2017 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Swimmers are getting ready for day 2 finals of the 2017 Men’s NCAA Championships here at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tonight brings competition in the 200 free relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1-meter diving, and 400 medley relay.

One of the big races to look forward to tonight is the 500 free. We have 5 men in the field who have been sub-4:10, including South Carolina’s Fynn Minuth, teammate Akaram Mahmoud, and Michigan’s Felix Auboeck, who broke the barrier this morning. There to chalenge, however, will be Texas’ defending champ Townley Haas and 2015 champ Clark Smith.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY

  • NCAA record: Auburn (2009)- 1:14.08
  • American record: Stanford (2011)- 1:15.26
  • U.S. Open record: Auburn (2009)- 1:14.08
  • 2016 NCAA Champion: Texas- 1:14.88
  1. Texas- 1:14.59
  2. Florida- 1:14.88
  3. Cal- 1:15.29

Caeleb Dressel got the Gators off to a brilliant start in 18.23, tying the 2nd fastest 50 free performance of all time. The Gators led until the final 50, but Texas’ Joseph Schooling busted out an 18.34 to win it for the Longhorns. Schooling teamed up with Brett Ringgold (leadoff- 18.96), Jack Conger (18.37), and Tate Jackson (18.92) as they finished in 1:14.59. That was Ringgold’s first time under 19 from a flat start, as his previous best was a 19.07.

NC State got a blistering 18.63 leadoff from Ryan Held, but Cal was able to run them down , as Matt Josa anchored in 18.92 to Scott Johnson‘s 19.57.

MEN’S 500 FREE

  • NCAA record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.60
  • American record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.54
  • U.S. Open record: Peter Vanderkaay (Michigan), 2006- 4:08.54
  • 2016 NCAA Champion: Townley Haas (Texas) – 4:09.00

If there was any doubt about it, the doubt is now gone. Clark Smith is back. Smith led the race from start to finish, taking down Peter Vanderkaay’s NCAA and American Records with a 4:08.42 to hold off a late charge from teammate Townley Haas (4:08.92) and Michigan freshman Felix Auboeck (4:08.93).

Stanford’s Grant Shoults put up a personal best 4:10.23 for 4th, while South Carolina’s Fynn Minuth rounded out the top 5 in 4:10.57. Minuth’s teammate Akaram Mahmoud touched 6th in 4:10.83, followed by Indiana’s Marwan El Kamash (4:10.87) and NC State’s Anton Ipsen (4:11.73).

Stanford’s Liam Egan turned in a 4:12.36 to win the B final, outpacing Wisconsin’s Matt Hutchins (4:13.16).

MEN’S 200 IM

  • NCAA record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
  • American record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
  • U. S. Open record: David Nolan (Stanford), 2015- 1:39.38
  • 2015 NCAA Champion: Will Licon, Texas (1:40.04)
  1. (T-1) Mark Szaranek (Florida)- 1:40.67
  2. (T-1) Will Licon (Texas)- 1:40.67
  3. Ryan Murphy (Cal)- 1:40.73

Cal’s Ryan Murphy led through the first 150 yards of the race, but Florida’s Mark Szaranek and Texas’ Will Licon had him in their sights. Szaranek and Licon blitzed Murphy on the free split, as they were neck-and-neck into the finish. At the touch, Licon and Szaranek tied for gold in 1:40.67, with Murphy (1:40.67) touching hundredths behind for 3rd. That was about a half second shy of Licon’s best, but Szaranek now moves up to #9 on the all-time top performers list.

Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz joined them under 1:41, clocking in with a personal best 1:40.90 to place 4th ahead of teammate Chase Kalisz, who tied his best time in 1:41.19 for 5th.

Florida’s Jan Switkowski blazed to a 1:41.17 in the B final, making him the 13th fastest performer ever.

MEN’S 50 FREE

  1. Caeleb Dressel (Florida)- 18.23
  2. Ryan Held (NC State)- 18.60
  3. Joseph Schooling (Texas)- 18.79

Florida’s Caeleb Dressel pulled off the threepeat tonight, touching in 18.23 to tie for the 2nd fastest performance of all time with his relay leadoff split from earlier in the session and his prelims swim from last season. Dressel now owns all 10 of the top 10 fastest performances in history.

NC State’s Ryan Held (18.60) was just .02 off his best time, while Texas’ Joseph Schooling (18.79) was also within hundredths of his best for 3rd. Auburn’s Zach Apple and Missouri’s Michael Chadwick tied for 5th behind them in 18.97. That was a best tiem for Chadwick, who broke 19 for the first time with his 18.99 this morning.

MEN’S 1-METER DIVING

  1. Steele Johnson (Purdue)- 446.90
  2. Michael Hixon (Indiana)- 437.70
  3. James Connor (Indiana)- 437.30

Purdue’s Steele Johnson took the top of the podium in the 1-meter, while Indiana teammates Michael Hixon and James Connor were narrowly separated for 2nd and 3rd place. Tennessee’s SEC champion Liam Stone (427.35) finished in 4th, while Miami’s Briadam Herrera (405.90) rounded out the top 5. Texas got a boost from Mark Anderson (395.20), who finished 7th in the final.

MEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY

  • NCAA record: Texas (2016)- 3:00.68
  • American record: Cal (2015)- 3:01.60
  • U.S. Open record: Texas (2016)- 3:00.68
  • 2016 NCAA Champion: Texas- 3:00.68
  1. Texas- 2:59.22
  2. Cal- 3:01.51
  3. Missouri- 3:01.91

Cal’s Ryan Murphy got the Bears off to a good start with his 44.32 back split, marking the 6th fastest performance ever, while Texas’ John Shebat rocketed to a 44.58, making him the 4th fastest performer ever. Despite a very fast 50.97 split from Cal’s Connor Hoppe on the breast leg, Texas moved ahead with a blistering 49.75 from Will Licon.

Texas’ Joseph Schooling extended the lead with a 43.60 fly split to Matt Josa‘s 44.59. Jack Conger then sealed the deal for the Longhorns, clocking a 41.29 free split to help the Longhorns break the NCAA and U.S. Open Records in 2:59.22, marking the first 400 medley relay to ever break 3:00. Cal followed in 3:01.51 after a 41.63 free split from Michael Jensen, setting a new American Record in the process.

Missouri’s Michael Chadwick had the fastest free split of the field, helping his team to a 3rd place finish with a 40.72 on the anchor leg. USC finished just outside of the top 3, with Santo Condorelli putting up a 41.40 free split en route to their 3:02.20.

Fastest Splits of the Field:

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 2:

  1. Texas                           225.5   2. California                        143
  3. Florida                         138.5   4. NC State                          123
  5. Indiana                           121   6. Stanford                          105
  7. Southern Cali                      75   8. Univ of Georgia                    73
  9. Missouri                         71.5  10. Auburn                           69.5
 11. Louisville                         57  12. South Carolina                     40
 13. Michigan                           39  14. Arizona State                      34
 15. Purdue                             33  16. Alabama                            32
 17. Texas A&M                          23  18. Wisconsin                          21
 19. Tennessee                          19  20. Ohio St                            17
 21. University of Miami                14  22. Lsu                                12
 22. Notre Dame                         12  24. Arizona                            10
 25. Florida State                       7  26. UNC                                 6
 26. Harvard                             6  28. Kentucky                            4
 28. Virginia Tech                       4  28. Northwestern                        4
 31. Penn St                             2  31. Hawaii                              2
 33. Pittsburgh                          1

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USMS Open Water Swimmer
6 years ago

Did anyone notice how large the crowd was on Thursday? Which brings up three thoughts – 1. Wow, that’s a lot for Thursday, what will Friday & Saturday bring? 2. I love the NAT massive size because I can spread out a little instead of feeling crowded. 3. Why does Men’s Swimming always bring in more fans than Women’s?

swimswamswum
Reply to  USMS Open Water Swimmer
6 years ago

Maybe because the men’s meet doesn’t overlap with NCAA basketball tournament games in the same city? Not sure, just a thought!

nod
Reply to  USMS Open Water Swimmer
6 years ago

Because men swim faster. I feel like people are more interested in men’s sports (not just swimming) because it is faster, stronger and more impressive.
The power and the athleticism catch the viewer’s eyes better.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

3 guys in 0.42s in the 500 free! And finally! Finally someone beat the old record of Vanderkaay. Congrats to Clark Smith. Still not the kind of time I expect. I think a top world-class time in the same category as Haas’ 200 free record would be around 4.05/4.06. Maybe next year. But let’s not be nitpicky (thanks to KL for that new English word learned). It was a great battle and with 3 guys in 4.08 we can’t be disappointed. Clark Smith was the logical favorite if his mental was on a good day. And it was the case. He’s very talented. Don’t ever doubt about your talent. Much impressed by Townley Haas who destroys his PB with an… Read more »

Sad Panda
6 years ago

Why did tennessee get dq’d in medley?

jay ryan
Reply to  Sad Panda
6 years ago

They announced that ND and Tenn were DQ’ed, respectively, for dolphin kicks in breaststroke “during the swim” (rather than during the pulldown?) and for a 15 meter violation but they didn’t specific if it was on the on back or fly.

Editor
Reply to  jay ryan
6 years ago

Tennessee was DQ’d for a 15m violation on the fly leg.

Usausausa
6 years ago

Nobody went out sub 2:00 🙁 this is truly trump’s America.

Peter Davis
Reply to  Usausausa
6 years ago

Drain the pool

Olivia Smolivia Bolivia
6 years ago

I am somewhat amazed that collectively we have 235 things to say about this one evening swimming session. NCAAs certainly brings out the armchair coach in everyone.

d3swim
Reply to  Olivia Smolivia Bolivia
6 years ago

Better than crickets

Sccoach
6 years ago

I don’t remember anyone saying Cal was a favorite over Texas, literally nobody

Just Another Opinion
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

There seems to be some weird sort of paranoid inferiority complex in Texas.

I encountered a number of loudmouth Texans who get mad at anyone who doesn’t constantly tell them they’re the greatest at everything. It’s probably the least charming thing about their state.

BSD
6 years ago

This is late and I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but Caeleb took an extra stroke on the finish of that 50. Can’t say for sure how much that cost him, but I thought it was about .1/.2

Scarface
6 years ago

Predictions for tomorrow:
200 Medley Relay – Cal 1:22.0
400 IM – Kalisz 3:34.2
100 Fly – Schooling 44.1
200 Free- Haas 1:30.5
100 Back – Murphy 43.9
100 Breast – Schwinenschogl 50.9

BSD
Reply to  Scarface
6 years ago

I say Texas wins medley in 1:21 and Licon wins 100 breast in 50.5. Also think Joe and Townley will go faster to win.

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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