Video Interview: Kierra Smith Enjoying Olympic Redshirt Year

Photo Courtesy: Brenton Tse

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Minnesota’s Kierra Smith is currently taking a year off to focus on training for the Olympics and she showed some of the benefits of that with a pool record last night at the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis.

Smith also talks about the incoming group of breaststroke freshmen headed to Minnesota.

Original 200 breast report:

Another hometown favorite, Kierra Smith, popped the pool record in the women’s 200-meter breast at the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis.

Smith hit the wall in a time of 2:24.36, clipping the previous record of 2:24.77 set by Rebecca Soni in 2011.

Another former Golden Gopher, Haley Spencer, took second in 2:26.92, while Toronto’s Martha McCabe claimed third in 2:27.13.

California’s Marina Garcia Urzainqui (2:27.26), Saint Peterburg’s Melanie Margalis (2:27.73), Breeja Larson (2:27.99), Louisville’s Andee Cottrell(2:28.16) and Aggie’s Sarah Henry (2:32.08) placed fourth through eighth.

T2’s Justine Bowker picked up the B final win going away with a time of 2:30.85. Louisville’s Rachael Bradford-Feldman finished second in 2:32.55 with NBAC’s Lara Bate third in 2:32.64.

                           === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Smith, Kierra    21 Una Minn-MN       2:25.73    2:24.36POT     
             33.90      1:10.52 (36.62)
        1:47.52 (37.00)     2:24.36 (36.84)
  2 Spencer, Haley   24 Minnesota Aquati  2:30.89    2:26.92 OT     
             34.16      1:11.34 (37.18)
        1:48.89 (37.55)     2:26.92 (38.03)
  3 McCabe, Martha   26 Toronto Swim Clu  2:29.56    2:27.13 OT     
             34.39      1:11.92 (37.53)
        1:49.33 (37.41)     2:27.13 (37.80)
  4 Garcia Urzainqu  21 Univ California,  2:27.68    2:27.26 OT     
             33.96      1:10.93 (36.97)
        1:49.30 (38.37)     2:27.26 (37.96)
  5 Margalis, Melan  23 Saint Petersburg  2:30.32    2:27.73 OT     
             33.89      1:11.68 (37.79)
        1:49.45 (37.77)     2:27.73 (38.28)
  6 Larson, Breeja   23 Unattached-GU     2:30.39    2:27.99 OT     
             32.93      1:10.70 (37.77)
        1:48.69 (37.99)     2:27.99 (39.30)
  7 Cottrell, Andee  20 Univ Louisville-  2:29.22    2:28.16 OT     
             33.74      1:11.31 (37.57)
        1:49.14 (37.83)     2:28.16 (39.02)
  8 Henry, Sarah     23 Aggie Swim Club-  2:32.05    2:32.08 OT     
             35.55      1:15.11 (39.56)
        1:53.11 (38.00)     2:32.08 (38.97)
 
                            === B - Final ===                            
 
  9 Bowker, Justine  29 T2 Aquatics-FL    2:32.86    2:30.85 OT     
             34.34      1:12.40 (38.06)
        1:52.13 (39.73)     2:30.85 (38.72)
 10 Bradford-Feldma  18 Univ Louisville-  2:32.49    2:32.55 OT     
             34.55      1:12.65 (38.10)
        1:52.33 (39.68)     2:32.55 (40.22)
 11 Bate, Lara       15 North Baltimore-  2:35.97    2:32.64 OT     
             34.51      1:13.50 (38.99)
        1:52.63 (39.13)     2:32.64 (40.01)
 12 Reaney, Emma     23 Una IA-IN         2:32.97    2:32.86 OT     
             34.74      1:13.17 (38.43)
        1:53.33 (40.16)     2:32.86 (39.53)
 13 Jonker, Franko   22 Unattached-GU     2:35.77    2:33.81 OT     
             34.80      1:14.59 (39.79)
        1:54.03 (39.44)     2:33.81 (39.78)
 14 McClellan, Emil  23 Badger Swim Club  2:34.77    2:33.92 OT     
             33.92      1:12.73 (38.81)
        1:53.33 (40.60)     2:33.92 (40.59)
 15 Friesen, Morgan  16 Loveland Swim Cl  2:35.93    2:34.87 OT     
             35.05      1:14.32 (39.27)
        1:54.69 (40.37)     2:34.87 (40.18)
 16 Hevey, Sarah-Le  26 Club Aquatique d  2:35.39    2:34.95 OT     
             35.32      1:14.62 (39.30)
        1:54.56 (39.94)     2:34.95 (40.39)

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