Rebecca Matthews, a graduate student at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, has broken the NCAA Division II record in the 200 breaststroke with 2:10.77, going nearly 7/10 under the old mark of 2:11.45 set by Drury’s Agniezska Ostrowska in 2014.
Matthews won the 100 breast on Friday by over a body length, finishing in 1:01.03, just .37 off the record. Then on Saturday, she posted a season-best 2:13.0 to lead the field in prelims. In finals, however, she just blew everyone away, especially over the back half of the race.
Matthews was out in 1:02.4, with about a half-body length lead over LIU Post’s Caroline Rademacher at the 100. She really showed her mettle over the second half of the race, though, as she ended up 2.6 seconds ahead of second-place Alena Rumiantceva of Cal Baptist (2:13.32) and 2.9 ahead of third-place Rademacher.
- Rebecca Matthews, Lynn, 2015: 33 / 33.07 (1:02.40) / 33.74 (1:36.14) / 34.63 (2:10.77)
- Agnieszka Ostrowska, Drury, 2014: 09 / 33.28 (1:03.37) / 33.63 (1:37.00) / 34.45 (2:11.45)
Matthews, who is from Montpellier, France, had an excellent season for the Fighting Knights, twice earning Sunshine State Conference Swimmer of the Week accolades.
