NCAA Women’s Championships: Claire Curzan Breaks Meet Record in 200 Backstroke – One Hundredth off NCAA Mark
Virginia’s Claire Curzan had already repeated as NCAA champion in the 100 backstroke.
A day later, she completed the 200 backstroke repeat as her sensational performance in Atlanta continued at the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday, March 21, at Georgia Tech.
Curzan won the 200 back in 1:46.10, breaking the meet record and finishing just one hundredth of a second off of her own NCAA record in the event.
Curzan, as expected, started fast and was out in 24.56 in the first 50. At the 100 she was at 50.78.
She was more than a body length ahead of the field at the 150 at 1:18.14 on her way to another NCAA title.
Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek was the only competitor even close to a body length behind as she finished strong to take second in 1:47.73.
NC State’s Erika Pelaez finished third in 1:49.08.
Pitt’s Claire Jansen earned her second All-American finish with a fourth-place swim of 1:49.10.
Michigan’s Bella Sims finished her individual meet with a fifth-place finish in 1:49.38, ahead of Cal’s Teagan O’Dell (1:49.70), who had just finished second in the 200 IM earlier in the night.
NC State’s Leah Shackley was seventh in 1:49.74, followed by Indiana’s Miranda Grana (1:50.71) to round out the NCAA first-team All-Americans.
Event 20 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 1:46.09 2/21/2026 Claire Curzan, Virginia
Meet: M 1:46.82 3/22/2025 Claire Curzan, Virginia
American: A 1:46.09 2/21/2026 Claire Curzan, Virginia
US Open: O 1:46.09 2/21/2026 Claire Curzan, Virginia
Pool: P 1:46.09 2/21/2026 Claire Curzan, Virginia
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Curzan, Claire JR Virginia 1:48.18 1:46.10M 20
r:+0.63 24.56 50.78 (26.22)
1:18.14 (27.36) 1:46.10 (27.96)
2 Wanezek, Maggie SO Wisconsin 1:48.85 1:47.73 17
r:+0.60 25.47 52.72 (27.25)
1:19.96 (27.24) 1:47.73 (27.77)
3 Pelaez, Erika SO NC State 1:49.90 1:49.08 16
r:+0.56 25.82 53.50 (27.68)
1:21.36 (27.86) 1:49.08 (27.72)
4 Jansen, Claire SR Pittsburgh 1:50.31 1:49.10 15
r:+0.58 25.49 52.87 (27.38)
1:21.00 (28.13) 1:49.10 (28.10)
5 Sims, Bella JR Michigan 1:49.15 1:49.38 14
r:+0.57 25.33 52.74 (27.41)
1:21.15 (28.41) 1:49.38 (28.23)
6 O'Dell, Teagan FR California 1:49.51 1:49.70 13
r:+0.65 25.60 53.13 (27.53)
1:21.47 (28.34) 1:49.70 (28.23)
7 Shackley, Leah SO NC State 1:50.14 1:49.74 12
r:+0.54 25.59 53.18 (27.59)
1:21.27 (28.09) 1:49.74 (28.47)
8 Grana, Miranda JR Indiana 1:50.18 1:50.71 11
r:+0.58 26.53 54.15 (27.62)
1:22.15 (28.00) 1:50.71 (28.56)
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