2017 NCAA DI Men's Swimming & Diving ChampionshipsMar 25, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
NCAA Day Four Prelims: Schooling Out, Door Open For Conger In 200 Butterfly
NCAA Day Four Prelims: Schooling Out, Door Open For Conger In 200 Butterfly
Full Recap from Saturday's prelims at the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championships, featuring Ryan Murphy in the 200 backstroke, Caeleb Dressel in the 100 freestyle, Will Licon in the 200 breaststroke, and Joseph Schooling and Jack Conge
That's a wrap for Saturday's prelims at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis. The last morning session of the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships featured plenty of action and surprises as well. The main surprise came out of the 200 butterfly heats when ​Joseph Schooling​, NCAA record-holder and defending champion, failed to make the final altogether -- finishing 37th (fifth to last) in 1:45.47. With Schooling out, the door is now wide open for his Texas teammate ​Jack Conger​ to take the title tonight.​
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Other things to watch for tonight include a loaded final in the 1650, ​Ryan Murphy​ in the 200 backstroke, ​Caeleb Dressel​ in the 100 freestyle, ​Will Licon ​in the 200 breaststroke, ​and Texas looking for their fourth consecutive relay victory at this meet. At this point, the Longhorns have all but hoisted the trophy; however, there is still another jam-packed night of swimming left here in Indianapolis with a lot on the line for the team race within the top 10.
Meet Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
American Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
​​The top seed this morning, ​Ryan Murphy​ of Cal, was in a dog fight with ​John Shebat ​of Texas in the final prelim heat. Shebat was out at the 100 in 47.81 to Murphy's 48.56, but Murphy turned it on over the final 50 yards -- splitting a 24.45 to Shebat's 25.35 and taking the top time with a 1:38.22. ​Patrick Mulcare​ had a solid morning swim to take the second seed in 1:38.56. Mulcare used a strong back half (24.61)(25.08) to win his heat. Shebat ended up claiming the third seed in 1:38.67. ​Grigory Tarasevich​ of Louisville cannot be discounted, though as the Cardinals senior sits in fourth with a 1:38.74.
1.) Ryan Murphy (California): 1:38.22
2.) Patrick Mulcare (Southern Cal): 1:38.56
3.) John Shebat (Texas): 1:38.67
4.) Grigory Tarasevich (Louisville): 1:38.74
5.) Jonathan Roberts (Texas): 1:39.05
6.) Anton Loncar (Denver): 1:39.29
7.) Carter Griffin (Mizzou): 1:39.46
8.) Connor Oslin (Alabama): 1:39.83
16.) Patrick Conaton (Stanford): 1:40.62
Meet Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
American Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
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​You know this is a fast meet when it takes a 41.96 just to make it into the championship final. To no surprise, ​Caeleb Dressel​ holds the top seed with a 41.00. Dressel looked beatable at the 50, turning with the field at 19.90, but the Gators junior turned on the jets on the back half, splitting 21.10 -- six-tenths faster than anyone else in the field -- to win his heat and take the top seed. ​His Olympic teammate ​Ryan Held​ of NC State took the second seed with a very strong 41.34 (19.61)(21.73). ​Michael Chadwick ​of Missouri sits in third with a 41.58 (19.84)(21.74). Beyond the top three, the field is very tight with fourth (41.73) through eighth (41.96) only separated by two tenths of a second. Dressel looked like he left a lot in the tank for tonight's final, so look for him to push his record of 40.46 and ​potentially​​ scare the 40-second barrier...​
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1.) Caeleb Dressel (Florida): 41.00
2.) Ryan Held (NC State): 41.34
3.) Michael Chadwick (Mizzou): 41.58
4.) Dylan Carter (USC): 41.73
5.) Sam Perry (Stanford): 41.77
6.) Blake Pieroni (Indiana): 41.89
7.) Santo Condorelli (USC): 41.92
8.) Brett Ringgold (Texas): 41.96
​16.) Shane Ryan (Penn State): 42.52
Meet Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
American Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
​Will Licon ​just cruised to a smooth 1:49.80 200 breaststroke, taking the top seed by over two seconds. The Texas senior did not take a hard stroke the entire race, gliding after each effortless stroke.​ He spit the race very well -- out in 53.17 and back in 56.64. Claiming the second seed was ​Anton McKee​ of Alabama in 1:51.99, and right behind him in third was ​Mauro Castillo Luna​ with a 1:52.01. Make no mistake about it -- this will be a one-man race in lane four tonight. That is no slight on this field of breaststrokers, rather a testament to Licon's dominance.​
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1.) Will Licon (Texas): 1:49.80
2.) Anton McKee (Alabama): 1:51.99
3.) Mauro Castillo Luna (Texas A&M): 1:52.01
4.) Brandon Fiala (Virginia Tech): 1:52.52
5.) Marat Amaltdinov (Purdue): 1:52.79
6.) Nils Wich-Glasen (South Carolina): 1:53.04
7.) Carlos Claverie (Louisville): 1:53.45
8.) Trent Jackson (Notre Dame): 1:53.58
15.) Michael Duderstadt (Auburn): 1:54.13
15.) Alex Evdokimov (Cornell): 1:54.13
Meet Record: 1:37.97 (Joseph Schooling - Texas, 2016)
American Record: 1:38.06 (Jack Conger - Texas, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:37.97 (Joseph Schooling - Texas, 2016)
No way around it, the biggest surprise out of the 200 butterfly heats is that ​Joseph Schooling missed the final altogether by finishing 37th with a 1:45.47. With that being said, his teammate and American record-holder ​Jack Conger ​took the top seed with a solid 1:39.88 -- the only man under the 1:40 barrier this morning. Conger looked strong going out at the 100 in 47.37, and it will be interesting to see what the Longhorns senior has in the tank for tonight. ​Zheng Quah​, the star freshman pickup for Cal, is the second seed with a solid 1:40.44 and ​Gunnar Bentz​ of Georgia is the third seed right behind him in 1:40.61. Big event for the Bulldogs as they put three up in the championship final with Bentz, ​Chase Kalisz ​(fourth), and ​Pace Clark​ (sixth).
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1.) Jack Conger (Texas): 1:39.88
2.) Zheng Quah (Cal): 1:40.44
3.) Gunnar Bentz (Georgia): 1:40.61
4.) Chase Kalisz (Georgia): 1:40.62
5.) Andreas Vazaios (NC State): 1:40.77
6.) Pace Clark (Georgia): 1:40.98
7.) Andrew Seliskar (Cal): 1:41.16
8.) Justin Wright (Arizona): 1:41.38
15.) Fynn Minuth (South Carolina): 1:42.10
15.) Tom Kremer (Stanford): 1:42.10
Meet Record: 2:46.56 (Auburn, 2007)
American Record: 2:47.02 (Texas, 2009)
U.S. Open Record: 2:46.03 (Auburn, 2009)
​​Texas looked vulnerable on the leadoff with ​Jeremy Nichols ​(43.31), but his three teammates -- ​Brett Ringgold ​(41.27), ​Tate Jackson​ (41.79), and ​Townley Haas​ (41.41) -- got the Longhorns right back in the picture and into the No. 1 spot heading into finals with a 2:47.78. Thanks to a 40.67 anchor leg from ​Caeleb Dressel​, Florida secured the second seed, just 12-hundredths behind Texas, in 2:47.90. USC is sitting in third place with a 2:48.17, led by a strong leadoff from ​Santo Condorelli​ (42.22) and middle leg splits from ​Ralf Tribuntsov​ (41.71) and ​Dylan Carter​ (41.51). Depending on what Texas does with its lineup tonight, it should be the favorite.
1.) Texas: 2:47.78
2.) Florida: 2:47.90
3.) Southern Cal: 2:48.17
4.) Stanford: 2:49.26
5.) NC State: 2:49.34
6.) California: 2:49.58
7.) Indiana: 2:49.62
8.) Arizona State: 2:49.64
16.) Minnesota: 2:51.19
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Other things to watch for tonight include a loaded final in the 1650, ​Ryan Murphy​ in the 200 backstroke, ​Caeleb Dressel​ in the 100 freestyle, ​Will Licon ​in the 200 breaststroke, ​and Texas looking for their fourth consecutive relay victory at this meet. At this point, the Longhorns have all but hoisted the trophy; however, there is still another jam-packed night of swimming left here in Indianapolis with a lot on the line for the team race within the top 10.
200 BACKSTROKE
NCAA Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)Meet Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
American Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:35.73 (Ryan Murphy - California, 2016)
​​The top seed this morning, ​Ryan Murphy​ of Cal, was in a dog fight with ​John Shebat ​of Texas in the final prelim heat. Shebat was out at the 100 in 47.81 to Murphy's 48.56, but Murphy turned it on over the final 50 yards -- splitting a 24.45 to Shebat's 25.35 and taking the top time with a 1:38.22. ​Patrick Mulcare​ had a solid morning swim to take the second seed in 1:38.56. Mulcare used a strong back half (24.61)(25.08) to win his heat. Shebat ended up claiming the third seed in 1:38.67. ​Grigory Tarasevich​ of Louisville cannot be discounted, though as the Cardinals senior sits in fourth with a 1:38.74.
1.) Ryan Murphy (California): 1:38.22
2.) Patrick Mulcare (Southern Cal): 1:38.56
3.) John Shebat (Texas): 1:38.67
4.) Grigory Tarasevich (Louisville): 1:38.74
5.) Jonathan Roberts (Texas): 1:39.05
6.) Anton Loncar (Denver): 1:39.29
7.) Carter Griffin (Mizzou): 1:39.46
8.) Connor Oslin (Alabama): 1:39.83
16.) Patrick Conaton (Stanford): 1:40.62
100 FREESTYLE
NCAA Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)Meet Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
American Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 40.46 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
​
​You know this is a fast meet when it takes a 41.96 just to make it into the championship final. To no surprise, ​Caeleb Dressel​ holds the top seed with a 41.00. Dressel looked beatable at the 50, turning with the field at 19.90, but the Gators junior turned on the jets on the back half, splitting 21.10 -- six-tenths faster than anyone else in the field -- to win his heat and take the top seed. ​His Olympic teammate ​Ryan Held​ of NC State took the second seed with a very strong 41.34 (19.61)(21.73). ​Michael Chadwick ​of Missouri sits in third with a 41.58 (19.84)(21.74). Beyond the top three, the field is very tight with fourth (41.73) through eighth (41.96) only separated by two tenths of a second. Dressel looked like he left a lot in the tank for tonight's final, so look for him to push his record of 40.46 and ​potentially​​ scare the 40-second barrier...​
​
1.) Caeleb Dressel (Florida): 41.00
2.) Ryan Held (NC State): 41.34
3.) Michael Chadwick (Mizzou): 41.58
4.) Dylan Carter (USC): 41.73
5.) Sam Perry (Stanford): 41.77
6.) Blake Pieroni (Indiana): 41.89
7.) Santo Condorelli (USC): 41.92
8.) Brett Ringgold (Texas): 41.96
​16.) Shane Ryan (Penn State): 42.52
200 BREASTSTROKE
NCAA Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)Meet Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
American Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:48.12 (Will Licon - Texas, 2016)
​Will Licon ​just cruised to a smooth 1:49.80 200 breaststroke, taking the top seed by over two seconds. The Texas senior did not take a hard stroke the entire race, gliding after each effortless stroke.​ He spit the race very well -- out in 53.17 and back in 56.64. Claiming the second seed was ​Anton McKee​ of Alabama in 1:51.99, and right behind him in third was ​Mauro Castillo Luna​ with a 1:52.01. Make no mistake about it -- this will be a one-man race in lane four tonight. That is no slight on this field of breaststrokers, rather a testament to Licon's dominance.​
​
1.) Will Licon (Texas): 1:49.80
2.) Anton McKee (Alabama): 1:51.99
3.) Mauro Castillo Luna (Texas A&M): 1:52.01
4.) Brandon Fiala (Virginia Tech): 1:52.52
5.) Marat Amaltdinov (Purdue): 1:52.79
6.) Nils Wich-Glasen (South Carolina): 1:53.04
7.) Carlos Claverie (Louisville): 1:53.45
8.) Trent Jackson (Notre Dame): 1:53.58
15.) Michael Duderstadt (Auburn): 1:54.13
15.) Alex Evdokimov (Cornell): 1:54.13
200 BUTTERFLY
NCAA Record: 1:37.97 (Joseph Schooling - Texas, 2016)Meet Record: 1:37.97 (Joseph Schooling - Texas, 2016)
American Record: 1:38.06 (Jack Conger - Texas, 2016)
U.S. Open Record: 1:37.97 (Joseph Schooling - Texas, 2016)
No way around it, the biggest surprise out of the 200 butterfly heats is that ​Joseph Schooling missed the final altogether by finishing 37th with a 1:45.47. With that being said, his teammate and American record-holder ​Jack Conger ​took the top seed with a solid 1:39.88 -- the only man under the 1:40 barrier this morning. Conger looked strong going out at the 100 in 47.37, and it will be interesting to see what the Longhorns senior has in the tank for tonight. ​Zheng Quah​, the star freshman pickup for Cal, is the second seed with a solid 1:40.44 and ​Gunnar Bentz​ of Georgia is the third seed right behind him in 1:40.61. Big event for the Bulldogs as they put three up in the championship final with Bentz, ​Chase Kalisz ​(fourth), and ​Pace Clark​ (sixth).
​
1.) Jack Conger (Texas): 1:39.88
2.) Zheng Quah (Cal): 1:40.44
3.) Gunnar Bentz (Georgia): 1:40.61
4.) Chase Kalisz (Georgia): 1:40.62
5.) Andreas Vazaios (NC State): 1:40.77
6.) Pace Clark (Georgia): 1:40.98
7.) Andrew Seliskar (Cal): 1:41.16
8.) Justin Wright (Arizona): 1:41.38
15.) Fynn Minuth (South Carolina): 1:42.10
15.) Tom Kremer (Stanford): 1:42.10
400 FREESTYLE RELAY
NCAA Record: 2:46.03 (Auburn, 2009)Meet Record: 2:46.56 (Auburn, 2007)
American Record: 2:47.02 (Texas, 2009)
U.S. Open Record: 2:46.03 (Auburn, 2009)
​​Texas looked vulnerable on the leadoff with ​Jeremy Nichols ​(43.31), but his three teammates -- ​Brett Ringgold ​(41.27), ​Tate Jackson​ (41.79), and ​Townley Haas​ (41.41) -- got the Longhorns right back in the picture and into the No. 1 spot heading into finals with a 2:47.78. Thanks to a 40.67 anchor leg from ​Caeleb Dressel​, Florida secured the second seed, just 12-hundredths behind Texas, in 2:47.90. USC is sitting in third place with a 2:48.17, led by a strong leadoff from ​Santo Condorelli​ (42.22) and middle leg splits from ​Ralf Tribuntsov​ (41.71) and ​Dylan Carter​ (41.51). Depending on what Texas does with its lineup tonight, it should be the favorite.
1.) Texas: 2:47.78
2.) Florida: 2:47.90
3.) Southern Cal: 2:48.17
4.) Stanford: 2:49.26
5.) NC State: 2:49.34
6.) California: 2:49.58
7.) Indiana: 2:49.62
8.) Arizona State: 2:49.64
16.) Minnesota: 2:51.19