California’s Missy Franklin Wins First NCAA Title With American Record in 200 Free

Franklin,M. Block adjustment

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 21. CALIFORNIA star Missy Franklin went out hard and never looked back as she claimed her first NCAA title with an unreal American, NCAA and U.S. Open record in the women’s 200-yard free at the NCAA Division I Championships.

After getting tracked down by Georgia’s Brittany MacLean in the 500-yard free on night one, Franklin made sure to get the job done tonight as she blasted her way to a stunning 1:40.31 in the freestyle race. That performance, split 23.49, 48.71 (25.22), 1:14.53 (25.82), 1:40.31 (25.78) beat the previous top time in the event of 1:41.21 set by Georgia’s Megan Romano in 2012.

Franklin had entered the night second to Romano with a 1:41.40, but swam with a purpose and a vengeance after California had a rough start to the meet, including a relay disqualification this morning. That’s California’s third win in the event as Franklin joins Conny Van Bentum (1986) and Dana Vollmer (2009) as Golden Bear victors.

Georgia’s Shannon Vreeland placed well back with a second-place time of 1:42.26, off her personal best of 1:41.83 that ranks her fifth all time, while Tennessee’s Lindsay Gendron bettered her morning swim of 1:42.99 with a 1:42.55 to move to seventh all time in the event with a third-place finish.

Georgia’s MacLean wound up fourth in 1:43.30 after winning the 500 free on night one, while Penn State’s Alyson Ackman snared fifth in 1:43.81.

Texas A&M’s Lili Ibanez (1:43.90), California’s Carolina Piehl (1:43.98) and Georgia’s Jordan Mattern (1:44.76) closed out the finale with sixth through eighth-place finishes.

Stanford’s Lia Neal kept the momentum going for the Cardinal with a consolation heat win in 1:43.82. USC’s Chelsea Chenault raced to second in 1:44.25 with California’s Rachael Acker (1:44.47), Elizabeth Pelton (1:44.59) and Camille Cheng (1:45.05) finished third through fifth. UNC’s Danielle Siverling (1:45.06), Minnesota’s Jessica Plant (1:45.08) and Texas’ Kelsey LeNeave (1:46.03) snared the other team sports in the B final.

Splits
1 Franklin, Missy FR California 1:42.86 1:40.31N 20
r:+0.81 23.49 48.71 (25.22)
1:14.53 (25.82) 1:40.31 (25.78)
2 Vreeland, Shann SR Georgia 1:43.67 1:42.26 17
r:+0.76 24.64 50.50 (25.86)
1:16.63 (26.13) 1:42.26 (25.63)

Team Standings
1. Georgia 305
2. Stanford 228
3. California 209
4. Texas A&M 158.5
5. USC 140
6. Tennessee 124
7. Florida 120
8. Arizona 80
9. Texas 63
10. Minnesota 56.5

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