Chris Guiliano’s ND Record 1:30.36 and More Swims You Might’ve Missed on Day 1 of Men’s NCAAs

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 27-30, 2024
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Ems Contest
• How To Watch The Meet
• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Recap

Night one of the 2024 Men’s NCAA Championships at the legendary IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis is in the books. This post will be dedicated to shining some light on some of the swims that may have flown under the radar, or just didn’t get mentioned in our main recaps. Since tonight’s session was just two relays, this edition of Swims You Might’ve Missed will be exclusively dedicated to great relay splits on the night.

Firstly, we’ll start with a team record. Notre Dame star Chris Guiliano went first for the Fighting Irish 800 free relay, throwing down a huge career best of 1:30.36. It may have been lost in the shuffle since Notre Dame finished 17th, but that was an incredible swim from Guiliano, coming in as the 4th-fastest split in the field tonight despite coming on a lead-off. He was out fast, splitting 20.61 and 22.88 on the first two 50s, for a 43.49 on the opening 100. He then came home in 46.87 on the 2nd 100. With the performance, Guiliano took down his own Notre Dame program record of 1:31.16, which he had just set at the ACC Championships last month.

Another team record came in the 800 free relay lead-offs. Michigan junior Gal Groumi led off the Wolverine 800 free relay in 1:31.07 tonight. Not only does that performance knock exactly a second off Groumi’s career best of 1:32.07, which he had swum at Big Tens last month, it also marks a new program record for Michigan in the 200 free. The record stood at 1:32.02 from and was held by Felix Auboeck. Groumi put together a great race tonight, splitting 21.07, 23.11, 23.41, and 23.48 respectively on his 50s, which resulted in a 44.18 on the first 100 and a 46.89 on the 2nd 100.

We’ve got one more team record out of the 800 free relays for you. Alabama’s Charlie Hawke led off the Crimson Tide relay in a new career best of 1:30.55, helping his team to an 11th-place finish. Like Guiliano, Hawke broke his own program record with the swim. The previous Alabama team record was the 1:30.75 Hawke swam leading off the relay at the SEC Championships last month. He was out even faster than Guiliano, swimming a 43.22 on the opening 100, thanks to 50 splits of 20.86 and 22.36. He then faded from that pace a bit, coming home in 47.23 on the 2nd 100.

There were some big splits from freshmen on the 800 free relay tonight as well. Stanford freshman Henry McFadden anchored the Cardinal relay to an 8th-place finish with a 1:31.45 split. That was the fastest split out of a freshman tonight and comes in under McFadden’s official personal best of 1:32.03, which he swam at Pac-12s a few weeks ago. NC State freshman Daniel Diehl was right there as well, anchoring the Wolfpack relay in 1:31.52. Diehl has a flat-start career best of 1:32.72, which he swam at the ACC Championships last month.

Continuing with freshmen who showed up big tonight, NC State freshman Quintin McCarty anchored the Wolfpack 200 medley relay tonight in a blistering 18.16. It was the 2nd-fastest free split in the field tonight, helping boost NC State to an American Record in the event. That’s a huge swim for McCarty, whose personal best in the 50 free is an 18.80, which he swam at the NC State Invite back in November.

LSU freshman Jere Hribar was also great on his 200 medley relay, anchoring in 18.50. Hribar’s career best is 18.99, a time which he swam at the SEC Championships last month.