Mike Bottom and Clara Smiddy Break Down 4th Place Team Finish (Video)

Reported by Lauren Neidigh.

2018 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

  • NCAA Record: Elizabeth Pelton (Cal), 2013, 1:47.84
  • American Record: Elizabeth Pelton (Cal), 2013, 1:47.84
  • Championship Record: Elizabeth Pelton (Cal), 2013, 1:47.84
  • 2017 Champion: Kathleen Baker (Cal), 1:48.44
  1. GOLD: Kathleen Baker, Cal, 1:47.30
  2. SILVER: Asia Seidt, Kentucky, 1:49.24
  3. BRONZE: Beata Nelson, Wisconsin, 1:49.27

Cal’s Kathleen Baker flipped well under record pace for the early lead in 25.17. She kept pulling ahead, still under record pace with a 52.31 halfway. She was still crushing it in 1:19.47 with 50 yards to go. She never let up, swimming to a new American and NCAA Record of 1:47.30 to win it. She was well ahead of the field, as Kentucky’s Asia Seidt finished in 1:49.24 behind her. Seidt came through on the back half to run down Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson (1:49.27) for 2nd.

Texas A&M’s Lisa Bratton (1:50.74) was 4th, out-touching Michigan’s Clara Smiddy (1:50.80) at the finish.

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

  1. Stanford                          593   2. California                        373
  3. Texas A&M                         299   4. Michigan                          267
  5. Louisville                        232   6. Texas                           221.5
  7. Tennessee                       180.5   8. Indiana                           169
  9. Virginia                          161  10. Minnesota                         157
 11. Georgia                           135  12. Southern Cal                      127
 13. Ohio St                           123  14. Kentucky                           97
 15. Missouri                           86  16. Auburn                           82.5
 17. Wisconsin                          78  18. NC State                           70
 19. Purdue                             51  20. Arizona                            46
 20. South Carolina                     46  22. Northwestern                       40
 23. Arizona St                         34  24. University of Nevada               33
 25. UNC                                32  26. UCLA                               31
 27. Arkansas                           30  28. Hawaii                           29.5
 29. Penn St                            26  30. Alabama                            23
 31. Denver                             20  32. Eastern Mich                       18
 33. Virginia Tech                      14  33. Miami University                   14
 35. Nebraska                           11  35. Florida                            11
 37. Wyoming                             9  38. Louisiana State University          8
 39. Akron                               6  39. Rutgers                             6
 41. Notre Dame                          4  42. Duke                                3
 42. Florida St                          3  44. West Virginia                       2
 44. University of Miami                 2

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Jana Ellis Vincent
5 years ago

This is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Congratulations to Michigan….and love the transparency and approach to what competition is really about.

SUNY Cal
5 years ago

Swammer

SUNY Cal
5 years ago

Is Clara a “swimmer” now or is continuing to swim?? Is she graduating in May??

Captain Ahab
5 years ago

Mike Bottom is not only the best dressed college swimming coach of all time, he is also one of the most successful with tons of swimming knowledge. Those race club videos are incredible.

CBswims
Reply to  Captain Ahab
5 years ago

Lets not forget awesome hair.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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