John Shebat is an NCAA champion from the University of Texas. The Virginia native swam for Nations Capitol Swim Club prior to his move to Texas.
University of Texas
2015-2016
Shebat made a big splash during his freshman season as a Longhorn. He became a NCAA Champion at his first appearance at the meet as a member of the 400 yard medley relay. Along with Will Licon, Joseph Schooling and Jack Conger, Shebat broke the NCAA and U.S. Open record in 3:00.68 to take the title. In the 200 yard medley relay he helped the Longhorns to a bronze medal with his lead off backstroke leg. Individually he placed 11th both the 100 and 200 yard backstroke.
2016-2017
In his sophomore year, Shebat made big improvements, coming away from the NCAA championships with two gold and two silver medals to help Texas claim the National Championship.
His golds came in the medley relays where he combined with Licon, Schooling and Conger in the 400 and Licon, Schooling and Brett Ringgold in the 200 to break the NCAA and U.S. Open records.
His silver medals came in his individual events. In the 100 yard backstroke, Shebat finished behind Cal’s Ryan Murphy in 44.35. In the longer backstroke event, he again finished behind Murphy in 1:37.24.
2017-2018
In his junior year, Shebat again came away with 2 2nd places in the 100 and 200 backstroke. In the 100, he was touched out by .01 by Coleman Stewart in lane 1, 44.58 to 44.59. In the 200, it was Shebat’s teammate Austin Katz that topped him, going past him on the last 75 and touching 1st at 1:37.53 to Shebat’s 1:37.94.
2018-2019
To cap his senior year, Shebat focused more on the 200 IM and butterfly throughout the season, and swam the 200 IM individually at NCAA’s, as well as the butterfly legs on Texas’ medley relays. This focus throughout the year paid off, as Shebat placed 3rd overall and dipped under 1:40 as well, touching at 1:39.63. Later in the session, Shebat split 43.89, the fastest of the field, on butterfly to propel Texas to a 3rd place finish in the 400 medley relay. The next day in the 100 back, Shebat touched for 4th in 44.71, then came back on the 200 medley relay and split 19.83 on the fly leg to help Texas place 4th. On the final day of competition, Shebat ended his senior year with 2 NCAA titles. The first one was his first individual title ever, winning the 200 back in 1:36.42, just .03 ahead of his teammate Austin Katz’ 1:36.45, making them at the #2 and #3 performers of all time. In the final event of the meet, Shebat swam on the 400 free relay for the first time at NCAA’s, going 2nd and splitting 41.65 to help the longhorns to secure the final victory of the meet.
2016 US Olympic Trials
Shebat left his mark as one to watch in the 100 meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic trials. He went in to the meet seeded 18th but climbed higher through the ranks to make the final where he finished sixth in 54.20. He also swam the 200 meter IM finishing 20th and 100 meter butterfly finishing 31st.
2018 US Nationals
Shebat had a breakout meet at the 2018 Summer Nationals, going best times in 50/100 fly, 100 free, and 200 IM. His 7th place finish in the 200 IM (1:59.45) qualified him for his first senior international meet, the 2019 World University Games.
ISL – Cali Condors
On June 11, 2019, John Shebat was announced as a member of the Cali Condors ISL team, headed by GM Jason Lezak.
2019 World University Games
Shebat made multiple headlines at WUGs, even though he only had 1 single individual swim. In the prelims of the 200 IM, Shebat was DQ’ed for a 1-handed touch on the breaststroke-to-freestyle turn. The next day, he and fellow 200 IMer Sam Stewart (also DQ’ed in prelims) swam a 200 IM time trial, where Shebat went 1:58.28, a time that would have won the individual final. On the final day of the meet, it was announced that Shebat would swim the butterfly leg on the 4×100 medley relay after he swam a 51.4 100 fly time trial. Shebat split 51.80 in the relay final and helped Team USA earn gold in the event.
