The 200 backstroke was a battle of past champions at the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships.
Virginia’s Claire Curzan won the event two years ago, while a member of Stanford. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon won the event last year and also in 2021.
The battle of Olympians also included Florida’s Bella Sims, who had a strong prelims race.
But as they were all chasing a title, they were also chasing a pair of records. Curzan came into the meet with the NCAA, American and U.S. Open record at 1:46.87, while Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson actually held the meet record at 1:47.24, set in 2019.
Now all the records belong to Curzan.
Sims was out first in 24.64 in the first 50. Curzan caught up at the 100 and touched in 51.48 halfway through the race. Curzan and Sims fought off a late surge by Bacon to finish 1-2.
Curzan’s 1:46.82 broke all the records.
“I have been doing a lot more backstrokes than I am used to and that training helps,” Curzan said in the on-deck interview. “Just thinking about my family and teammates watching and I want to make them proud.”
Sims was second in 1:47.11 thanks to her last turn and underwater push, and Bacon was third in 1:47.60. All three recorded best times.
NC State freshman Leah Shackley was fourth in 1:48.52.
Indiana’s Miranda Grana won the consolation final in 1:48.73, more than two seconds ahead of the field.
Event 16 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
Meet: M 1:47.24 3/23/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
American: A 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
US Open: O 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Curzan, Claire JR Virginia 1:48.01 1:46.82N 20
r:+0.73 24.89 51.49 (26.60)
1:19.03 (27.54) 1:46.82 (27.79)
2 Sims, Bella SO Florida 1:49.09 1:47.11M 17
r:+0.66 24.64 51.48 (26.84)
1:19.40 (27.92) 1:47.11 (27.71)
3 Bacon, Phoebe 5Y Wisconsin 1:49.61 1:47.60 16
r:+0.66 25.28 52.43 (27.15)
1:19.99 (27.56) 1:47.60 (27.61)
4 Shackley, Leah FR NC State 1:49.58 1:48.52 15
r:+0.59 25.23 52.53 (27.30)
1:20.38 (27.85) 1:48.52 (28.14)
5 Weiler Sastre, Carmen JR VT 1:50.22 1:49.22 14
r:+0.68 25.88 53.08 (27.20)
1:20.86 (27.78) 1:49.22 (28.36)
6 Fuller, Josephine SR Tennessee 1:50.02 1:49.73 13
r:+0.66 25.32 52.70 (27.38)
1:21.35 (28.65) 1:49.73 (28.38)
7 Pelaez, Erika FR NC State 1:50.55 1:49.81 12
r:+0.75 25.75 53.70 (27.95)
1:21.78 (28.08) 1:49.81 (28.03)
8 Stadden, Isabelle 5Y California 1:50.51 1:51.41 11
r:+0.75 25.62 53.25 (27.63)
1:22.05 (28.80) 1:51.41 (29.36)
