Morgan Scott, who swam collegiately for Alabama after spending her freshman season at Indiana, became the 11th U.S. swimmer this season to break 28 seconds in the 50 backstroke this season, a staggering show of depth in the event.
Scott was primarily a sprint freestyler in yards while at Alabama, placing 4th in the 100 free at 2021 NCAAs, and moving up to finish 2nd the year after in a time of 46.78. She also placed 4th in the 50 free at 2022 NCAAs in a PB of 21.43.
She also won SEC titles in the 100 free in 2021 ( 47.50), and in the 50 free (21.54) and 100 free (47.32) in 2022.
While Scott did not often swim backstroke for the Crimson Tide, generally being on the fly leg for medley relays, she still maintained an elite level in long course. She clocked 28.48 at the 2023 U.S. Nationals, placing 12th, and won the ‘B’ final of the 100 back in a time of 1:00.48 the year before.
After competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024, where she placed 24th in the 100 back (1:01.39) and 53rd in the 100 free (56.60), she stepped away from the sport before returning this year with Texas Ford Aquatics.
Since returning, she has now set lifetime bests in both the 50 fly and 50 back, and narrowly missed her 100 back PB. She shaved a quarter of a second off in the 50 fly, dropping from her 2023 best of 27.27 to 27.01 at the MAC Senior Circuit meet at the start of May, but the 50 back has been her best event.
She set two lifetime bests the day after that 50 fly PB, dropping three tenths to clock 28.19 before shaving another 0.02 seconds off in the final for 28.17. She placed 2nd in both the heats and final behind Olivia Smoliga, another swimmer who has returned this season after taking a break and one who is also under 28 seconds in the 50 back this year (27.78).
Scott had been 1:01.03 in the 100 back four weeks earlier, however without hitting the lane line that swim may have been even faster. Given her 50 back improvements, it seems just a matter of time before she sets a new best in the 100.
Especially as she has not stopped dropping in the 50. Over the past weekend at the COR July Invite she sliced another two tenths off her best, dipping under 28 seconds for the first time in 27.98. That makes her the 42nd-fastest swimmer in the world this season, and 11th-fastest American.
She was initially disqualified for a 15 meter violation, however this was overturned after a coaches appeal as the official who made the call did not have the jurisdiction to do so.
At the time of writing, there appear to have been 44 swimmers break the 28 second barrier in the 50 backstroke since September 1st, 2025, which means that a quarter of the sub-28 swimmers this season have been American.
American Women Sub-28 In The 50 Back, 2025-2026 Season
- Katharine Berkoff – 26.98 (#1)
- Isabelle Stadden – 27.14 (#4)
- Leah Shackley – 27.38 (T-#11)
- Regan Smith – 27.47 (#15)
- Claire Curzan – 27.54 (#18)
- Rhyan White – 27.66 (#21)
- Maggie Wanezek – 27.70 (#23)
- Olivia Smoliga – 27.78 (#27)
- Kaitlyn Owens – 27.86 (#29)
- Gretchen Walsh – 27.87 (#30)
- Morgan Scott – 27.98 (T-#42)
Their closest challengers are Australia, who have eight swimmers under 28 seconds this season, seven of whom broke the barrier in the ‘A’ final at Australian Trials last month. The Aussies have the most swimmers of any nation in the top ten, with Kaylee McKeown (3rd, 27.13), Mollie O’Callaghan (5th, 27.19), and Iona Anderson (9th, 27.33).
Both France and the U.S. have a pair of swimmers in the top ten, with Italy, Russia, and Canada completing the lineup.
Expanding the list to include swimmers who train in the U.S. but compete for their home nation, and you add five more swimmers – Sara Curtis (ITA, 2nd, 27.07), Mary-Ambre Moluh (FRA, 6th, 27.20), Tessa Giele (NED, 22nd, 27.64), Celia Pulido (MEX, 32nd, 27.88), and Emily Jones (AUS, 33rd, 27.90).
The ratios for the 100 back swing even more towards the U.S. There have been 35 swimmers who have broken 60 seconds in the 100 back this season, 11 of whom are American, giving a ratio of 1 in 3. Half of the top 12 swimmers this year have been American.
American Women Sub-1:00 In The 100 Back, 2025-2026 Season
- Regan Smith – 57.49 (#1)
- Isabelle Stadden – 57.55 (#2)
- Katharine Berkoff – 58.20 (#4)
- Maggie Wanezek – 58.78 (#10)
- Leah Shackley – 58.82 (#11)
- Claire Curzan – 58.85 (#12)
- Rylee Erisman – 59.25 (#17)
- Erika Pelaez – 59.56 (#22)
- Phoebe Bacon – 59.65 (#26)
- Rhyan White – 59.82 (#31)
- Anna Peplowski – 59.90 (#33)
China is the nation with the next-most swimmers under a minute with six, although none of them have been under 59 seconds. By contrast, the U.S. has six swimmers under 59 seconds this season.
American women’s backstroke has been a strength for several years now, with the final of U.S. Nationals almost as star-studded as the World Championship final. Kennedy Noble (58.55) and Josephine Fuller (58.79) were both sub-59 in the Olympic Trials final in 2024, when 8th place in Indianapolis (59.57) was faster than 8th place in Paris later that summer (59.80).
“She was initially disqualified for a 15 meter violation, however this was overturned after a coaches appeal as the official who made the call did not have the jurisdiction to do so.”
As a S&T official, this is pretty interesting. Was there *not* an official on the 15m mark?
Not sure, I was at the meet and it looked like her arm came up after the 15m mark but not her head so it remains legal.