Women’s 200 Free – FINALS – Reported by Braden Keith:
Missy Franklin, one of the greatest female athletes on the planet, set Minneapolis on fire with a blistering new NCAA Record, American Record, U.S. Open Record, and fastest of all-time swim in the 200 yard free, posting a 1:40.31 to win.
As they say in golf, sometimes, you have to let the big dog eat. While ‘team’ is very important in college swimming, as it is in all team sports, when it’s time, the stars have to take over. It was clear from the beginning of this race, that this was Missy’s moment – she split 23.4 on her first 50, and a 48.7 in her first 100 yards. That time was her first career NCAA title, in a relay or an individual swim. (Read more about her record-breaking swim here).
The rest of the field was almost lost behind her, but Shannon Vreeland took 2nd in a fantastic 1:42.26 for 2nd, and Lindsay Gendron took 3rd in 1:42.55.
Georgia’s Brittany MacLean took 4th in 1:43.30, with a 25.8 last 50 yards. For reference, that’s the same split in which she closed her winning 500 free on Friday – which highlights just how well she closed her 500.
Penn State’s Alyson Ackman, a two-time Big Ten Champion, took 5th in 1:43.81. As compared to last year, when she took 37th, another year’s experience has done wonders for her carrying her speed through to NCAA’s.
Texas A&M’s Lili Ibanez took 6th in 1:43.90, just missing Julia Wilkinson’s School Record; Cal’s Caroline Piehl was 7th in 1:43.98; and Georgia’s Jordan Mattern was 8th in 1:44.76.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s Lia Neal won the B-Final in 1:43.82, followed by fellow freshman Chelsea Chenault of USC (1:44.25).
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t play the video … a click on the picture above will just enlarge it
Forget it, it’s working now