2018 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 21 – Saturday, March 24
- Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
- Defending champion: Texas (3x) (results)
- Psych Sheet
- Championship Central
- Event-by-Event Previews
- Team Power Rankings: Final Edition
- Saturday finals heat sheets
- Live Stream
- Live Results
We speculated this morning, after NC State swam the fastest 400 free relay ever in prelims, that the Wolpack was likely to break their own record tonight. Sure enough, NC State capped off an exhilarating night of racing with the fastest swim ever for the second time in the same day.
By the time the 400 free relay began tonight, the team battle was essentially over, but NC State still swam like a team on a mission, touching in 2:44.31 to win by almost a second and a half over Caeleb Dressel and the Florida Gators.
Just like this morning, Ryan Held led off, and again this time he was just a hair faster than he was in the individual 100 free. From there, the Wolfpack reverted to the relay lineup they used at ACCs last month when they set the American Record, with Justin Ress going 2nd in 40.62, Jacob Molacek almost perfectly matching this morning’s split with a 41.02, and Coleman Stewart anchored in 41.62, almost the exact same time as his split from ACCs.
This marks the 2nd-straight year where the U.S. Open and NCAA Records went down on the final night of NCAAs. The Texas Longhorns set the previous U.S. Open & NCAA Records in the finals of last year’s NCAA championships, where they became the first team to break the 2:46 mark. Meanwhile, NC State put that record on notice when they broke the American Record and swam the 2nd-fastest time ever at last month’s ACC championships.
Here’s a comparison of NC State’s splits from this night to their swims from this morning, Texas’s U.S. Open Record from last year’s NCAAs, and NC State’s American Record from ACCs:
| Finals, 3/24/18 | Prelims, 3/24/18 | Texas 3/2017 | NC State 2/2018 | ||||
| Held | 41.05 | Held | 41.09 | Ringgold | 42.06 | Held | 41.45 |
| Ress | 40.62 | Molacek | 41.07 | Conger | 41.3 | Ress | 40.87 |
| Molacek | 41.02 | McGlaughlin | 42.24 | Haas | 41.01 | Molacek | 41.71 |
| Stewart | 41.62 | Ress | 40.35 | Schooling | 41.02 | Stewart | 41.66 |
| 2:44.31 | Total | 2:44.75 | 2:45.39 | 2:45.69 |
All said, NC State took more than a second off the record that Texas set last year. They’ll lose Held to graduation, but return Ress, Molacek, and Stewart, and with the sprint culture the coaching staff there has developed, you have to think that they’ll be gunning to break the 2:44 barrier next year.
The USA men’s 400 FRR is looking deep.
Dressel
Adrian
Pieroni
Held
Ress
Haas
Apple
Maybe even Tate Jackson or Michael Chadwick.
Jacob Molacek!
I was just coming to comment and see if anyone was looking at Ress for the Olympics. Him and Held on the 4×100 together would be huge for NC State. Even with Bilis and Held being NCSU alum, I think Ress could be the best of the 3. To think I swam against him and beat him once! (He got DQed)
42.5 for schooling today. Should have gone with Shebat.
Shebat was supposedly injured or that’s what we are going with
Great job NC State!!!
40.62 for Ress !!! Jeeeez , that guy is fast . Only 40. split with Pieroni among all Teams outside of Dressel
Ress split 40.35 in prelims. Dude has a bright future in front of him.
thanks for that – i didnt see that one . Hopefully , he can translate that speed into LC . The Usa is not stacked with sprint talent – when we go back to 2015 debacle in Kazan , its incredible how things changed in only 3 years !!!!
” Is NOW stacked with sprint talent ” – sorry for the silly mistake .
I’ve said it once and I’ve said it again, Bobby Guntoro has really stepped up his game. He has replaced DeSorbo and hasn’t looked back since, there are big things coming with this team, and that’s something no one can deny
The Wolfpack was the most exciting team of the meet.
Couldn’t agree more
NC STATE!!!
NC STATE!!!
NC STATE!!!
Settle down, Beavis.
NC STATE Winning 3 of 6 swim events tonight!!!
WOLF-
PACK
NCAA Meet to remember for a lifetime. An exhilarating four days the likes of which the swimming world has never seen and probably won’t see for a very, very, long time.
We said the same thing in 2016 and 2017. Next year doesn’t have Dressel, but there are a lot of exciting stories there too. For me the biggest races next year look like 100 back with Stewart and hopefully a healthy Shebat, 200 back with Katz and Shebat, the IMs – can Seliskar get a win, can Hugo Gonzalez build on his SEC meet, and who will fill the gap left by Dressel and Held (maybe Hoffer?). All things being said it looks like next year will shape up to be another good one.
Shebat looked pretty healthy to me
Shebat looked healthy, but what mattered was before the meet. He didn’t get proper training in AT ALL, why do you think Katz even had a chance to beat him in the 200? Next year it might be different as in Katz will probably win with everyone healthy, but why do you think Shebat HAD to go out in a 22.2? Nothing in the tank from the beginning except for his raw speed
Ress will fill in for Dressel , Peroni & Held
Dont count out Apple boy.