2022 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 23 – Saturday, March 26, 2022
- McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
- Pre-Selection Psych Sheets
Cal 5th year Trenton Julian has elected to switch up his NCAA event schedule for his final NCAA Championships. The past few seasons, Julian swam the 500 free, 200 free, and 200 fly at his championship meets. That lineup is also what Julian raced at the Pac-12 Championships last week.
At last week’s Pac-12s, Julian finished 10th in the 500 (4:14.10), 3rd in the 200 free (1:32.54), and 1st in the 200 fly (1:39.95). He’s made a slight change for NCAAs, however, and has dropped the 500 free in favor of the 200 IM on Thursday.
In a time trial at Pac-12s last week, Julian swam a 1:43.07 200 IM, marking a new personal best. Last summer, Julian made huge gains in the LCM 200 IM, getting down to 1:57.86. Given that, it seems like he has plenty of room to bring that 1:43 down a bit in Atlanta. Julian also has a propensity to take races out fast, which should make the 200 IM really exciting to watch at NCAAs.
Julian is seeded 22nd in the 200 IM, 15th in the 200 free (1:32.54), and 3rd in the 200 fly (1:39.66). At Pac-12s, he also provided a 1:31.48 split on the 800 free relay.
At the 2021 NCAAs, Julian finished 2nd in the 200 fly (1:38.85), 3rd in the 200 free (1:31.55), and 4th in the 500 free (4:09.78). He’s been an A finalist in the 200 fly at all 3 NCAAs he’s competed in. In 2019, when Julian was a sophomore, he swam the 400 IM at NCAAs instead of the 200 free, taking 5th (3:39.83).
The decision for Julian to give up the 500 and pick up the 200 IM isn’t too surprising, given the areas he excelled in with his LCM racing this past summer. Although he missed out on making the Olympic team in several races, Julian went on to swim phenomenally at the Speedo Summer Championships West meet.
The 200 IM was one of his most improved races in that period. He also got his LCM 200 fly down to 1:54.71, and his 200 free to 1:47.50.
I think that is a great move for Julian. He swims the 500 “pedal to metal”, taking the 250 out really fast then relying on toughness to get him home. Even unrested at Pac12 he was out in 2:02 (I think) and back in 2:11. That’s gotta hurt and weigh on him the rest of the meet. I think that in 2019 NCAAs, Townley’s 2:00/2:08 in the 500 hurt the remainder of his meet. Julian is a great racer and the 200 Im is a racer’s event. It should be a good contest.