Jake Magahey Goes In-depth on 500 Free Race Strategy of NCAA Field

2021 NCAA MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, March 24 – Saturday, March 27, 2021
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center / Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
• Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (Local Time)
• Short course yards (SCY) format
• Defending champion: Cal (1x) – 2019 results
• Streaming: ESPN3
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

NIGHT 2 FINALS PREVIEW

NIGHT 2 FINALS HEAT SHEET

Reported by Nick Pecoraro.

500 FREE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (Florida) – 2020
• American Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (Florida) – 2020
• U.S. Open Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (Florida) – 2020
• Meet Record: 4:08.19, Townley Haas (Texas) – 2019
• Pool Record: 4:09.36, Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 2021
• 2019 Champion: Townley Haas (Texas), 4:08.19
• 2020 Top Performer: Kieran Smith (Florida), 4:06.32

Top 3:

1. Jake Magahey (Georgia)- 4:07.97 *Meet/Pool Records
2. Kieran Smith (Florida)- 4:08.07
3. Brooks Fail (Arizona)- 4:09.54

Cal senior Trenton Julian was out fast after the Bears’ win in the 200 free relay, challenging American record pace for the first 350 yards of the race. However, catching up to him was Georgia freshman Jake Magahey. In a meet loaded with high powered freshmen, one of the best classes we’ve seen in years, Magahey was the only freshman in the top 16 of the 500 free. Magahey then caught Julian as Florida junior Kieran Smith began to make up ground from his previous race deficit.

While Smith massively accelerated to a photo finish with Magahey, it was the freshman who took the title at 4:07.97. That takes down his Greensboro pool record (4:09.36) from this morning and the 2019 NCAA meet record from Texas’ Townley Haas (4:08.19). Settling for second place was Smith at 4:08.07. In third place was Arizona’s Brooks Fail at 4:09.54 after entering the meet with a lifetime best of 4:10.77 and going 4:09.41 in this morning’s prelims.

• Read more on Magahey’s 500 free NCAA meet record here.