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Regan Smith Surprised Herself with Last 50 of her NCAA Title 200 Back

2022 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reported by Anne Lepesant.

WOMEN 200 YARD BACKSTROKE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
  • Meet Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
  • American Record: 1:47.16 – Regan Smith, Riptide (2019)
  • US Open Record: 1:47.16 – Regan Smith, Riptide (2019)
  • Pool Record: 1:49.22 – Regan Smith, Stanford (2022)
  • 2021 Champion: Phoebe Bacon, Wisconsin – 1:48.32

Podium:

  1. Regan Smith, FR Stanford – 1:47.76P
  2. Phoebe Bacon, SO Wisconsin – 1:49.29
  3. Rhyan White, SR Alabama – 1:49.36
  4. Isabelle Stadden, SO California – 1:49.45
  5. Reilly Tiltmann, FR Virginia – 1:49.63
  6. Emma Atkinson, SO VT – 1:49.86
  7. Emma Muzzy, SR NCSU – 1:51.18
  8. Lucie Nordmann, JR Stanford – 1:52.28

Alabama senior Rhyan White shot out of the gates, getting an early lead at the 50 turn. She continued to pace the field at the 100, followed by Cal sophomore Isabelle Stadden, Virginia Tech sophomore Emma Atkinson, and Stanford freshman Regan Smith in fourth.

White was still in front at the 150 wall, but Smith had moved past Stadden and Atkinson into second place and was closing in on White. Smith came home in 28.25 and hit the wall at 1:47.76 to break the pool record for the second time of the day.

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Jason
2 years ago

Amazing, what a gun

IRO
2 years ago

I don’t think we give enough credit to her for carrying such a large target on her back for the last few years. She’s such a mature and composed speaker.

SwimMom40
2 years ago

Not to take away from Regan’s performance (which was amazing to witness), but just want to say how disappointing it was to watch the broadcast of this major event. Rowdy and his crew did not mention ANY OTHER swimmer in this event other than the three Olympians in the race (Smith, Bacon and White – and a quick nod to Stadden). All fixed those girls racing deserved to be introduced and covered…especially since it was the fastest 200 back in NCAA history, with all top 6 performers posting sub-150 times! DISGRACEFUL and disrespectful to the other women in this group:(

Jackson
Reply to  SwimMom40
2 years ago

Usually Rowdy only mentions Smith so he really went all out this time mentioning bacon and white. Seems to have a fascination with smith.

HOO love
2 years ago

so she pretty much knew all season that she would be doing the 200 back/200 fly double but wouldn’t fess up to anything about her NCAA lineup in her interview after pac 12s with Gold Medal Mel……… old school

Jackson
Reply to  HOO love
2 years ago

More like junior high.

RMS
Reply to  HOO love
2 years ago

She’s owes you or any other fan nothing.

Mediocre Swammer
Reply to  HOO love
2 years ago

She said they thought that’s what she was going to do, but it wasn’t for sure. So, if she had said that was what she would swim, and then she changed her mind, you’d be complaining about that, too.

jonathankkh
2 years ago

I am actually surprised everyone and even herself are surprised she was able to do this. We tend to forget Regan was actually more of a back-half swimmer when she had her breakout year in 2017. But then her strategy had fluctuated somewhere down the road and sometimes she just went out too hard and had nothing left coming home. She has shown us she is totally capable of closing fast if she swims her races more evenly, I just hope she will stick with this strategy from now on and that is the only way to stand a chance against McKeown these days anyway.

Last edited 2 years ago by jonathankkh
ALEXANDER POP-OFF
2 years ago

Amazing. I wondered if this new monster back half strategy is also a response to Kaylee McKeown.

Iambic Pentameter
2 years ago

That last 50 was insane.

Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

It surprised the heck out of me. I thought she was done. But then I looked up and saw Whyte noticeably weaken as soon as she flipped at 150. Regan’s 175 flip was 3x the speed and energy of Whyte’s.

Regan’s final 50 of butterfly was so low and powerful it looked more like the beginning of a race than the end.

Now it will be interesting to see if Regan changes tactics long course to more of a back halfer. IMO, that is more viable in butterfly than backstroke. There’s too much talent and depth at long course backstroke. You can’t cede ground.

jeff
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

she definitely can focus on back half a little more though. McKeown’s most recent 2:04s had front halves of 1:01.5 and 1:01.9 respectively, while Smith’s two best times have 1:00.3 and 59.4 front halves

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