Ella Eastin Breaks, American, U.S. Open, NCAA Records in 200 IM

2016 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stanford freshman Ella Eastin has broken the U.S. Open, NCAA, and American Records in the 200 IM on day 2 of the 2016 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.

In her first crack at an individual NCAA final, Eastin swam a 1:51.65 – the fastest 200 yard IM in history. It broke the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Records done by former Cal Bear Caitin Leverenz at the 2012 NCAA Championships.

Comparative Splits:

  • Eastin ’16: 24.81/27.38/32.52/26.95 = 1:51.65
  • Leverenz ’12: 24.75/28.47/31.12/27.43 = 1:51.77

Leverenz has one of the best breaststroke legs of any IMer in the history of swimming, long course or short course, but Eastin is good enough to have had the fastest split of the field on Thursday. She was even with Leverenz’s split on the fly leg and blew her away on the backstroke and freestyle legs to sneak under the record.

Top 10 swims all-time (any level):

  1. Ella Eastin, 2016 – 1:51.65
  2. Caitlin Leverenz, 2012 – 1:51.77
  3. Katinka Hosszu, 2012 – 1:51.80
  4. Missy Franklin, 2015 – 1:52.11
  5. Julia Smit, 2010 – 1:52.31
  6. Katinka Hosszu, 2012 – 1:52.37
  7. Caitlin Leverenz, 2012 – 1:52.43
  8. Maya DiRado, 2014 – 1:52.50
  9. Melanie Margalis, 2014 – 1:52.64
  10. Katinka Hosszu, 2011 – 1:52.71

Ironically, Eastin bumped her own swim from the Pac-12 Championships out of the top 10 list.

The runner-up in the race, Cal freshman Kathleen Baker, is now the 10th-fastest performer of all-time.

Day 2 Finals Full Recap.

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Victor P
8 years ago

Hopefully the girls will be able to go 2:08 low – it’s what’s going to take to medal.

bobo gigi
8 years ago

You can add new 17/18 NAG record.
Didn’t expect a sub 1.52. That record from 2012 was tough to beat. Leverenz and Hosszu had pushed each other with the win for Leverenz 0.03s ahead of Hosszu.
Monster swim. Happy to have watched it live on the webcast.
Ella has no weak stroke.
Now hopefully she can convert her huge SCY progression into long course.

Cynthia mae Curran
8 years ago

At least a 2:10 in meters, this summer, hopefully.

hswimmer
Reply to  Cynthia mae Curran
8 years ago

I believe she’ll be pushed by Dirado and Leverenz and go under 2:10. She’ll be coming for them, hope she makes the team.

TA
8 years ago

Hope she converts this to LCM better than Nolan did. maybe more like Dirado would be ncie

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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