NETANYA, Israel — Michal Liberman demonstrated on Wednesday that she is back among the elite swimmers in her native country.

The Stony Brook University graduate student won the 100-meter butterfly finals at the Israeli National Championships at the Wingate Institute in the Mediterranean resort city of Netanya in central Israel.

Liberman won the race at the national pool with a personal-best time of 1:00:09.

Liberman last had competed at the Israeli Short Course Meters nationals six years ago. In recent years, her times had slowed and she had not qualified for national competitions — motivating her to get back.

Earlier Wednesday, Liberman had recorded a time of 1:01.93 in the preliminary race and was placed second entering the finals. Then she won the finals in the evening to triumphantly declare her return.
 
"I knew I had more energy to give in the finals and reserved it," she said.

Liberman will continue competing on Thursday at the Israeli nationals with the 50-meter backstroke.

Liberman had produced Stony Brook and ECAC Winter Championships meet records earlier this month with a time of 54.89 in the 100-yard butterfly.

She joined the Stony Brook swimming program as a graduate student this academic year after competing as an undergrad at Eastern Michigan University. She had gained an extra year of eligibility to use with the Seawolves due to an ACL tear in her left knee that prematurely ended her senior season.