Santo Condorelli Post-Race Interview on USC’s NCAA Relay Title (Video)

^{Reported by Jared Anderson.}

200 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:21.54, Texas, 2017
• American Record: 1:22.40, California, 2015
• U.S. Open Record: 1:21.54, Texas, 2017
• 2017 NCAA Champion: Texas (1:21.54)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. USC – 1:21.82
2. Cal – 1:21.88
3. Florida – 1:22.33
4. Indiana – 1:22.87
5. Texas – 1:23.21
6. Tennessee – 1:23.74
7. Louisville – 1:23.84
8. NC State – 1:24.88

In a blistering battle for the win, USC outlasted Cal despite a monster 18.2 anchor leg from freshman Ryan Hoffer, who might be the exciting young sprint story of the meet if Dressel weren’t so… Dressel. USC went 1:21.82, getting the fastest breaststroke split in recorded history from Carsten Vissering at 22.56.

Robert Glinta was 21.15 on back, Dylan Carter 19.60 on fly and Santo Condorelli 18.49 on free. Carter’s split was the best fly split in the field.

Cal was 1:21.88 and broke the American record, which USC was ineligible for. Cal got the field’s best back split from freshman Daniel Carr, who had himself a great night. He was 20.85, Connor Hoppe was 23.01, Justin Lynch second-best among flyers at 19.77 and Hoffer second-best among freestylers at 18.25.

Florida got a 21.0 from Michael Taylor on back and 23.83 from Chandler Bray on breast. They elected not to use Switkowski on fly, opting instead for Mark Szaranek, who split 20.10. That means Switkowski can swim the 400 free relay tomorrow.

But Florida really surged on free, as proven meta-human Caeleb Dressel went 17.37 to roar back into third place.

Indiana was fourth in 1:22.87. Ian Finnerty was the third-best breaststroker at 22.97. Behind them, Texas got an 18.43 anchor from Brett Ringgold along with a 20.98 from backstroker John Shebat.

Tennessee’s Peter Stevens had the second-best breast split at 22.96 and Kyle Decoursey was 18.58 on free. Meanwhile Louisville was 7th with an 18.76 from Andrej Barna on free and NC State finished 8th, swimming without the injured Justin Ress and switching up their order to minimal success.

Jacob Molacek moved interestingly to fly, as the Wolfpack apparently rested Coleman Stewart after a 100 fly/100 back double. Molacek was 20.69, with Andreas Vazaios going 21.10 on back.

The B final was yet another affair decided by .01. Alabama ran down Stanford for 9th, 1:23.71 to 1:23.72. Robert Howard was 18.51 on that anchor leg.