Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Jared Anderson.
100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS
NCAA Record: 44.18, Austin Staab, 2009- American Record: 44.18, Austin Staab, 2009
U.S. Open Record: 44.18, Austin Staab, 2009- Pool Record: 44.68, Joseph Schooling, 2016
- 2015 Champion: 44.51, Joseph Schooling
Top 3:
- Joseph Schooling, Texas – 44.01
- Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 44.40
- Jack Conger, Texas – 44.87
It was Texas sophomore Joseph Schooling who repeated as 100 fly champ, breaking the U.S. Open and NCAA records in the process.
Schooling became the fastest man in history in the event, but just barely missed the 44-second barrier with a 44.01. That dethrones a record from the 2009 super-suit era set at 44.18 by Stanford’s Austin Staab.
Schooling was pushed early by Florida sophomore Caeleb Dressel, his former teammate at the Bolles School Sharks club in Florida. Schooling led 20.4 to 20.8 at the 50-turn before the two closed in almost-identical 23.5s. Dressel would take second in 44.40 – a time that stacks up as the 3rd-fastest of all-time. He’s only about two tenths off the American record left over because Schooling represents Singapore and can’t break the American mark.
Texas’s Jack Conger was third, closing a tenth better than the top two but not finding the early speed to match the speedsters. Conger was 44.87, about three tenths slower than he went a year ago in taking second.
It’s been a historic meet for mid-major swimmers so far, and Cleveland State junior Philipp Sikatzki provided the highest mid-major finish yet, taking 4th in 45.37. That topped Alabama sophomore Luke Kaliszak (45.49) by about a tenth.
Texas’s Will Glass won the B final in 45.93, and in a big move for Cal, sophomore Justin Lynch jumped all the way to 10th in 45.94 after tying for 17th in prelims and winning a swim-off before taking the spot vacated by his scratched teammate Long Gutierrez.
Am glad Joseph acknowledged his obvious disappointment at seeing his time in the 100 too. It seemed very clear he was expecting a mid-43 time (shades of last year’s NC2A’s & what Eddie Reese reportedly wanted him to aim for). Further & IMHO, it will likely indeed take a 1:39 to win the 200 today.
I wish Glass had gone 44.93, but it was 45.93. Good to hear Joe with a more humble tone here, even if it took someone suggesting that.
Nothing wrong with a little confidence in your tone. Good racers and competitors have that attitude and too many people get offended by it