2013 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships – 200 Back – as reported by Braden Keith
Recap of Elizabeth’s national championship race, the 400 IM:
Florida’s Elizabeth Beisel and Texas A&M’s Cammile Adams both went out hard on the butterfly, but Beisel had the backstroe to back it up. She took the race out in 1:54.82, and even held off Caitlin Leverenz on the breaststroke leg. Beisel led this race for the last 300 yards, and took the win in 4:00.49.
After a few years of Julia Smits and Katinka Hosszus pushing the pace, we became accustomed to seeing sub-four-minute 400 IM’s (four did it last year). Don’t forget that a 4:00 is still a very good time, and not-too-long ago would’ve been among the best times ever.
Stanford’s Maya DiRado , splitting under a minute on her backstroke leg, was 2nd in 4:01.02.
Cal’s Caitlin Leverenz was 3rd in 4:02.98. She was a 1:06.85 on her breaststroke leg, as compared to a 1:04.8 on that leg last season where she was 2nd overall.
Cammile Adams was 4th in 4:03.74 after leading past the butterfly; USC’s Stina Gardell was 5th in 4:04.66. A&M’s Sarah Henry, like Adams, pushed the butterfly leg, and was just solid across this swim. She took off on the freestyle, as she’s wont to do, to jump Georgia’s Melanie Margalis (7th – 4:05.36).
Meghan Hawthorne won the B-Final in 4:06.03, followed by Louisville’s Tanja Kylliainen in 4:07.30.
Miss Beisel isn’t a short course swimmer. No worries for this summer. She’s still the best American 400 IM swimmer.