Nelson notches third nation-leading time in Texas

Saturday, December 1

Austin, TX

10 AM / 6 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Texas Invitational

Nelson notches third nation-leading time in Texas

December 01, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson owns top marks in 100 back, 200 back and 200 IM

AUSTIN, Texas – After the concluding day of the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational, you may be wondering whether Wisconsin junior Beata Nelson is actually human.

Leaving that answer up for debate, Nelson's day in the pool included a time of 1 minute, 40.10 seconds in the women's 200-yard backstroke that not only secured a win, but another nation-leading mark.

With that time, Nelson toppled the UW record she set at the 2018 NCAA Championships.

"I thought Beata's 200 back tonight was just as impressive as her 100 back last night," head coach Yuri Suguiyama said. "It's never easy coming back off the emotion she experienced last night but she handled it like a pro."

After a tremendous weekend for the junior phenom, including her American record in the 100 back (49.67) on Friday, Nelson now owns the nation's fastest times this season in the 100 back, 200 back and 200 individual medley.

Also outstanding for the Badgers, junior Megan Doty's 1:56.49 in the women's 200 butterfly secured UW's second-fastest mark all-time in that event.

Junior Griffin Back took eighth place in the men's 100 free final after racing to a personal-best 44.18 in the prelims.

Making her Texas Invitational debut, freshman Jenna Silvestri posted a personal-best 2:15.92 in the 200 breast, good for a fourth-place finish.

In what was a terrific week of competition for Wisconsin, Suguiyama had nothing but praise for his team.

"We had a great weekend," the first-year coach said. "Our goal was to walk out of this competition a better team than the one that walked in, and we did that.

"There's some things I think we can improve, but we're ahead of where I thought we would be heading into the second half of the season."

The Badgers enjoy a brief break from competition before traveling to the Aloha State, where they will battle Hawaii on Jan. 4 in Honolulu.