AUSTIN, Texas – Beata Nelson wasn't supposed to overcome a disappointing freshman year... until she did.
She wasn't supposed to break the American, Collegiate and U.S. open record in the 100-yard backstroke... until she did.
And the Wisconsin junior certainly wasn't supposed to win the 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA championships... but she did.
Seeded third and up against the reigning national title-holder, Stanford's Ella Eastin, Nelson stunned spectators – and the swimming world – by claiming the national title with a finish of 1:50.79, the second-fastest mark in the history of the event.
"I was just ready to race," Nelson said. "I wasn't thinking about a time, or anything other than just swimming my own race."
That she did.
With back-to-back All-America accolades in the event, Nelson joins the company of Maggie Meyer as the only two national champions in Wisconsin history.
But during the race, Nelson had no inclinations that first place was her fate.
"I honesty had no idea where I was at, how I was swimming, until I got to the breaststroke leg and I could hear the announcers saying my name," Nelson said.
"Either I'm doing something really good, or really bad – and I can't see anyone else ahead of me, so this might be a good thing."
That it was.
"We are all just so proud of Beata's growth," head coach
Yuri Suguiyama said. "Not only as an athlete, but as a person, as well."
"Being comfortable, swimming her own race – I think that was the key that we all try and stress; to do our own thing and stay in our lane."
"It's the hardest thing to do at this level, but she did a great job of doing just that."
Besides winning the title, one of the bigger surprises of the race was Nelson's breaststroke stretch. Nelson out-split Eastin, the seasoned breaststroker, by .3 seconds to fuel her victory.
Nelson will now shift her focus to Friday's 100-yard backstroke, which she is a favorite to win as the collegiate record-holder.
"I'm going into the rest of the meet with the mindset of having fun with my teammates and my coaches; loving family, friends, school pride and the Lord," Nelson said.
