2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 23-26, 2022
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
• Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Live Results
• Championship Central
• Event Page
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Official Psych Sheets
• Virtual Championship Program
• SwimSwam Pick Em’s Contest
• Qualified relay teams

Thursday Prelim Heat Sheets

Following a thrilling night one which saw NCAA records shattered in both the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay, the swimmers return to the pool this morning for the first prelim session of the meet. On the lineup this morning is the 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free. Prelims begin at 10 AM EST.

Heading into the morning, there were three notable scratches in the 50 free: Ohio State’s Hunter Armstrong, Stanford’s Andrei Minakov and Harvard’s Dean Farris. All three threatened to score individually in the race, but now seem set to focus on swimming all five relays their respective school.

Georgia freshman Matt Sates, fresh off of a 1:30.78 lead off split on Georgia’s second place 800 free relay, holds the top seed in the 500 free. He will be flanked this morning by his teammate and defending champion Jake Magahey, who comes in with the 4th seed. Second seed Luke Hobson of Texas and third seed Kieran Smith of Florida, the fastest man ever in this event, also put up 1:30 splits on their 800 relays last night, setting up for what could be a thrilling 500 final this evening.

The Arizona State Sun Devils come in with the top 2 times in the 200 IM, with freshman Leon Marchand holding the top spot and senior Grant House sitting behind him. House led off ASU’s 5th place 800 free relay in 1:31.01, while Marchand anchored in 1:29.96, one of only two swimmers in the field under 1:30 last night.

In the 50 free, Tennessee breakout freshman Jordan Crooks comes in as the top seed with his 18.53 from SECs, and he will be flanked by another freshman, NC State’s David Curtiss. LSU Olympian Brooks Curry comes in as the second seed, while Cal’s Bjoern Seeliger, who swam the fastest 50 back ever last night, sits third.

500 free

• NCAA Record: Kieran Smith (FLOR): 4:06.32
• NCAA Meet Record: Jake Magahey (UGA): 4:07.97
• American Record: Kieran Smith (FLOR): 4:06.32
• US Open Record: Kieran Smith (FLOR): 4:06.32
• Pool Record: Peter Vanderkaay (CW): 4:08.60

Top 8 finishers:

1. Matt Sates (UGA): 4:08.73
2. Jake Magahey (UGA): 4:09.22
3. Alfonso Mestre (FLOR): 4:09.74
4. Luke Hobson (TEX): 4:10.38
5. Kieran Smith (FLOR): 4:10.53
6. Ross Dant (NCST): 4:10.66
7. David Johnston (TEX): 4:10.96
8. Brooks Fail (ZONA): 4:11.27

The final heat brought the fastest swimming of the morning, with the top three seeds heading into tonight’s final coming out of the heat. Florida’s Alfonso Mestre held the lead at the halfway point, but Georgia freshman Matt Sates split a pair of 24.4s between the 300 and 400 yard mark to take over the lead and never look back in 4:08.73, just off of Peter Vanderkaay’s pool record. His teammate, defending champ Jake Magahey, finished second in the heat in 4:09.22, while Mestre qualified third in 4:09.74.

In the second to last heat, the Texas men made their mark. Sophomore David Johnston started out fast with a sizable lead at the halfway mark, but his freshman teammate Luke Hobson began to reel him in over the second half of the race. Hobson touched first in the heat in 4:10.38 and Johnston was second in 4:10.96, putting them first and fourth with a heat to go. Arizona’s Brooks Fail touched third in the heat in 4:11.27 to put him fifth with one heat remaining.

Heat 5, the first circle seeded heat, saw NC State’s Ross Dant and Florida’s Kieran Smith go head to head, with Smith touching in first in 4:10.53 to Dant’s 4:10.66. Texas sophomore Coby Carrozza was third in the heat, dropping to a 4:12.09 to put him fourth with two heats remaining. Ninth seed Jeff Newmark of Wisconsin no-showed the race after leading off Wisconsin’s 800 free relay last night in 1:36.

Heat 4 saw some massive drops, with Florida’s Bobby Finke leading the way with a 4:11.77, a 3 and a half second drop from his seed. Texas senior Alex Zettle touched in 4:13.88, a half second drop to now put him second behind Finke this morning.

Texas gains a huge edge over Cal in the team race in this event, having 2 A finalists and a B finalist while Cal will have no swims this evening.

200 IM

• NCAA Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 1:38.13
• NCAA Meet Record: Andrew Seliskar (CAL): 1:38.14
• American Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 1:38.13
• US Open Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 1:38.13
• Pool Record: Will Licon (TEX): 1:40.04

Top 8 finishers:

1. Destin Lasco (CAL): 1:38.71 (Pool Record)
2. Leon Marchand (ASU): 1:38.83
3. Carson Foster (TEX): 1:40.07
4. Trenton Julian (CAL): 1:40.35
5. Carles Coll Marti (VT): 1:40.45
6. Hugo Gonzalez (CAL): 1:40.47
7. Luca Urlando (UGA): 1:40.65
8. Jake Foster (TEX): 1:40.91

As with the 500 free, the last heat of the 200 IM brought the fireworks this morning. Cal’s Destin Lasco broke the pool record with a 1:38.71, just ahead of top seed Leon Marchand, who touched second in 1:38.83.

In total, this morning’s prelims were very fast, with a 1:40.98 (Caspar Corbeau) finishing in 9th. Last year, there were only three 1:40 of faster in the prelims of this event. Cal also gains a small edge on Texas, with 3 A finalists and 1 B finalist to Texas’ 2 A and 2 B.

Heat 7 saw a Texas-Cal showdown, with Texas’ Carson Foster winning the heat over Cal’s Trenton Julian, 1:40.07 to 1:40.35. Second seed Grant House touched third in 1:41.85.

In the first circle seeded heat, Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll marti took care of business, touching first in 1:40.45, just ahead of Cal’s Hugo Gonzalez’ 1:40.46. Georgia sophomore Luca Urlando was third in 1:40.65. Texas’ Caspar Corbeau touched fourth in the heat in 1:40.98, which puts him in a vulernable position to make the A final with two heats remaining.

In the final non-circle seeded, Texas’ Braden Vines used a quick 28.95 breaststroke split to win the heat in 1:42.35 to put him just behind Pumputis heading into the circle seeds. Crucially, that puts him ahead of a Mefford’s 1:42.76. Heat four saw Georgia Tech’s Caio Pumputis put up a massive swim, blasting a 1:42.13 to drop over a second and a half from his seed to take the top spot with four heats remaining. Sitting just behind him is Cal’s Bryce Mefford in 1:42.76.

50 free

• NCAA Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 17.63
• NCAA Meet Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 17.63
• American Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 17.63
• US Open Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 17.63
• Pool Record: Caeleb Dressel (FLOR): 18.20

Top 8 finishers:

1. Bjoern Seeliger (CAL): 18.45
2. Drew Kibler (TEX)/Jordan Crooks: 18.60
3. —-
4. Cameron Auchinachie (TEX): 18.63
5. Youssef Ramadan (VT): 18.79
6. Brooks Curry (LSU)/Matt Brownstead (UVA): 18.85
7. —-
8. Nyls Korstanje (NCST): 18.94

Third seed Bjoern Seeliger blasted an 18.45 this morning to take the top seed into tonight’s final. He was followed closely by top seed Jordan Crooks of Tennessee, who dominated the final heat in 18.60 and Texas’ Drew Kibler, who won the sixth heat with an 18.60.

Texas will have two swimmers in the A final, with Cameron Auchinachie finishing just behind Kibler in 18.63.

Virginia Tech sophomore Youssef Ramadan qualified fifth in 18.79, while LSU’s Brooks Curry and Virginia’s Matt Brownstead qualified tied for 6th with an 18.85. Rounding out the A final is NC State’s Nyls Korstanje, who swam an 18.94.

In the team race, Texas gains a slight edge over Cal, with the Longhorns having 2 A finalists to Cal’s 1. Neither team will have a swimmer in the B final.

1-meter Diving

1. Andrew Capobianco, Indiana – 405.30
2. Kurtis Mathews, Texas A&M – 400.80
3. Lyle Yost, Ohio State – 398.50
4. Quentin Henninger, Indiana – 381.15
5. Jonathan Suckow, Columbia – 377.15
6. Juan Hernandez, LSU – 374.90
7. Anton Down Jenkins, North Carolina – 365.35
8. Bjorn Markentin, Arizona – 358.55