Former UVA star Leah Smith (Class of 2017) finished second in the 400m freestyle at the Phillips 66 National Championships and World Championship Trials on Friday (June 30) to qualify for her third event at the World Championships, held July 23-30 in Budapest, Hungary.
Smith recorded a time of 4:03.77 to finish second behind Katie Ledecky (3:58.44). Smith defeated third-place finisher Sierra Schmidt (4:07.92) by over four seconds. Ledecky broke the championship record and the U.S. record with the win.
With the addition of the 400m freestyle, Smith has qualified in three events for the World Championships. Smith seized the national title in the 400m individual medley on Thursday (June 29) and finished second in the 200m freestyle on Wednesday (June 28), earning the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the World Championships in both events. Smith is waiting for qualifying results from Tuesday’s (June 27) 800m freestyle swim. Smith finished second in the event. An official release of qualified swimmers will be released after the meet concludes on Saturday (July 1).
Also in action Friday evening, rising UVA sophomore Maddy Vonderhaar (Lakeside Park, Ky.) finished seventh in the C final of the 100m breaststroke. Her time of 1:10.53 ranked 23rd overall.
Phillips 66 National Championships and World Championship Trials conclude tomorrow. Preliminary races will begin at 9 a.m.
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