Reported by Torrey Hart.
WOMEN’S 100 BACK
- PSS Record: 58.96, Emily Seebohm, 2016
- GOLD: Reagan Smith, 59.75
- SILVER: Kylie Masse, 59.76
- BRONZE: Olivia Smoliga, 59.96
16-year-old Regan Smith (59.75) just barely squeaked out the win over reigning world champion Kylie Masse (59.76). Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga was just behind in 59.96.
15-year-old Isabelle Stadden took fourth in 1:00.66, followed by Ali DeLoof in 1:00.70 and Amy Bilquist in 1:01.16.
WOMEN’S 200 FLY
- PSS Record: 2:06.76, Cammile Adams, 2012
- GOLD: Katie McLaughlin, 2:10.40
- SILVER: Kelsi Dahlia, 2:10.44
- BRONZE: Regan Smith, 2:10.47
The race between McLaughlin, Smith, and Dahlia was tight the whole way. McLaughlin and Smith were ahead at the 100, with Dahlia making a late-race push to overtake Smith for silver and very-nearly catch McLaughlin for the win.
Note that the 16-year-old Smith was just minutes removed from her 100 back win. Best known as a backstroker (she was the 2017 World Junior Champion in the 100 and 200 meter back), that bronze medal finish was a new lifetime best for her by more than a second, clearing the 2:11.66 that she did at the Austin Pro Swim Series
Lauren Case was 4th in 2:12.86, and Dakota Luther 5th in 2:13.14. Luther, along with Hali Flickinger, was one of two representatives for the United States in this event at the 2017 World Championships, where she placed 15th in the semi-finals.. Leah Smith faded to 6th in 2:14.27, coming off her 2nd-place 800 free swim.
Mabel Zavaros, a Florida commit who turned heads on Thursday when she had the fastest closing 50 of the 1500 free while swimming butterfly, placed 8th in 2:14.95. She represented Canada in this event at the Commonwealth Games in April and placed 6th.
“It was fun” what kind of sick person thinks this is fun
Swimming is *always* fun. It’s just a matter of sign and magnitude.
She means it was hard, but she took on the challenge anyway, and did pretty well.
she’s so well spoken as a 16 yr old and that 200 fly was so impressive
I bet she could’ve gone 2:08 if no backstroke.
USA women’s backstroke is deep and impressive.
100 / 200 free + Back is impressively stacked
That double must’ve been rough. Wonder if it was fun enough for her to do again at nationals lol