Lucy Bell Takes Down Missy Franklin’s 200 IM Colorado Record
Stanford commit Lucy Bell finished her high school career in style, taking down the Colorado state record in the 200 individual medley that belonged to two-time Olympian Missy Franklin.
Bell, a senior at Fossil Ridge High School, won the event easily at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CSHAA) Class 5A Championships on Wednesday. Bell went 1:59.94 in prelims before blasting a 1:56.14 in the final.
She bested the field by more than six seconds and was more than five seconds under the automatic All-American cut. In the process, she downed the state record set by Franklin in 2013 at 1:56.85.
“It’s super cool,” Bell told The Coloradoan. “I’ve known about that record since I joined high school swimming. It’s always been a goal of mine but I’ve never wanted to really outright say it. Just to accomplish that is beyond exciting.”
Franklin set that record in 2013, her senior season at Regis Jesuit High School. That was after she’d won four gold medals, including the backstroke double, and a bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London. Franklin was the reigning Swimming World Female Swimmer of the Year at that point.
Bell would go on to win the 100 freestyle in 49.09, allowing Franklin’s 5A record to stand. (The overall state record was re-set in 2021 when Anna Shaw, Bell’s future Stanford teammate, went 48.24.) It’s the third straight year Bell has won the 100 free, after winning the 100 butterfly instead of competing in the IM as a junior. Bell anchored the 400 free relay in 48.23, rallying Fossil Ridge to victory.
For Bell, taking down a record belonging to an icon like Franklin makes it extra exciting.
“Having it be someone like Missy Franklin is super special,” she said. Just to even come close to that time is really good. It was a great reminder that the hard work I’ve put in since I’ve started swimming all paid off.”