Leah Smith: “I achieved my lifetime goal and that’s that” (Video)

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

WOMEN’S 500 FREE:

• NCAA record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
• American record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
• U.S. Open record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
• Meet Record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:28.37
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Leah Smith (Virginia)- 4:31.33

1. Katie Ledecky (Stanford)- 4:24.06
2. Leah Smith (Virginia)- 4:28.90
3. Kennedy Goss (Indiana)- 4:26.13

Katie Ledecky took it up a notch, to say the least, in tonight’s final, wrecking the American and NCAA Records with a blistering 4:24.06. She took it out in a 1:43.46 at the 200 and never looked back, breaking ahead of Virginia’s Leah Smith (4:28.90).

While she was a distant 2nd place, Smith’s swim is very historically significant as she becomes the 2nd swimmer in history to break 4:30 in the women’s 500 free.

A tight battle for 3rd saw Indiana’s Kennedy Goss come home like a train, splitting a 26.26 on the final 50 to out-touch Louisville’s Mallory Comerford (4:36.16). NC State’s Hannah Moore rounded out the top 5 in a personal best 4:36.85.

Stanford freshman Megan Byrnes had a big swim in the B final, clocking a lifetime best 4:37.78 yo outpace Kentucky’s Geena Freriks (4:38.42).