Video produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Jared Anderson.
100 BACKSTROKE – FINALS
- NCAA – 44.17 – Ryan Murphy, California– 2015
- Championship – 44.17 – Ryan Murphy, California– 2015
- American – 44.07 – Nick Thoman – 2013
- US Open – 44.07 – Nick Thoman – 2013
- 2014 Champion – Ryan Murphy – 44.63
In a loaded 100 back field, Cal’s Ryan Murphy showed why he’s one of the most exciting up-and-comers in a traditionally dominant event for the American men. The sophomore led wire-to-wire, going 44.21 and just missing his own NCAA record set last night on the medley relay.
Stanford’s David Nolan continued his strong week, taking second in a new lifetime-best of 44.78, which leaves him just outside the top 10 swims of all-time.
Those two wound up breaking away from the rest of the field by quite a bit. Penn State’s star Shane Ryan took home the bronze medal, going 45.24, though it was about half a second off the time that earned him runner-up honors last year.
Brigham Young’s Jake Taylor gave his mid-major school great representation, going 45.45 to take fourth. He had to eke that spot out over SEC champ Connor Oslin of Alabama. Oslin has had a breakout sophomore season, and was 45.54 for fifth.
USC’s duo of Luca Spinazzola and Ralf Tribuntsov flanked the field from lanes 1 and 8, respectively. Spinazzola, a senior, took sixth in 45.63, and the freshman Tribuntsov was eighth in 46.20.
In between was Texas’s Jack Conger, who looked a bit fatigued coming off his second-place 100 fly earlier in the meet. Conger was just 45.76, about two tenths off his prelims time. It’s been a busy meet for Conger, who swam on both Texas relays yesterday, both the 100 fly and 100 back today, and will likely compete in the 800 free relay to close out tonight’s session. His biggest event comes tomorrow in the 200 fly, where he broke the American record in a time trial the day before the Big 12 Championships.