Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Jared Anderson.
200 BACK – FINALS
- NCAA Record: Elizabeth Pelton, California, 1:47.84
- American Record: Elizabeth Pelton, California, 1:47.84
- U.S. Open Record: Elizabeth Pelton, California, 1:47.84
- Championship Record: Elizabeth Pelton, California, 1:47.84
Pool Record: Courtney Bartholomew, Virginia, 1:49.87- 2015 Champion: Missy Franklin, California, 1:47.91
Top 3:
- Danielle Galyer, Kentucky – 1:49.71
- Courtney Bartholomew, Virginia – 1:50.29
- Kennedy Goss, Indiana – 1:50.37
An incredible 200 backstroke battle came right down to the wire, with Kentucky junior Danielle Galyer and Virginia senior Courtney Bartholomew swimming to a tie at the 150-mark.
Galyer roared home, though, for Kentucky’s first NCAA swimming title of all-time, going 1:49.71 and becoming just the 10th woman ever under 1:50 in the event. Galyer now sits 6th all-time.
Bartholomew was 1:50.29 for second place, off her lifetime-best 1:49.35 from last spring. She did hold off a surging Kennedy Goss of Indiana, though – Goss had the field’s second-best closing split and came within a tenth of silver, finishing third in 1:50.37.
The only better closer than Goss was fourth-place Lisa Bratton, who was 27.74 on the final 50 but was too far out of the top pack to jump into the top three. Bratton would finish in 1:50.80, just ahead of Cal’s Amy Bilquist (1:50.88), who was the top seed coming into this meet after winning Pac-12s.
Michigan sophomore Clara Smiddy was 6th in 1:51.01, followed by NC State’s Alexia Zevnik (1:51.06) and Georgia’s Kylie Stewart (1:51.20).
Texas’s Tasija Karosas won the B final, some redemption after a disappointing meet so far. She was a declared false start in the 100 back Friday while coming in with a time that would have scored. Then she gained two seconds in prelims of this event to fade to 15th. Her finals swim was great, though, just off a season-best in 1:50.89.
While it doesn’t make sense to us, it is the right decision for her and that is all that matters. Fair winds and following seas Ms. Bartholomew, thank you for your inspiring career. I enjoyed watching you swim backstroke; very impressive.
I respect her choice (it is after all hers to make) but I can’t help but assume that she has had a bad experience in swimming along the way recently. Hard to conclude otherwise given her decision to stop swimming just a few months before Olympic trials. Sounds like she is leaving with a lot of good thoughts, but I would wish that somehow her experience had been better.
I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that she had a back injury during her freshman year and it flared up from time to time. The flip turns that are required would always put a stress on the back and would have her out of action sometimes for weeks at a time.
Been watching Courtney for years and she is top notch class A individual. So much respect for her. Best of luck in all future endeavors. She will go far!
PK doesn’t like his new name, you write that she has a legitimate shot at being an Olympian.
She has absolutely no chance. Courtney is only a short course swimmer. Her 100 back PB in LCM is 1.01.71. She would have between 2 and 3 seconds to drop to have a chance of qualification.
She knows she can’t play with the best US backstrokers in long course.
But she could make money in the world cup meets thanks to her amazing underwaters.
That’s her choice. We have to respect it.
Best wishes for the rest of her life.
Having a job is excellent, great for her!
That being said, there is 40 years ahead to work. There is one 3 month stretch where she has a legitimate shot at being an Olympian. It’s a difficult choice, and an emotional choice, but making it as such is an irreversible one. I hope she has the perspective to realize that.
She’s been a fabulous swimmer for UVA and for the USA this winter. Glad she is following her own light.
Agreed. Good for her. She has a great future and more people in the US should follow suit. Took a lot of hard work and time to earn a great degree from a great school. Go out and use it to the max! I applaud her.
Good luck to Courtney.
Maybe it’s because she is graduating and has a job I heard. Good for her!!! My daughter goes to a college LPwhere so many guys & girls hang on after they graduate & keep swimming & don’t move on with their lives. There is no $ in swimming unless you’re a “Phelps”. Move on/grow up & get a job with the education you got while being a student athlete!!!!! I’m sure you will enjoy your life outside swimming Courtney!!!