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WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE
Jamaican Olympian and South Florida Aquatics star Alia Atkinson blasted to a lifetime-best in winning the 100 breaststroke. Atkinson went out like a rocket, leaving the field in the dust early on, and still put up the best second-half split of the field to end in 1:06.79. That time exactly ties her previous best, done at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Atkinson was chased by Tennessee’s Molly Hannis, perhaps the favorite to win the SEC title next week. Hannis went 1:08.02, well ahead of third-place Melanie Margalis (1:09.20).
The top few finishers were pretty spread out in this one, especially for a sprint-type race. Great Britain’s Chloe Tutton was 1:10.11, and Indiana grad/Badger Swim pro Bronwyn Pasloski was just over a second back at 1:11.21.
South Florida’s Valentina Artemeva (1:12.03), Savannah Swim Team’s ET Roberts (1:12.14) and Great Britain’s Georgia Coates (1:12.34) were all tightly packed in the 1:12s to close out the heat.
