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Practice + Pancakes: The 2020 Eddie Reese Invite

FORM is swim goggles with a smart display. FORM is a sports technology company with a simple mission: to break down the barriers between what swimming is and what it could be.

If you don’t know what the Eddie Reese Invite is, you need to click here right now. But for a quick refresher, the Eddie Reese Invite is an infamous event for the Texas men’s swimming team where the men suit up during a practice and race odd distances off the blocks. These distance include:

  • 600 free
  • 300 Fly, Back, Breast, Free, IM
  • 2,000 Free
  • 150 Fly, Back, Breast, Free
  • 50’s of all sorts

SwimSwam was lucky enough to capture this years Eddie Reese Invite, and boy were we stocked about it. Highlights from this year included rangy freestyle ace Drew Kibler swimming 5:09 in the 600 free, 2:27 in the 300 free, and topping it off with a 43.2 in the 100 free. NCAA Champion Austin Katz put up a 2:38 300 backstroke. Perhaps the most exciting race came at the very end, when junior transfers Chris Staka and Alvin Jiang raced a 50 underwater, both touching in well under 20 second.

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Ragnar
4 years ago

Really would’ve liked to see Deans 150 and 300, but the 46.5/1:43 relay leg, 47.3/1:44 flat start next summer will be so worth it. Seeing that pool reminds of waiting for some high school or club meet finals to start and seeing Ricky, Dave, and Jimmy having practice with Eddie, best pool in the world

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

1:44 flat start would be a huge drop. Since 2010, I believe the only Americans that have been sub 1:45 flat start are Phelps and Lochte. We’ve been hoping for a 1:44 flat start out of someone for many years, but it just hasn’t come. I’d be surprised if Dean can drop that much time but we shall see.

sscommentor
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
4 years ago

Dwyer never squeaked out a 1:44?

Togger
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

Dean tends to slow a bit (relative to the rest of the swim) on the back end of a 200 yard free, suspect he’ll be more of a 100 specialist long course.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

Shortest 25 yard pool in the world.

Mikeh
4 years ago

When was this filmed? The ERI is usually in October. Did they decide to do it in January this year?

Mikeh
Reply to  Mikeh
4 years ago

If so, these are impressive times, coming off the hardest training of the year over the Holidays.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Mikeh
4 years ago

Yeah, but he tapered them way more than usual just recently for some ridiculous times. They’re not nearly as loaded down from work as in previous years.

Mikeh
Reply to  Mikeh
4 years ago

If this took place in January, that is some very fast times coming off intense Holiday training.

Horns up
Reply to  Mikeh
4 years ago

This happened just a couple days ago after ridiculously hard training.

Coleman Hodges
Reply to  Mikeh
4 years ago

This was filmed Thursday, Jan 9. Wyatt and Eddie told me that for New Year’s Eve, they did some insane sets… Sam Pomajevich 65×50 @ :35 FLY, Ryan Harty 40×100 @ 1:15 KICK (and they had to stop him at 40), distance guys did 50×100 @ 1:00… sounded pretty wild.

Mikeh
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
4 years ago

That is truly unbelievable! Wow

JeahBrah
4 years ago

Jiang’s 19.3 underwater 50 seems fast but I don’t know what ‘elite’ times are for this. Anyone know others for comparison?

Swammer from Wakanda
Reply to  JeahBrah
4 years ago

The guy who inspired your username has been 22 in a long course underwater. Also a Texas alum, Hill Taylor, has been 23 in long course. I know for a fact Hill’s was from a backstroke start.

Right Dude Here
Reply to  Swammer from Wakanda
4 years ago

Hill Taylor’s is legendary.

Swammer
4 years ago

Does Wyatt end up getting Eddie’s job any time soon?

Sir Swimsalot
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

Wyatt is a amazing coach and a amazing person, but cmon man it’s Eddie Reese we’re talking about here.

Admin
Reply to  Sir Swimsalot
4 years ago

(I think he’s asking about when Eddie retires).

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

But Wyatt’s stopwatch is way faster. Remember the Shebat time trial 200 IM?

Right Dude Here
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

I trust the Shebat 2IM hand time a lot more than the Schooling 1fly hand time.

Horns up
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

Let’s not worry about it and just enjoy watching a legend while he’s still coaching. When Eddie retires we will all be informed until then don’t worry about who’s replacing him.

Wheststone
Reply to  Horns up
4 years ago

Texas fans get so triggered whenever anyone mentions Eddie retiring.

Relax. This is part of sports. Speculation on the future. “Just wait for them to tell us” is boring. I guess Texas fans don’t want anybody to care about swimming.

sscommentor
Reply to  Wheststone
4 years ago

as a new england patriots fan, you’re absolutely right. constant speculation, just live with it

Togger
4 years ago

Such a fun concept.

Imagine a one off pro version, some great possible match ups at 150:

Peaty vs Chupkov/Wilson/Watanabe and King vs Efimova

Milak vs Dressel

Rapsys/Sun vs Dressel

Smith vs Sjostrom in 150 IM with no breastroke. Same for Dressel vs Milak.

An exhibition 800 IM by Seto and Hosszu.

So many potential races!

P.S. Kibler looking absolutely jacked.

PVSFree
Reply to  Togger
4 years ago

Plus the tattoo! We’re getting the angry, upgraded bada** Kibler for 2020 Trials

Swammer
Reply to  PVSFree
4 years ago

He walked into Texas as a boy and he is now a full and a half man.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

The man is all hat plus cattle.

Right Dude Here
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

>full and a half

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  Togger
4 years ago

Rapsys/Sun vs. Dressel/Chalmers. Remember Chalmers has a 1:45 PR. He’s probably the fav.

Togger
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
4 years ago

I literally thought of Chalmers just now re-reading it! Definitely the favourite (without knowing what Rapsys can do over 100, he doesn’t seem to swim it much).

Bub
Reply to  Togger
4 years ago

IIRC Rapsys has split 47 mid in relays before though I can’t be sure.

Guy
4 years ago

Seeing this really makes me miss the days of Joseph and Jack battling it out in the 50 fly at the Invite

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Guy
4 years ago

I’m nostalgic for Townley’s 1:36’s this time of year.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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