3rd Annual ‘Fastest Man in Texas’ Shootout slated for Nov. 1 in San Antonio, inaugural women’s event added

San Antonio will once again crown the “Fastest Man in Texas,” as the annual short-course yard 50 free shootout returns for its third year this November. And in 2014, the meet will also crown the “Fastest Woman.”

It will take place Saturday, November 1st, meet organizer Josh Davis announced, continuing to dole out big prize money in a high-stakes 50 yard freestyle battle, this time adding a women’s division to crown two speed-racing champions.

In just its third year in existence, the meet is really starting to come into its own. It’s already rife with personality; the shootout is a very Texas-styled affair. In 2013, the meet featured a preliminary round for all swimmer, a second round for all swimmers, followed by a finals shootout at high noon, in the style of classic wild-west Texas gun-fights. This year, the format will remain roughly the same, giving all 24 entered athletes in each gender an opportunity to race twice, and the final 8 taking on a third 50 in search of the prize money.

The lineup a year ago was a loaded stable of legendary outlaws including the former Olympian Davis, Jimmy Feigen, Josh Schneider, Nathan Adrian and Karl Krug. Adrian turned out to have the fastest draw of the bunch, triumphing in a blazing 18.79.

The winner’s prize in 2013 was a whopping $10,001, making it the biggest winning payout offered at a swim meet in the entire U.S. This season, the goal is to spread the prize money out a bit more. The male and female winners will receive $5,000, with runners-up earning $1,500 and the third-place finishers taking in $1,000.

Already on board for the 2014 edition are Davis, Feigen, Schneider and Krug, along with former U.S. Olympian David Walters, backstroking legend Matt Grevers, former butterfly world record-holder Ian Crocker, current SwimMAC pro Mark Weber and 15-year-old Junior National champ Michael Andrew. On the women’s side, Annie Chandler Grevers is set to attend, and the University of the Incarnate Word plans to bring its male and female sprinters to compete.

The “Fastest Man and Woman” shootout takes place concurrently with the Battle for the Crown high school invite hosted in the same San Antonio pool that weekend. Both meets together are under the umbrella title of “Joan Davis Memorial Invite,” in honor of Davis’s mother, who passed away from cancer two years ago.

The high school meet runs from 10 A.M. to around 1:30 P.M. and the Fastest Man/Woman heats will take place during the mid-meet break, sometime around high noon. The second round of sprinting happens around 12:45 and the finals will be at the end of the meet at 1:30.

Matt Grevers and Annie Chandler Grevers on Halloween. Photo courtesy of Josh Davis.

The meet has added some more fun to the docket in 2014 – the night before the event is October 31st, Halloween. So Antonian High School will be hosting a Halloween dinner and dance party with a costume contest. Professional swimmers will compete against one another, with the high schoolers serving as judges, and the pros will then turn around and serve as judges for the high school costume contest.

We’re told that celebrity swimmer couple Matt Grevers and Annie Chandler Grevers are near-professional Halloween costume designers, so keep an eye out for their 2014 get-ups.

The shootout released a statement today calling for any interested athletes to help fill out the 24-person shootout roster. From the press release:

“Josh Davis, the founder of the Fastest Man in Texas Shootout! turns 42 today and is challenging any young guns who are pro, college or high schooler to try their hand against him in the 50yd free on Sat. Nov. 1st at the Josh Davis Natatorium at high noon!  Eligible pros will have a chance to win $5000!!!

College or professional racers can contact Josh Davis if interested. His e-mail address is [email protected]. Private high schools in Texas interested in attending the meet should contact [email protected].