Cal’s American Record in the Men’s 200 Medley Relay Somehow Survives Another Year

2023 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 22-25, 2023
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center | Minneapolis, MN
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
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• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

As the men’s 200 medley continues to get faster and faster, Cal’s American record from 2018 (1:21.88) has remained untouched thanks to the influx of international talent in this event.

For the second year in a row, the top two finishers went under the previous NCAA record. The top six teams in Wednesday night’s race were faster than the American record — up from four last year — but they all featured foreigners. In order to be eligible to break an American record in a relay, all four swimmers must be U.S. citizens and hold U.S. sporting citizenship.

200 MEDLEY RELAY—TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:21.13 — Florida (2022)
• Meet Record: 1:21.13 — Florida (2022)
• American Record: 1:21.88 — Cal (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:21.13 — Florida (2022)
• Pool Record: 1:21.82 — USC (2018)
• 2022 Champions: Florida — 1:21.13

Top 8:

1. NC State — 1:20.67
2. Arizona State — 1:21.07
3. Florida — 1:21.14
4. Cal — 1:21.24
5. Indiana — 1:21.52
6. Tennessee — 1:21.59
7. Louisville — 1:22.43
8. Virginia — 1:22.51

Virginia’s quartet of Matt Brownstead (20.76), Noah Nichols (23.00), Max Edwards (20.25), and August Lamb (18.50) was the only team in the top eight that was eligible to break Cal’s American record, and the Cavs finished more than half a second shy at 1:22.51.

Between Polish backstroker Kacper Stokowski (20.36) and Dutch butterfly specialist Nyls Korstanje (19.15), half of NC State’s record-breaking quartet hailed from outside the country.

Tennessee boasted the most international talent among the top eight with all four swimmers being international students. German backstroker Bjoern Kammann (20.97), South African breaststroker Michael Houlie (22.91), Cayman Islands star Jordan Crooks (19.27), and Brazilian freestyler Gui Caribe (18.44) combined for a sixth-place finish in 1:21.59.

Third-place finisher Florida was close behind with three international members of its quartet: Lithuanian breaststroker Aleksas Savickas (22.98), German butterfly specialist Eric Friese (19.75), and Canadian freestyler Josh Liendo (18.03), who threw down the fastest anchor in the field.

International swimmers now account for the fastest relay splits in three of the four stroke 50s. Cal junior Bjorn Seeliger set the 50 back mark last year as a sophomore with a 20.08. He once again had the fastest leadoff int he field this year with a 20.28.

Arizona State’s French sensation, Leon Marchand, blazed a 22.27 breaststroke split to become the quickest ever ahead of the 22.39 posted by both Minnesota’s Max McHugh and Alabama’s Derek Maas in the same race.

And at last month’s SEC Championships, Crooks clocked the first sub-19 fly split ever with an 18.90. Meanwhile, Caeleb Dressel‘s 17.30 freestyle anchor from 2018 continues to stand the test of time.

So why is this relay so dominated by non-American swimmers?

As we explored last year, one likely explanation is that the 50s of stroke continue to be held in high regard internationally through senior-level swimming, while most American meets do not include the 50s of stroke past the age of 12. USA Swimming’s own selection criteria for stroke 50s at the World Championships often does not account for swimmers who are 50 “specialists” and oftentimes places at least one of the 100 individual qualifiers into the 50. Internationally, however, swim stars can make careers out of the stroke 50s.