The NCAA, in conjunction with USA Swimming, has released the pre-selection entry lists for the 2014 Men’s NCAA Championships meet.
Editor’s note: While at the top of the PDF, the sheets are labeled “psych sheets,” it’s important to note that these aren’t actual psych sheets. These lists rather are a simple listing of which events swimmers have chosen to enter should they be selected for NCAA’s. The cut lines still have to be drawn, so not everybody on this list will be selected for NCAA’s, and in fact, most won’t be.
With the above limitations in place, we’re still able to pull out some significant information. That includes notes about what the country’s top two freshmen coming in, and two of the more versatile freshmen at that, will be swimming at NCAA’s.
Texas’ Jack Conger is entered in the 500 free, the 100 fly, and the 200 backstroke. Meanwhile, Cal’s Ryan Murphy has changed his schedule from Pac 12’s, and will swim the 200 IM, the 100 back, and the 200 back. That means he’s opting against the day two individual event double (and more likely triple overall) that he had at Pac 12’s.
Notre Dame’s Frank Dyer has dropped the 100 fly with which he’s toyed all season to focus on his primary freestyle events: the 100, 200, and 500 frees.
Florida’s Sebastien Rousseau is entered in the 200 IM, the 400 IM, and the 200 fly; his teammate Marcin Cieslak is in the 100 fly, the 200 fly and the 200 IM; and two of the top 20 seeds in the 200 free are not entered, which should be a big boost for Florida State’s Kevin Rogers, who moves up to 28th in the country in that event and much better position for an NCAA invite.
He’s not going to make it to the meet, but you don’t have Till Pallmann from Southern Illinois on this pdf list. He’s tied for 62nd in the 500 free with a 4:20.47 and 55th in the 200 free with a 1:35.59.
completelyconquered – we do not produce the list, USA Swimming does so based on those entries received through the OME system. Often times, coaches choose not to enter swimmers whom they know are far, far from qualifying from the meet. Other coaches enter every swimmer with a “B” standard, just to have them on the list.
Makes sense.
Of the 2 top 2014 recruits, I think Conger is going to get more points. I predict him giving Yeager a run for his money in the 500. Murphy will be lucky to make it into the B final in the 2 IM. Conger and Murphy probably even (in terms of points) in their other 2 events. The 200 back is going to be epic.
Ok. Where to begin? It is surely against NCAA rules to fly a Bell X-1 in the pool, so I doubt Yaeger competes, as that is his vehicle of choice when really flying. I would bet Ryan goes top 5 in the IM, conservatively. Off the top of my head(which is a curly mess, so this could just be dirt..), he’s been :46 100 IM. Murphs will out score Conger by roughly 10-20 points with his individual and relay contributions, again, conservatively. Your clock is clearly broken, and so I concede that the 200 back will, indeed, be epic.
Very good choice for Mr Murphy.
He has listened to me! 🙂
I said a few days ago he shouldn’t swim the 100 fly just before the 100 back.
Smart choice.
44.60 in the 100 back/1.36.84 in the 200 back for him.
Very good choice for Mr Kalisz.
He has improved a lot his 200 fly and it’s good to see him swim that event.
And finally another very good choice for Mr Conger.
The 100 fly can become one of his best events in the future with the 200 free, of course behind the 200 back, his primary event.
My opinion: Yes.
Conger’s fly is on the up-and-up. He was 52.5 over the summer and he was able to swim his lifetime best at Big 12’s, where I presume he was unrested. At the same meet he split 20.15 (if I recall but the splits are gone), and he has been 1:43 in the 2fly so you know he will close on Smith.
Backstroke is so deep: aside from Murphy and Nolan, you have Shane Ryan and Eric Ress. Anything could happen.
Maybe he wants to be the first person to win an NCAA title in three different strokes at the same meet? Has that been done?
“Anything could happen.” I agree exactly. He might have a better shot of winning the 100 back than the 100 fly, but I think he’s virtually a lock for top 3 in the 100 fly, whereas the 100 back can me more of a crapshoot with all the depth.
Does Conger really have more of a chance beating Smith in the 100 fly than Murphy and Nolan (and the others) in the 100 back? Last year Conger was 45.3 in back, .3 behind Nolan and slightly ahead of Murphy. He hasn’t gone that this year, but it would surprise me if he couldn’t improve on it. Murphy I am sure will be ready to go :44. Meanwhile Smith is nearly a full second ahead of Conger. Perhaps it is due to the depth in the 100 back, and even a slightly off swim from Conger could have him fall many places…
It is hard to be sure that Giles will be as fast as he was at the Texas Invite due to whatever health issues he seemed to have this semester, and backstroke is incredibly deep with Murphy, Nolan, Sankovich, Ress, Ryan, and a few others who could all be under 45.5. I think Conger will be at least 44.7 in the fly.
These 6 guys are not qualified on another event right?
I’d like to give a big time shout-out to Mitchell Huxhold from CSUB in the 1650! Making the A cut by .01 to become Cal State Bakersfields’ first athlete to go to NCAA’s since the school completed the D1 process back in 2010-2011 season! It’s not often you see a swim like that coming from a fairly unknown school on a national level (certainly not known for having swimmers of this caliber).
I concur. Huge kudos go to Huxhold and the Bakersfield program!
Calculated the Invites. By my count, invites reach Line 30. 2 of 6 will be alternates:
Eric Bruck – Kentucky – 50 Free
Brandon Flynn – Kentucky – 1650 Free
Kristan Kron – Utah – 200 Back
Imri Ganiel – Texas – 100 Breast
Pedro Coutinho – Louisville – 100 Fly
Brandon Fiala – Virginia Tech – 200 IM