2017 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2017 Men’s NCAA Championships kick off tonight at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Swimmers will get the meet started with a quick session, competing in only the 800 free relay tonight.

Texas will look to defend their title in tonight’s race, with 3 of Team USA’s Olympic gold medalists in the 800 free relay stepping up to the plate for the Longhorns: Townley Haas, Jack Conger, and Clark Smith.

Among the challengers looking to upend Texas are the Florida Gators, who have plenty of starpower to potentially use on this relay including the likes of freshman standout and SEC Champion Maxime Rooney, Khader Baqlah, Mitch D’Arrigo, Mark Szaranek, and maybe even Caeleb Dressel.

MEN’S 800 FREE RELAY

  • NCAA record: 6:08.03, Texas, 2016
  • American record: 6:10.16, Texas, 2009
  • U.S. Open record: 6:08.03, Texas, 2016
  • 2016 NCAA Champion: 6:08.03, Texas, 2016
  1. NC State- 6:06.53
  2. Texas- 6:08.61
  3. Florida- 6:09.30

In heat 2, USC’s Dylan Carter led off with a phenomenal 1:30.95, making him the 2nd fastest 200 freestyler of all time. Indiana’s Blake Pieroni topped that with a 1:30.87 leadoff in the next heat.

NC State exceeded all expectations tonight, pulling off the upset by a landslide with a new NCAA and U.S. Open Record of 6:06.53. Ryan Held led them off in 1:31.37, followed by teammates Andreas Vazaios (1:32.23), Justin Ress (1:32.26), and Soeren Dahl (1:30.67).

Texas followed, finishing just half a second shy of their former NCAA Record. The team of Jack Conger (1:31.54), Jeff Newkirk (1:33.25), Clark Smith (1:33.49), and Townley Haas (1:30.42) set a new American Record, breaking the former mark of 6:10.16 set by Texas in 2009.

Florida’s Mark Szaranek put up a 1:31.46 anchor split to help the Gators take 3rd, running down Cal’s Ryan Murphy (1:32.06). Andrew Seliskar had the fastest split for the Bears, turning in a 1:31.58 on the 2nd leg.

Harvard’s Dean Farris (1:31.31) and Stanford’s Tom Kremer (1:31.75) were also in the 1:31-range from a rolling start.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 1:

  1. NC State                           40   2. Texas                              34
  3. Florida                            32   4. California                         30
  5. Southern Cali                      28   6. Univ of Georgia                    26
  7. Stanford                           24   8. Louisville                         22
  9. Indiana                            18  10. Wisconsin                          14
 11. Michigan                           12  12. Auburn                             10
 13. South Carolina                      8  14. Harvard                             6
 15. Arizona State                       4  16. Missouri                            2

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JP input is too short
7 years ago

Some other splits from guys that bode well for the rest of their meets as I scroll through the results:

Condorelli 1:34.1 (Not fast on it’s own but better than he’s shown most of this year)
Bentz 1:32.0
Kremer 1:31.7/Devine 1:33.4 (Doesn’t look like Stanford max out at conference)
Harting 1:32.6 (maybe another 200 fly challenger?)
Auboeck 1:32.0 leadoff (rumors of his post-conference demise seem to have been exaggerated)
Apple 1:32.6 (He’s now Auburn’s best freestyler for sure… sub 19 50?)
Reilman 1:33.4 leadoff (didn’t make the meet individually but maybe he’ll be the backstroker Tennessee needs in the relays?)

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Interesting. 101 comments for the day 1 live recap of the women’s meet 1 week later.
Already 254 for the day 1 live recap of the men’s meet only a few hours after day 1 was over.
It says something sad about our societies.

Duswim
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

it says something about Dean Farris

EdMosesLivesOn
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Why would I pay more attention to a swimmer who can only go 1:40 in the 200 free than one who can go 1:30? Get over yourself and stop pushing a political agenda into sport.

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Congrats to NC State. Impressive relay. Held looks stronger than ever and considering he’s better in long course I think he has in store a big 100 free next summer.
Texas not disappointing. Conger shows he’s in great shape. Smith really lacks speed base for a 200 free in yards.
Best swim of the night for Pieroni followed closely by Carter and Haas.
Farris shows it was not a fluke. Craig slow compared to Pac-12s. Rooney not fast either.
Haas on the same track as last year and still the big favorite for the 200 free.
Let’s wait for the individual race. It’s gonna be crazy. The rebirth of the men’s 200 free at the college level since last year.

swimfan18
7 years ago

Did anyone else notice that Townley was the only person the texas relay to clap for the NC State and the other teams who got in the top 8?

Attila the Runt
Reply to  swimfan18
7 years ago

He was trying to get Held to cry.

aquajosh
7 years ago

That was a school record for Florida by half a second, and they would have beaten Texas for second and smashed the record even more if Rooney had been able to duplicate his split from SECs. Hopefully it’s just freshman jitters and he’s shaken the cobwebs out for his individual 200. Szaranek was more than a second faster than he was at SECs which bodes really well for his IMs.

Sean
7 years ago

Anyone know where I can see all the splits ? The posted is the women’s meet

Ex Quaker
Reply to  Sean
7 years ago

Clear your cache and try again.

Reid
7 years ago

Every one of the Cal guys died hard. Maybe they were jumpy or maybe their 200 endurance is a little off, but either way I feel like they were lucky to go as fast as they did.

Attila the Runt
Reply to  Reid
7 years ago

Lots a guys died hard. Even Haas going out in 20.2, 43.0 died pretty hard. Long meet. Probably better swims to come.

calswimswam
Reply to  Reid
7 years ago

Cal doesn’t really have a mid-distance free specialist. The only person in the relay swimming the 200 fr individual event is Michael Jensen and even he is more of a sprinter than a mid-distance swimmer.

Reid
Reply to  calswimswam
7 years ago

Long Gutierrez is swimming the 200 free and that’s been the one event he’s swum every year and has the school record in (1:32.74 I believe, from this relay last year). He even dropped the fly this year. Cal has struggled in mid-distance to distance free for a long time. I think in Durden’s tenure Williams has been the only 200 free finalist and Bagshaw’s the only 1650 top 8 finisher when he got second in ’14 (unless maybe Dominik Meichtry was still there and did it in the 200 Durden’s first year; I don’t remember). And unless Meichtry did it they’ve not had a 500 finalist in that entire time, though they’ve had a couple console wins. They’ve excelled… Read more »

calswimfan
Reply to  Reid
7 years ago

yeah youre right about long. could argue that he has swum this event bc cal needs bodies here.

Reid
Reply to  calswimswam
7 years ago

Also I would add that Jensen definitely came in as a 200 specialist given that he’s one of a small handful of high schoolers to go 1:33, but he may have gone more towards the sprints since he got there.

Adam
7 years ago

The results from day 1 only strengthen the probability of Texas winning the meet.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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