Arizona’s Bonnie Brandon, who has been struggling with some sort of bug all week, has been scratched out of the women’s 200 backstroke. This was a race in which she was seeded 4th coming into the meet, and in which she placed 9th overall (and with the 6th-fastest time among the finals) last season.
She also missed day 2’s prelims session of the meet, and according Arizona she had to receive IV’s to stave off dehydration. She is one of two star swimmers at this meet with similar symptoms, as USC’s Kendyl Stewart has been off of her best as well.
The Arizona women sit in 10th through two days of this meet: a spot that they’ll have to fight to maintain without Brandon’s badly-needed scoring. They’ve placed in the top 10 at NCAA’s every year since 1990.
Brandon was on deck, did warm up, and was seen with her cap and parka on, so she may still be in Arizona’s 400 free relay plans for Saturday.
