NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia’s Claire Curzan Blasts Meet Record, Just off NCAA Mark
Night 3 of the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships kicked off with the 100-yard backstroke from the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
And it started with a bang.
Defending champion Claire Curzan was out fast and pulled away from the field early to get to the wall in 48.24 to break the meet record.
“My training has just gotten to a different level in practice,” Curzan said in the on-deck interview. “Getting that record is the goal.”
The previous meet record was set by Curzan’s former Virginia teammate Gretchen Walsh (48.26) in 2023. Walsh holds the NCAA and American record at 48.10 that she set at the 2024 ACC Championships.
Curzan owned the Georgia Tech pool record at 48.38 before the race – now the meet record and is the second-fastest performer in history.
The start was quick as Curzan swam the first 25 in 11.39. She turned at the 50 in 23.41, then 35.82 at the 75, pulling away for the victory.
Curzan won the 100 backstroke last year in 49.11, just one hundredth of a second ahead of Bella Sims.
Sims was again second in 49.62, this time finishing in a tie with Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek.
Fourth place was also a tie as NC State’s Erika Palaez and Cal’s Mary-Ambre Moluh both got to the wall in 49.95.
NC State’s Leah Shackley was sixth in 49.98, followed by Pitt’s Claire Jansen (50.67) and Alabama’s Emily Jones (50.97).
Event 10 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
Meet: M 48.26 3/17/2023 Gretchen Walsh - Also 3/22/24, Virginia
American: A 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
US Open: O 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
Pool: P 48.38 2/20/2026 Claire Curzan, Virginia
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Curzan, Claire JR Virginia 48.38 48.81
r:+0.64 11.45 23.59 (12.14)
36.18 (12.59) 48.81 (12.63)
2 Moluh, Mary-Ambre SO California 49.64 50.02
r:+0.76 11.54 23.88 (12.34)
36.90 (13.02) 50.02 (13.12)
3 Sims, Bella JR Michigan 49.12 50.08
r:+0.57 11.73 24.10 (12.37)
37.21 (13.11) 50.08 (12.87)
4 Wanezek, Maggie SO Wisconsin 49.71 50.10
r:+0.59 11.69 23.94 (12.25)
36.74 (12.80) 50.10 (13.36)
5 Pelaez, Erika SO NC State 49.54 50.15
r:+0.56 11.99 24.49 (12.50)
37.34 (12.85) 50.15 (12.81)
6 Shackley, Leah SO NC State 50.09 50.37
r:+0.54 11.79 24.30 (12.51)
37.32 (13.02) 50.37 (13.05)
7 Jones, Emily SR Alabama 50.59 50.47
r:+0.63 11.73 24.13 (12.40)
37.15 (13.02) 50.47 (13.32)
8 Jansen, Claire SR Pittsburgh 50.32 50.79
r:+0.62 12.10 24.63 (12.53)
37.66 (13.03) 50.79 (13.13)
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