Regan Smith Tops Loaded 100 Back Field in 59.37; Smoliga 0.07 Behind

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Regan Smith broke 1:00 in prelims with a 59.84, and she swam even faster in the final with a 59.37. The 16-year-old from Riptides touched out recent Short Course World Champion Olivia Smoliga of Athens Bulldogs as Smoliga came in at 59.44. Both had already competed earlier in the night, with Smith finishing second behind Hali Flickinger in the 200 fly and Smoliga taking fourth in the 50 free.

Another 16-year-old joined Smith and Smoliga under 1:00 as Nation’s Capital’s Phoebe Bacon took third in 59.93. 16-year-old Isabelle Stadden from Aquajets (1:00.33) and 17-year-old Kayla Sanchez from HPC-Ontario (1:00.50) rounded out the top five.

Team Elite’s Ali DeLoof and Aggie’s Lisa Bratton tied for sixth in 1:00.91, while world record-holder Kathleen Baker finished a surprising eighth in 1:00.94. Baker was in contention at the halfway point before struggling badly down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Nashville’s Alex Walsh, 17, put up a strong 1:00.32 to finish first in the B-final.

Event 17  Women 100 LC Meter Backstroke
==================================================================
        World: W   58.00  7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker, Team Elite
     American: A   58.00  7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker, Team Elite-NC
    U.S. Open: O   58.00  7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker, Team Elite-NC
     Jr World: J   58.83  7/28/2018 Regan Smith, USA
     Pro Swim: P   58.96  2016      Emily Seebohm
    Trial Cut: T 1:02.69
    Name            Age Team              Prelims     Finals  FINA       
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Regan Smith      16 Riptide             59.84      59.37T  937  
    r:+0.64  28.96        59.37 (30.41)
  2 Olivia Smoliga   24 Athens Bulldog S  1:00.98      59.44T  933  
    r:+0.64  29.10        59.44 (30.34)
  3 Phoebe Bacon     16 Nation's Capital  1:00.55      59.93T  911  
    r:+0.69  29.38        59.93 (30.55)
  4 Isabelle Stadde  16 Aquajets Swim Te  1:00.99    1:00.33T  893  
    r:+0.62  29.85      1:00.33 (30.48)
  5 Kayla Sanchez    17 Hpc-Ontario       1:01.02    1:00.50   885  
    r:+0.60  29.90      1:00.50 (30.60)
  6 Lisa Bratton     22 Aggie Swim Club   1:01.13    1:00.91T  867  
    r:+0.71  30.32      1:00.91 (30.59)
  6 Ali Deloof       24 Team Elite        1:01.29    1:00.91T  867  
    r:+0.62  29.50      1:00.91 (31.41)
  8 Kathleen Baker   21 Team Elite        1:01.37    1:00.94T  866  
    r:+0.58  29.41      1:00.94 (31.53)

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