Video produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Jared Anderson.
200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS
NCAA – 1:37.35 – Ryan Murphy, California – 2014Championship – 1:37.35 – Ryan Murphy, California – 2014American – 1:36.81 – Ryan Lochte – 2007US Open – 1:36.81 – Ryan Lochte – 2007- 2014 Champion – Ryan Murphy, California – 1:37.35
After just missing the American record in the 100 back on day 2, Cal’s Ryan Murphy came through with his signature swim of the year, and likely the win that will seal him as Swimmer of the Meet. Murphy, still just a sophomore, blew out a field of the nation’s best, smashing the American record and becoming just the second man ever under 1:37.
Murphy went 1:36.77, breaking the 1:36.81 American record set by Olympic icon Ryan Lochte back in 2007. At the same time, that breaks Murphy’s own NCAA and meet records set last season.
Murphy’s splits were amazingly consistent. He went out in a crazy 22.91 to his feet at the flip turn, and went 24.4 and 24.5 through the middle of the race. Murphy went out aggressively, the only way to get under Lochte’s record, but still held on over the final 50 with a 24.9 split.
The rest of the field finished more than a body length behind. SEC champ Sean Lehanegave Tennessee its highest swimming finish of the meet with a 1:39.20, beating out a surging David Nolan for silver. Nolan was 1:39.59, capping off his collegiate career with a third-place finish. Nolan has been a steadying force for Stanford through all four of his college years, and will wrap up his career with 12 A final finishes in 12 individual events.
How many times before have the men’s and women’s NCAA and American records in an event been held by swimmers from the same school? And by swimmers attending at the same time (e.g., Murphy and Pelton)?
Murphy is so consistently great and Nolan ended with a fabulous Sr year, and as a Cal fan living in the Bay Area where I could easily go to their meets. I salute both of them for their contributions to Cal and Stanford swimming programs. Great young men!