Alabama
Women's NCAA Championships
Alabama Swimming and Diving’s Bailey Scott Closes 2017 NCAA Championships with 100 Freestyle
3/18/2017 5:28:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
INDIANAPOLIS – Alabama swimming and diving junior Bailey Scott finished off the Crimson Tide's 2017 NCAA Championships run in Indianapolis Saturday with a 49.13 in the prelims of the 100 freestyle, capping a very good month for the Belden, Miss., native.
Back at the NCAA Championships after a one-year hiatus following surgery in November 2015 to correct a vascular issue, Scott will return to Tuscaloosa with more than just the experience of her third NCAA Championship appearance. She will return to Tuscaloosa as an All-American.
"We're just real proud of Bailey and what she's done under the circumstances," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "She and I talked this morning and I told her, 'This is just the beginning.' She has just scratched the surface of what she is capable of. So beyond what she accomplished this season, we're very excited about her future as well."
On the second day of this week's NCAA Championships, Scott posted two of the three fastest 50 freestyles in school history, taking 13th place and earning Honorable Mention All-America honors in the process. She is the first member of the Alabama women's team to earn All-America in the 50 freestyle since Rania Elwani in 1996.
At this year's Southeastern Conference Championships Scott became the first UA woman in school history under 22 seconds in the 50 freestyle, shattering her own school record with a 21.84. She then dipped under 22 seconds twice this week, going 21.95 in prelims and 21.99 in finals.
She passed another barrier this week in Indianapolis, becoming the first Alabama woman to swim a sub-48 second relay leg, going 47.91 to anchor Alabama's 400 medley relay. At the SEC Championships she posted the fastest 50 relay split in school history with a 21.42 anchor on Alabama's school record 200 medley relay. This week, anchoring that same relay, she posted a 21.67.
While Scott and junior Mia Nonnenberg are at their third nationals and fellow junior Hannah Musser is at her second, the sophomore duo of Katie Coughlin and Emma Murray both gained valuable experience at their first nationals.
"The opportunity to be here at NCAAs and be a part of it is both a learning experience and a motivational one," Pursley said. "For Emma especially, she had some big shoes to fill and we tapped her at the very last moment when Bridget Blood wasn't able to go and she has really stepped up this week. She swam considerably faster than her previous best and really stepped up and did a good job."
For all the latest information on the Alabama swimming and diving teams, follow AlabamaSwimDive on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
