Crean Lutheran graduate and Stanford freshman swimmer Ella Eastin set the American record in the 200-yard individual medley on Thursday, capturing the race at the NCAA championships in 1 minute, 51.65 seconds in Atlanta.
Eastin also set the NCAA and U.S. Open records by just edging Olympian Caitlin Leverenz’s standard of 1:51.77 for Cal in 2012.
“I’m pretty excited and pleased with my performance and to be able to do it for my team is the best part,” Eastin said in a message via Twitter. “College swimming is really incredible and I’m so glad to be part of the excitement!”
Eastin, a former Register swimmer of the year who trained with the SOCAL club, split her breaststroke leg in 32.52 to surpass runner-up and fellow freshman Kathleen Baker of Cal and hammered a 26.94 in the freestyle to reach the wall about a tenth of a second under Leverenz’s mark.
“That’s a guys time,” commented Santa Margarita’s Grant Shoults, a senior bound for Stanford, Thursday at his meet against visiting University.
At Crean Lutheran, Eastin twice set a national private high school record in the 200 individual medley, including once as a sophomore.
Eastin also races the 400 individual medley Friday at the meet at Georgia Tech.