Morgan Scott, who swam collegiately for Alabama after spending her freshman season at Indiana, turned the Eleventh U.S. swimmer this season to interrupt 28 seconds within the 50 backstroke this season, a staggering present of depth within the occasion.
Scott was primarily a dash freestyler in yards whereas at Alabama, putting 4th within the 100 free at 2021 NCAAs, and shifting as much as end 2nd the yr after in a time of 46.78. She additionally positioned 4th within the 50 free at 2022 NCAAs in a PB of 21.43.
She additionally received SEC titles within the 100 free in 2021 ( 47.50), and within the 50 free (21.54) and 100 free (47.32) in 2022.
Whereas Scott didn’t usually swim backstroke for the Crimson Tide, usually being on the fly leg for medley relays, she nonetheless maintained an elite degree in lengthy course. She clocked 28.48 on the 2023 U.S. Nationals, putting twelfth, and received the ‘B’ ultimate of the 100 again in a time of 1:00.48 the yr earlier than.
After competing on the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024, the place she positioned twenty fourth within the 100 again (1:01.39) and 53rd within the 100 free (56.60), she stepped away from the game earlier than returning this yr with Texas Ford Aquatics.
Since returning, she has now set lifetime bests in each the 50 fly and 50 again, and narrowly missed her 100 again PB. She shaved 1 / 4 of a second off within the 50 fly, dropping from her 2023 better of 27.27 to 27.01 on the MAC Senior Circuit meet at first of Could, however the 50 again has been her finest occasion.
She set two lifetime bests the day after that fifty fly PB, dropping three tenths to clock 28.19 earlier than shaving one other 0.02 seconds off within the ultimate for 28.17. She positioned 2nd in each the heats and ultimate behind Olivia Smoliga, one other swimmer who has returned this season after taking a break and one who can be below 28 seconds within the 50 again this yr (27.78).
Scott had been 1:01.03 within the 100 again 4 weeks earlier, nonetheless with out hitting the lane line that swim could have been even sooner. Given her 50 again enhancements, it appears only a matter of time earlier than she units a brand new finest within the 100.
Particularly as she has not stopped dropping within the 50. Over the previous weekend on the COR July Invite she sliced one other two tenths off her finest, dipping below 28 seconds for the primary time in 27.98. That makes her the Forty second-fastest swimmer on the earth this season, and Eleventh-fastest American.
She was initially disqualified for a 15 meter violation, nonetheless this was overturned after a coaches enchantment because the official who made the decision didn’t have the jurisdiction to take action.
On the time of writing, there seem to have been 44 swimmers break the 28 second barrier within the 50 backstroke since September 1st, 2025, which implies that 1 / 4 of the sub-28 swimmers this season have been American.
American Girls Sub-28 In The 50 Again, 2025-2026 Season
Katharine Berkoff – 26.98 (#1)
Isabelle Stadden – 27.14 (#4)
Leah Shackley – 27.38 (T-#11)
Regan Smith – 27.47 (#15)
Claire Curzan – 27.54 (#18)
Rhyan White – 27.66 (#21)
Maggie Wanezek – 27.70 (#23)
Olivia Smoliga – 27.78 (#27)
Kaitlyn Owens – 27.86 (#29)
Gretchen Walsh – 27.87 (#30)
Morgan Scott – 27.98 (T-#42)
Their closest challengers are Australia, who’ve eight swimmers below 28 seconds this season, seven of whom broke the barrier within the ‘A’ ultimate at Australian Trials final month. The Aussies have probably the most swimmers of any nation within the high ten, with Kaylee McKeown (third, 27.13), Mollie O’Callaghan (fifth, 27.19), and Iona Anderson (ninth, 27.33).
Each France and the U.S. have a pair of swimmers within the high ten, with Italy, Russia, and Canada finishing the lineup.
Increasing the record to incorporate swimmers who prepare within the U.S. however compete for his or her house nation, and also you add 5 extra swimmers – Sara Curtis (ITA, 2nd, 27.07), Mary-Ambre Moluh (FRA, sixth, 27.20), Tessa Giele (NED, twenty second, 27.64), Celia Pulido (MEX, thirty second, 27.88), and Emily Jones (AUS, thirty third, 27.90).
The ratios for the 100 again swing much more in the direction of the U.S. There have been 35 swimmers who’ve damaged 60 seconds within the 100 again this season, 11 of whom are American, giving a ratio of 1 in 3. Half of the highest 12 swimmers this yr have been American.
American Girls Sub-1:00 In The 100 Again, 2025-2026 Season
Regan Smith – 57.49 (#1)
Isabelle Stadden – 57.55 (#2)
Katharine Berkoff – 58.20 (#4)
Maggie Wanezek – 58.78 (#10)
Leah Shackley – 58.82 (#11)
Claire Curzan – 58.85 (#12)
Rylee Erisman – 59.25 (#17)
Erika Pelaez – 59.56 (#22)
Phoebe Bacon – 59.65 (#26)
Rhyan White – 59.82 (#31)
Anna Peplowski – 59.90 (#33)
China is the nation with the next-most swimmers below a minute with six, though none of them have been below 59 seconds. Against this, the U.S. has six swimmers below 59 seconds this season.
American ladies’s backstroke has been a energy for a number of years now, with the ultimate of U.S. Nationals nearly as star-studded because the World Championship ultimate. Kennedy Noble (58.55) and Josephine Fuller (58.79) had been each sub-59 within the Olympic Trials ultimate in 2024, when eighth place in Indianapolis (59.57) was sooner than eighth place in Paris later that summer time (59.80).
