junior year has yielded huge success as she dropped to a 51.82 in the 100 back to earn her first NCAA invite before dropping even more time at NCAAs swimming a 50.98 in prelims to earn an A final swim before finishing in a 50.73 in finals for 7th place to win 12 points.

Pulido continues the school’s history of success in the backstroke events that goes back to 1977. Mike Salerno was a finalist at NCAAs in the 100 backstroke then. More recently, the school had success with Ruard van Renen who made the NCAA finals in both backstroke events a year ago.

Van Renen finished 9th in the 100 back last year and 13th in the 200 back swimming best times in both events. He has since transferred to Georgia. Van Renen was the team’s first NCAA qualifier for either program in 18 years and their first swimmer to score points since 1995. Now, the school has had both an NCAA qualifier and a points scorer two-seasons in a row.

Pulido’s swim is also faster than the Illinois LSC Record, meaning she is the fastest in history in the state of Illinois, including faster than Power 5 schools Northwestern and Illinois.

Updating this graphic from mid-season. Celia Pulido is not only the fastest college 100 backstroker ever in the state of Illinois, she's the fastest ever swimmer representing a team in the state of Illinois. #ncaasd pic.twitter.com/M92IDDgxfB

— Braden Keith (@Braden_Keith) March 23, 2024

Pulido will have another chance to add points tonight as she qualified 14th in the 200 back out of prelims as she swam a 1:52.44, a best time by over a second.