Video produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Tony Carroll.
100 FREESTYLE – FINALS
- NCAA –
46.61 – Simone Manuel, Texas A&M – 2014 - Championship –
46.69 – Simone Manuel, Texas A&M – 2015 - American –
46.29 – Abbey Weitzeil – 2014 - US Open –
46.29 – Abbey Weitzeil – 2014 - 2014 Champion – Margo Geer, Arizona – 47.10
With a new American, US Open, 17-18 NAG record, and NCAA record, Simone Manuel reached in for the wall to win her second individual race of the meet with her time of 46.09. Her teammate, Lia Neal, finished second with a 47.13.
Florida’s Natalie Hinds finished third with a 47.19, just ahead of Wisconsin’s Ivy Martinat 47.24.
Georgia’s Chantal Van Landeghem finished fifth at 47.48 and Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello was sixth at 47.73.
There was tie for seventh between Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga and Cal’s Farida Osman at 47.88.
Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga snuck in to win the B final with her time of 48.23, just ahead of USC’s Kasia Wilk at 48.24.
Both girls are funny, smart and so talented. Great role models like Missy and some other girls.
It’s so great for LIa to train with Simone. Both girls push each other.
Half of the US women’s 4X100 free relay team for Rio is here.
Bobo Gigi prediction! 😉
Even more than usual, this year’s group of young women competing at NCs has been consistently pleasant, smart, mature–just great examples of what college athletes should be. Lia and Simone exemplify this here (as do the other interviews posted w/ Courtney B, Emma, etc). They demonstrate how a young woman can be confident, approachable, tough as nails, competitive, hard working, athletic and thoughtful.
Great examples for the girls coming up out there….but perhaps more important, great examples for the boys to see that their female teammates can be total badasses.
Thanks for the thrills ladies– you are awesome! Great things to come for both of you, internationally, and for Stanford!! Congrats!
It never occurred to me, when Simone decided to swim for Stanford, how much she would be able to help Lia’s training, and Lia would help hers. What a nice fringe benefit for Team USA!