2022 NCAA Women’s Championships: Kate Douglass Passes Mac Neil, Huske Late to Break American Record in 100 Butterfly

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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The Day 3 finals session of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championships continued from the McAuley Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech with the 100 butterfly and some how, some way, Kate Douglass got it done again with another American record.

“I honestly didn’t even know it was that close until I rewatched the race,” Douglass said. “This morning, I was focusing on my underwaters and my stroke count. Tonight, I just wanted to focus on racing and upping my rate. I put my head down that last 25 and focused on racing to the wall.”

The setup … Coming into the meet, it looked like a three-way showdown between NCAA and Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil of Michigan, Stanford freshman Olympian and long-course American record holder Torri Huske and Virginia’s Kate Douglass, who was runner-up last year to Mac Neil, who broke the NCAA record with a 48.89.

The prelims added some more layers to the mix as Tennessee’s Ellen Walshe took the third seed in her second event of the day after also taking the third seed in the 400 IM, an incredible double performance of back-to-back events. Emma Sticklen was also faster than Mac Neil in the prelims, while Louisville’s Gabi Albiero had a great swim to sneak into the finals with Kylee Alons and Olivia Bray.

In short, a loaded field.

The race … Huske led after 50 yards but Mac Neil touched first at the 75 mark and had the lead heading into the final 10 yards.

But Kate Douglass used a smooth finish to pass both swimmers who finished with long stroke touches, and touch first in 49.04, winning her second individual NCAA title of the meet and setting her second American record.

Huske finished second in 49.17 and Mac Neil, who needed a longer stroke to get to the wall finished third in 49.18. Huske was also under the previous American record set by Claire Curzan (49.24).

Texas sophomore Emma Sticklen was fourth in 40.29, followed by NC State’s Kylee Alons (50.64), Louisville’s Gabi Albiero (50.88), Texas‘ Olivia Bray (50.97) and Tennessee’s Ellen Walshe (51.42), who had just finished eighth in the 400 IM, the event right before this one.

Michigan’s Olivia Carter won the B final in 50.82, holding off Alabama’s Rhyan White (50.85) in an exciting finish.

Event 9  Women 100 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 48.89  3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil, Michigan
         Meet: M 48.89  3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil, Michigan
     American: A 49.24  2/10/2022 Claire Curzan, TAC Titans
      US Open: O 48.89  3/19/2021 Maggie MacNeil, Michigan
         Pool: P 49.43  3/18/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Douglass, Kate         JR Virginia            50.06      49.04A  20  
    r:+0.65  22.86        49.04 (26.18)
  2 Huske, Torri           FR Stanford            50.62      49.17A  17  
    r:+0.60  22.72        49.17 (26.45)
  3 MacNeil, Maggie        SR Michigan            50.76      49.18P  16  
    r:+0.62  22.79        49.18 (26.39)
  4 Sticklen, Emma         SO Texas               50.73      50.29   15  
    r:+0.61  23.37        50.29 (26.92)
  5 Alons, Kylee           SR NCSU                50.94      50.64   14  
    r:+0.63  23.32        50.64 (27.32)
  6 Albiero, Gabi          SO Louisville          50.84      50.88   13  
    r:+0.62  24.06        50.88 (26.82)
  7 Bray, Olivia           SO Texas               51.04      50.97   12  
    r:+0.72  23.57        50.97 (27.40)
  8 Walshe, Ellen          FR Tennessee           50.65      51.42   11  
    r:+0.66  23.58        51.42 (27.84)
 
                        === Consolation Final ===                        
 
  9 Carter, Olivia         SR Michigan            51.43      50.82    9  
    r:+0.64  23.96        50.82 (26.86)
 10 White, Rhyan           SR Alabama             51.27      50.85    7  
    r:+0.64  23.89        50.85 (26.96)
 11 Luther, Dakota         SR Georgia             51.37      51.01    6  
    r:+0.67  23.88        51.01 (27.13)
 12 Ulett, Tristen         SO Louisville          51.79      51.02    5  
    r:+0.71  23.93        51.02 (27.09)
 13 Zenick, Katherine      SO Ohio St             51.64      51.48    4  
    r:+0.60  23.67        51.48 (27.81)
 14 Nava, Jessica          SR Virginia            51.79      51.88    3  
    r:+0.65  24.16        51.88 (27.72)
 15 Cuomo, Lexi            JR Virginia            51.22      51.97    2  
    r:+0.69  23.91        51.97 (28.06)
 16 Vannote, Ellie         JR UNC                 51.73      52.06    1  
    r:+0.70  24.32        52.06 (27.74)
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