Claire Curzan Sets New NCAA Meet Record With 48.24 100 Back, #2 Performance All-Time

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 18 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending Champions: Virginia (5x)
• Championship Central
• Preview Index
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Finals

• NCAA Record: 48.10 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• American Record: 48.10 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 48.10 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• Championship Record: 48.26 – Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• 2025 NCAA Champion: Claire Curzan, Virginia – 49.11
• 2025 8th/16th Prelims Times: 50.29/51.20

Top 8 Finishers

1. Claire Curzan (UVA) — 48.24 **New Meet Record
2. Bella Sims (MICH) / Maggie Wanezek (WISC) — 49.62
3. —
4. Erika Pelaez (NCST) / Mary-Ambre Moluh (CAL) — 49.95
5. —
6. Leah Shackley (NCST) — 49.98
7. Claire Jansen (PITT) — 50.67
8. Emily Jones (BAMA) — 50.97

Claire Curzan swam to a new NCAA meet record as well as the #2 100 backstroke performance in history, touching in a 48.24 in her win. Curzan now sits just off Gretchen Walsh‘s NCAA and American Record of a 48.10 that Walsh swam leading off Virginia’s 400 medley relay at the 2024 ACC Championships.

Split Comparison

Curzan had a strong back half of the race, coming home faster than Walsh was in both her meet and NCAA records.

All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 100 Back

1. Gretchen Walsh — 48.10 — 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships
2. Claire Curzan — 48.24 — 2026 NCAA Championships
3. Gretchen Walsh — 48.26 — 2024 NCAA Division I Women
4. Gretchen Walsh — 48.26 — 2023 NCAA Division I Women
5. Claire Curzan — 48.38 — 2026 ACC Championships
6. Katharine Berkoff — 48.55 — 2024 NCAA Division I Women
7. Katharine Berkoff — 48.70 — 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships
8. Katharine Berkoff — 48.74 — 2022 NCAA DI Women’s Swimming
9. Gretchen Walsh — 48.77 — Virginia vs UNC and NC State
10. Claire Curzan — 48.83 — 2026 ACC Championships

Curzan now holds three of the top 10 performances all-time, tying her with Katharine Berkoff who also holds three of the top 10. Gretchen Walsh leads the way with four of the top 10 performances all-time.