2017 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 22 – Saturday, March 25
• IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champion: Texas (results)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
• Event Previews
• Live Results
• Thursday Morning Heat Sheet

The first individual races of the 2017 Men’s NCAA Championships will take placce during this morning’s prelims session at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This morning brings competition in the 200 free relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 400 medley relay, and 1-meter diving. NC State will look to build off their momentum from last night’s fantastic relay performance.

In the 500 free, Texas’ defending champ Townley Haas will battle teammate Clark Smith, the 2015 champion in that race, as well as freshman standouts Felix Auboeck (Michigan) and Grant Shoults (Stanford). A loaded 200 IM field will feature Texas’ defending champ Will Licon, Cal teammates Ryan Murphy and Andrew Seliskar, NC State’s Andreas Vazaios, Florida’s Mark Szaranek, and Georgia’s Chase Kalisz. Finally, Florida’s Caeleb Dressel will chase his own American Record in the 50 free, while NC State’s Ryan Held looks to pull off an upset.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY

• NCAA record: Auburn (2009)- 1:14.08
• American record: Stanford(2011)- 1:15.26
• U.S. Open record: Auburn (2009)- 1:14.08
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Texas- 1:14.88

1. Texas- 1:15.35
2. Florida- 1:15.52
3. NC State- 1:15.56
4. Cal- 1:16.11
5. Auburn- 1:16.45
6. Indiana- 1:16.53
7. Missouri- 1:16.78
8. Alabama- 1:16.91

Ryan Held got the ball rolling with a new ACC Record of 18.58 on the leadoff split for NC State. That makes him the 4th fastest performer of all time, surpassing USC’s Vlad Morozov. The Wolpack wound up 3rd this morning behind only Texas and Florida. Jack Conger put up a quick 18.45 for the Longhorns, while Caeleb Dressel tore his way to a 17.99 for the Gators this morning.

Cal made it in at 4th with a personal best 19.00 leadoff from Pawel Sendyk and a quick 18.98 anchor from transfer Matt Josa. Also blasting a best time on the leadoff was Auburn’s Zach Apple, who turned in a 19.01 as the Tigers took 5th.

USC has the 5th fastest time of the morning, but they were DQed for an early start on the final exchange, as was Ohio State. That bumped Alabama up to 8th and Arizona up to 16th. Just missing the top 8 by a hundredth was Arizona State, as the Sun Devils got a pair of 18.9s from Richard Bohus and Cameron Craig.

MEN’S 500 FREE

• NCAA record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.60
• American record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.54
• U.S. Open record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.54
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Townley Haas (Texas) – 4:09.00

1. Fynn Minuth (South Carolina)- 4:09.55
2. Akaram Mahmoud (South Carolina)- 4:09.73
3. Felix Auboeck (Michigan)- 4:09.93
4. Clark Smith (Texas)- 4:10.53
5. Townley Haas (Texas)- 4:11.33
6. Marwan El Kamash (Indiana)- 4:11.84
7. Grant Shoults (Stanford)- 4:12.14
8. Anton Ipsen (NC State)- 4:12.18

The top 8 today were almost 2 seconds faster than at the NCAA meet last season. This morning, it took a 4:12.18 to qualify as compared to the 4:13.92 it took in 2016.

South Carolina’s Tom Peribonio (4:14.09), Florida’s Ben Lawless (4:14.14), and Georgia’s Jay Litherland (4:14.15) all dropped over 2 seconds from their seed times in heat 4.

South Carolina came up huge in heat 5, as Fynn Minuth (4:09.55) and Akaram Mahmoud (4:09.73) crashed through the 4:10 barrier to become the 8th and 9th fastest performers of all time respectively. Those times stood as the 2 fastest of the morning, as Michigan’s Felix Auboeck was the only other man to break 4:10.

Texas’ Clark Smith is set to make a run at redeeming his title, qualifying 4th in 4:10.53 just ahead of teammate Townley Haas (4:11.33). That’s leagues ahead of the 4:17.17 Smith dropped in prelims at the 2016 NCAA meet.

Florida’s Mitch D’Arrigo (4:12.89), Wisconsin’s Matt Hutchins (4:12.36), and Stanford’s Liam Egan (4:13.12), 2 of last season’s A finalists, will swim in tonight’s B final. NC State’s Adam Linker (4:14.01) and South Carolina’s Tom Peribonio (4:14.09) will return to the B final. Joining them is Stanford’s freshman standout True Sweetser (4:13.47).

MEN’S 200 IM

• NCAA record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
• American record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
• U. S. Open record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
• 2015 NCAA Champion: Will Licon, Texas (1:40.04)

1. Will Licon (Texas)- 1:40.50
2. Andreas Vazaios (NC State)- 1:40.77
3. Mark Szaranek (Florida)- 1:41.11
4. Gunnar Bentz (Georgia)- 1:41.12
5. Chase Kalisz (Georgia)- 1:41.20
6. Andrew Seliskar (Cal)- 1:41.49
7. Ryan Murphy (Cal)- 1:41.79
8. Jonathan Roberts (Texas)- 1:42.25

Texas’ Jonathan Roberts threw down in heat 4, touching in 1:42.24 to knock over 2 seconds off his previous best. Hawaii’s Metin Aydin also had a big swim with a personal best 1:43.32 to win heat 3.

Georgia’s Chase Kalisz was just a hundredth off his best time, turning in a 1:41.20 to win heat 5. Stanford’s Abrahm DeVine (1:42.25) and Tom Kremer (1:42.27) followed.

In heat 6, NC State’s Andreas Vazaios posted a blistering 1:40.77, making him the 8th fastest performer in history and the new Pool Record holder. Cal’s Matt Josa (1:41.50) and Ryan Murphy (1:41.79) were the next men to the wall. Josa, however, was disqualified for multiple dolphin kicks on the breaststroke leg. Arizona State’s Cameron Craig was also disqualified in that heat, as the officials cited “arms no on the same horizontal plane during breaststroke.

Texas’ Will Licon topped that in the next heat, winning in 1:40.50 ahead of Florida’s Mark Szaranek (1:41.11), Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz (1:41.12) and Cal’s Andrew Seliskar (1:41.49).

With the DQ on Josa, Texas’ Jonathan Roberts was bumped up in the A final. The Longhorns and bears now have 2 each in the final, whereas Cal would have 3 to Texas’ 1 had Josa not been DQed.

MEN’S 50 FREE

• NCAA record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 18.20
• American record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 18.20
• U.S. Open record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 18.20
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Caeleb Dressel (Florida)- 18.20

1. Caeleb Dressel (Florida)- 18.38
2. Joseph Schooling (Texas)- 18.77
3. (T-3)Ryan Held (NC State)- 18.93
4. (T-3) Zach Apple (Auburn)- 18.93
5. Pawel Sendyk (Cal)- 18.96
6. Michael Chadwick (Missouri)- 18.99
7. Dylan Carter (USC)- 19.04
8. Paul Powers (Michigan)- 19.06

Texas’ Tate Jackson put up the fastest time ahead of the circle seeded heats with a 19.25.

Joseph Schooling 18.77 put up an 18.77 to win the first circle seeded heat ahead of Cal’s Pawel Sendyk (18.96). Ryan Held came up next with an 18.93 to win heat 6, followed by Missouri’s Michael Chadwick (18.99). Caeleb Dressel upstaged them all in the final heat, touching in 18.38 to beat out Auburn’s Zach Apple (18.93).

There will be 8 different schools represented in tonight’s A final, as USC’s Dylan Carter (19.04), Auburn’s Zach Apple (18.93) and Michigan’s Paul Powers (19.06) made the final in addition to Dressel, Schooling, Held, Sendyk, and Chadwick.

It took a 19.06 to make the A final, leaving a few big names on the outside looking in. That includes Texas’ Jack Conger (19.12) and Brett Ringgold (19.11), Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla (19.13), Stanford’s Sam Perry (19.15).

MEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY

• NCAA record: Texas (2016)- 3:00.68
• American record: Cal (2015)- 3:01.60
• U.S. Open record: Texas (2016)- 3:00.68
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Texas- 3:00.68

1. Missouri- 3:02.53
2. Texas- 3:03.45
3. Indiana- 3:03.84
4. Louisville- 3:04.05
5. Florida- 3:04.20
6. USC- 3:04.55
7. Stanford- 3:04.90
8. Cal- 3:04.95

Missouri (3:02.53) took the win in the first circle seeded heat, as Daneil Hein led them off in 46.36 and Fabian Schwingenschlogl broke ahead with his 50.66 breaststroke split. Andrew Sansoucie kept their momentum going with a 44.58 fly leg, while Michael Chadwick sealed the deal with a 40.93 free split.

The next heat went to Texas in 3:03.45. Backstroker John Shebat blazed to a 44.82 backstroke split, followed by Will Licon (breast- 51.38), Joseph Schooling (fly- 45.41), and Brett Ringgold (free- 41.84). Schooling was noticeably cruising given he was 2 seconds slower than his 43.34 split from finals last season.

A fast final heat saw Indiana’s Bob Glover (back- 45.86), Ian Finnerty (breast- 52.02), Vini Lanza (fly- 44.85), and Blake Pieroni (41.11) touch first with a 3:03.84. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel charged to the fastest free split of the field in that heat with his 40.56.

Alabama put up the 6th fastest time of the morning, but they were DQed for a stroke violation, bumping Cal into the A final. That was almost a narrow miss for the Golden Bears, who notably left Ryan Murphy off of the relay this morning and used Zheng Quah (46.25) on the back leg. Arizona was once again bumped up to 16th after the DQ.

Fastest Splits of the Field

• Back: John Shebat (Texas)- 44.82
• Breast: Fabian Schwingenschlogl (Missouri)- 50.66
• Fly: Andrew Sansoucie (Missouri)- 44.58
• Free: Caeleb Dressel (Florida)- 40.56