2023 AMERICAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 2-4, 2023
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX
- SCY
- Championship format
- What Will It Take to Make NCAAs
- Day 1 Recap
- Live Results
University of North Carolina freshman Louis Dramm and Texas A&M freshman Connor Foote likely booked their spots at the 2023 NCAA Championships with their wins during the American Short Course Championships on Friday.
Dramm triumphed in the 400 IM with a 3:42.24, dropping nearly five seconds off his entry time. The versatile German now ranks 22nd in the country this season. Around 28-32 swimmers earn invites to men’s events at NCAAs.
In the 100 butterfly, Foote clocked a 45.48 to pull off the victory. The Aggie rookie likely punched his ticket to NCAAs as he is now tied for 24th this season. Foote came into the meet with an entry time of 45.62 from February’s SEC Championship prelims, where he earned the fifth seed.
The only swimmer who clinched an automatic NCAA bid by clearing the ‘A’ cut on Friday was Pitt fifth-year Cooper van der Laan, who went a personal-best 51.26 to lead the 100 breast prelims on Friday morning. The Australian equaled that lifetime best with another 51.26 to win the event on Friday evening, once again sneaking under the ‘A’ standard of 51.4. Van der Laan is now tied for eighth in the NCAA this season in the event.
Texas A&M freshman Baylor Nelson won’t be going to NCAAs in the 100 back, but he did win the event with a personal-best 46.22. He came into the meet with a previous-best 47.91 that he lowered by more than a second in prelims (46.88) before dropping again in the final.
Great swims and congrats to these swimmers! Although at some point, these last chance meets need to be reigned in. Swim fast during the season. Basketball teams do not get a do over in the conference tournaments to set March Madness. Why should swimming? If a team misses a taper at conference championships, leadership needs to reevaluate, not just keep going to last chance meets.
Or maybe they just missed and want another chance. Or were sick. Or recovering from injury. Or had COVID. Or want to try another event I agree with the sentiment to not allow do over after do over but a meet like this serves a purpose not the least of which might just be closure. The analogy to basketball doesn’t work for me. They play a game and if they win they get to play another game. If swimming did that the top schools would swim 6 dual meets at NCAA. Might be fun though.
Fair, but how many last chance meets should an athlete be allowed to attend? They have an entire season of meets to include mid season and championships.