NC STATE VS. TEXAS
- Friday, January 26, 2024
- Casey Aquatic Center, Raleigh, NC
- SCY
- Dual Meet Format
- Livestream Link (required ACC+ subscription)
- Results on Meet Mobile as “NC State vs Texas”
Texas just called one of its big guns off the bench.
Graduate student Jake Foster made a surprising season debut for the Longhorns on Friday at NC State, clocking a personal-best 51.22 in the 100-yard breaststroke that ranks No. 1 in the NCAA this season. The 23-year-old shaved more than half a second off his previous-best 51.85 from last January’s matchup against the Wolfpack. Before today, Utah’s Jaek Horner led the college swimming world with a 51.32 from the Art Adamson Invitational last November.
Foster also posted a 23.11 breaststroke split on Texas’ runner-up 200 medley relay (1:24.41) in his return to NCAA action. He was just off what Will Chan split for the Longhorns at the 2023 NCAA Championships (22.99).
Foster’s reemergence on the Texas roster gives the Longhorns a much-needed boost in the wake of some costly departures. They lost three of their top four scorers between David Johnston (43 points), Carson Foster (42 points), and Caspar Corbeau (35 points), who opted instead to focus on LCM training during an Olympic year.
Foster was fifth-highest scorer for the Longhorns at NCAAs last season with 28 individual points, placing 7th in the 400 IM (3:40.03), 8th in the 200 IM (1:41.03), and 12th in the 200 breast (1:51.85) as a senior.
Foster then got accepted to UT Dell Medical School for last summer, but he deferred his enrollment one year to make a run at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He was initially expected to continue his career as a professional instead of using his fifth year at Texas this season.
While away from the NCAA scene, Foster captured TYR Pro Championship titles last July in the 100-meter breast (59.64) and 200 breast (2:08.23) in lifetime bests before winning the 100 breast (59.99) and 200 breast (2:10.71) at October’s Pan American Games.
The 2024 Olympic Trials will be the third of Foster’s career. He placed 42nd in the 200 breast as a 15-year-old in 2016 before placing 5th in the 400 IM, 6th in the 200 breast, and 10th in the 200 IM in 2021.
The 2023-24 campaign will be the last for longtime Texas head coach Eddie Reese, who is slated to retire after Trials.
The Texas two-step! Suddenly at conference we see a bunch of Texas pros back in the (NCAA) saddle. They ride one more time and give Eddie the send-off he deserves.
So is Jake getting a masters degree in the interim in order to swim this year?
Could just be taking grad classes or labs to stay sharp before his med school year.
More Olympic finals swam this summer by Walshes or Fosters?
walshes, especially because of relays for Gretchen
I’m guessing 5 for both
Fosters: Carson both IMs, 200 fly, 800 FR. Jake in 200 breast
Washes: Alex both IMs, Gretchen 50 free, 100 fly, 400 FR
Looks like a very reasonable prediction not sure why it’s being downvoted
Because Jake first needs to make the team before finals places are up for grabs.
Pulling for Jake to make the team. I think he’d need to break into the 2:07 range in order to make the Olympic final.
Would be a real surprise if Jake Foster wins an individual NCAA championship and Carson does not
Would def be a surprise but don’t really see a path for him to win an individual title. He has the same problem as his brother: swims the same events as Marchand
Marchand may not swim the 100 breast, which I bet Jake Foster is focusing on in the lead up to Trials with what will be his last season of swimming before he starts medical school. My guess is he’s leaving the 400 IM behind.
Oh boy the next “surprise appearance” will be Ahmed Hafnaoui, Brooks Curry, and Hugo back at Cal
I feel like it’s going to be like The Last Jedi. Somehow, Phelps has returned.
They’ll find a way for him to be eligible to swim for Cal at NCAAs
After this, I was looking for David Johnson in the 500, but, alas, no.
diehl and foster returning wasn’t on my radar but wow
Longhorns always trying to copy SMU!
Only Steve Lundquist, Ricardo Prado, and Lars Frolander.