2016 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 23 – Saturday, March 26
- McAuley Aquatic Center – Atlanta, GA
- Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
- Defending Champion: Texas (results)
- Championship Central
- Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday prelins & finals, Friday/Saturday prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
- Live Results From Commit Swimming – Live Results from Hy-Tek
Texas’ run to the 2016 NCAA Swimming & Diving Men’s Team Championship finished on Saturday as electrically as it started, including a new all-time best of 1:48.12 from Will Licon in the 200 yard breaststroke.
See the full race video of the swim below.
As reported by Morgan Priestley:
Keeping with the record-smashing theme of the night, Will Licon of the University of Texas downed the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records in the 200 yard breaststroke, touching in 1:48.12. That final time was just over a half-second faster than the previous standard of 1:48.66 from Kevin Cordes, which was widely considered one of the more “unbreakable” NCAA records out there when it was set.
The Texas junior was first at the 50 mark in 24.59, but really pulled away over the next 50 yards with a 27.22 split. Josh Prenot of Cal hung tough in second place throughout the race, and even closed slightly over the final 50, but Licon had built too much of a gap to ultimately be challenged.
Split comparison:
| 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | |
| Licon, Atlanta, 03/26/16 | 24.59 | 51.81 (27.22) | 1:19.65 (27.84) | 1:48.12 (28.47) |
| Cordes, Austin, 03/19/14 | 24.47 | 52.05 (27.58) | 1:20.50 (28.45) | 1:48.66 (28.16) |
While Cordes showed superior closing speed in his record swim, Licon carried a much better middle 100, bettering the former Arizona Wildcat’s record splits by nearly a full second from the 50-yard to the 150-yard mark. Notably, Licon’s opening 100 of 51.81 also snuck under the Texas team record from legend Brendan Hansen.
Not to be overshadowed, runner-up and last night’s 400 IM champion Josh Prenot clocked a 1:49.38 for second place, making him the third-fastest performer in history.
Including this morning’s 1:49.43, Licon now has four of the ten fastest swims in history.
Top 10 performances in history:
- Will Licon – 1:48.12 (Atlanta, 03/26/2016)
- Kevin Cordes – 1:48.66 (Austin, 03/27/2014)
- Cordes – 1:48.68 (Indianapolis, 03/28/2013)
- Josh Prenot – 1:49.38 (Atlanta, 03/26/2016)
- Cordes – 1:49.38 (Austin, 12/05/2013)
- Licon – 1:49.43 (Atlanta, 03/26/2016)
- Licon – 1:49.48 (Iowa City, 03/28/2015)
- Cordes – 1:49.53 (Iowa City, 03/28/2015)
- Licon – 1:49.54 (Iowa City, 03/28/2015)
- Cody Miller – 1:49.74 (Edmond, 12/19/2015)
Is it just me or are breastrokers these days spending a lot more time/distance in the underwater pull down? I just watched the 2013 Kevin Cordes NCAA 200 breaststroke and I noticed that Cordes doesn’t or barely clears the 15m mark off the dive and then always breaks out where his feet is just slightly past the the first 15m mark (so breaks out at the 12.5 yd?). Prenot and Licon on the other hand seem to be completely clearing the 15m mark, and then off the walls are breaking out much farther than the 12.5 yd. I can’t tell if it’s just the camera angle or if I’m on to something here.
Swimer – I think it’s more of a swimmer specific thing than any trend. For example, Cordes’ peer Breeja Larson was going 17 yards on every pull down. and now there are swimmers not doing them at all and still scoring at ncaas.
Crazy
Most underrated swim of the meet – lost in all of the hype surrounding Murphy, Schooling, and Dressel, and deservedly so, Licon takes down a record many thought unbreakable, and he does it by a half second