A Tribute to the B-Final: Shining a Light on the Fast Swims Off of the Podium
03/22/2025 11:49 PM
By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
2025 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
- March 19-22, 2025
- Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center — Federal Way, Washington
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Start Times: Prelims: 10 AM ׀ Finals: 6 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
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In a sport where hundredths of a second separates glory from disappointment, there are bound to be moments where a slip-up can cost a swimmer the opportunity for greatness.
For Indiana’s Miranda Grana, that slip-up unfortunately came at the wrong time. Coming off of a strong double on night 3 of the NCAA Championships that saw her place 4th in the 100 butterfly and 3rd in the 100 backstroke, Grana seemed primed to make a push for a podium spot in the 200 backstroke. In prelims though, Grana found herself in a hard spot. Despite only coming in .1 off of her best time (1:50.50) with a 1:50.52, she found herself on the outside-looking-in for the final as the 9th place swimmer in prelims.
Grana was then faced with a hard decision: let the disappointment of the morning overcome her, or use disappointment as motivation for the final. Grana chose the latter of the two options, dominating the field in the B-final to post a personal best of 1:48.73, likely becoming the first swimmer to go under 1:50 and 1:49 in the B-final at the NCAA Championships. Her swim would’ve also placed 5th in an historically-fast A-final that saw 7 out of the 8 swimmers go under 1:50.
What Grana illustrated in her swim was not just her own sense of resiliency, but an overall sense of what the B-final provides: opportunity. Even without the thrill of an NCAA trophy waiting at the end of the pool, the B-final stands as another chance to dive into the water, an opportunity that should not be taken for granted.
Like Grana, the best athletes are those who have taken that opportunity to produce greatness, regardless of circumstance. Swimming is a unique sport. Though placement matters on the team scale, time is the most important factor for the individual. Thus, its important to take a moment to appreciate the B-final, a place for second chances, a place to find redemption, and a place where glory isn’t always the prize.
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