NCAA Championships, Day 4: Emma Sticklen Clips NCAA Record For Third Straight 200 Fly Title
On the first four occasions in which she swam in the NCAA final of the 200 butterfly, Emma Sticklen never led at any intermediate splits, but she still came away with two national titles. Her first win in 2023 saw Sticklen come from behind on the last 50 to take down Alex Walsh, and a year later, Sticklen picked off three swimmers (two of them Texas teammates) with her powerful underwater dolphin kickout off the final turn.
Not the case this time, with Sticklen choosing to set a furious pace and never give anyone hope of catching up. The strategy came at the expense of Walsh, who was returning to the 200 fly after opting for the 200 breaststroke instead in 2024. Sticklen clocked 23.79 after 50 yards and turned in 51.02 at the halfway point, just under a second clear of her Virginia counterpart. Walsh narrowed the gap coming home but not nearly enough to catch Sticklen.
The last-second fireworks unnecessary this time, Sticklen touched in 1:49.11 to break Walsh’s NCAA record of 1:49.16 set last February. Sticklen had previously come one hundredth shy of the mark at last month’s SEC Championships. The time is the second-quickest effort ever recorded behind the American and U.S. Open records of 1:48.33 set by Regan Smith in 2023.
Walsh took second in 1:49.88, also under the old NCAA Championships record of 1:49.90 set by Sticklen in prelims, which in turn bested the 1:49.95 Sticklen swam two years ago. Third went to Stanford’s Caroline Bricker in 1:51.55.
Event 19 Women 200 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA: N 1:49.16 2/23/2024 Alex Walsh, Virginia
Meet: M 1:49.90 3/22/2025 Emma Sticklen, Texas
American: A 1:48.33 10/20/2023Regan Smith, Sun Devils
US Open: O 1:48.33 10/20/2023Regan Smith, Sun Devils
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Sticklen, Emma 5Y Texas 1:49.90 1:49.11N 20
r:+0.64 23.79 51.02 (27.23)
1:19.46 (28.44) 1:49.11 (29.65)
2 Walsh, Alex 5Y Virginia 1:52.18 1:49.88M 17
r:+0.76 24.39 51.98 (27.59)
1:20.40 (28.42) 1:49.88 (29.48)
3 Bricker, Caroline SO Stanford 1:52.13 1:51.55 16
r:+0.64 25.03 53.63 (28.60)
1:21.99 (28.36) 1:51.55 (29.56)
4 Howley, Tess SO Virginia 1:51.92 1:51.79 15
r:+0.66 24.80 52.91 (28.11)
1:22.15 (29.24) 1:51.79 (29.64)
5 Bellard, Hannah SO Michigan 1:52.86 1:51.89 14
r:+0.79 25.30 53.77 (28.47)
1:22.82 (29.05) 1:51.89 (29.07)
6 Nordmann, Lillie SR Stanford 1:52.29 1:52.10 13
r:+0.66 25.21 53.69 (28.48)
1:22.76 (29.07) 1:52.10 (29.34)
7 Stoll, Campbell SO Texas 1:52.61 1:52.29 12
r:+0.64 25.23 53.87 (28.64)
1:22.62 (28.75) 1:52.29 (29.67)
8 Pelzek, Greta SR South Carolina 1:52.91 1:53.93 11
r:+0.64 25.72 54.78 (29.06)
1:24.10 (29.32) 1:53.93 (29.83)
