2022 Men’s Big 12 Fan Guide: Longhorns Ready for Title #26

2022 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Texas won their 25th-straight men’s Big 12 title last year, and are primed to earn their 26th this week. The Longhorns also won last year with their 2nd-highest team score in program history, only 6 points behind their top score from 2008. West Virginia was able to beat out TCU by a substantial margin as well.

2021 Final Standings:

  1. Texas – 1123
  2. West Virginia – 850
  3. TCU – 718

SCHEDULE

Wednesday – 2/23

  • Men’s 1-Meter Diving
  • 200 Medley Relay
  • 800 Free Relay

Thursday – 2/24

  • 500 Free
  • 200 IM
  • 50 Free
  • Women’s 1-Meter Diving
  • 400 Medley Relay

Friday – 2/25

  • Women’s 3-Meter Diving
  • 100 Fly
  • 400 IM
  • 200 Free
  • 100 Breast
  • 100 Back
  • Men’s 3-Meter Diving
  • 200 Free Relay

Saturday – 2/26

  • Men’s Platform Diving
  • 200 Back
  • 100 Free
  • 1650 Free
  • 200 Breast
  • 200 Fly
  • Women’s Platform Diving
  • 400 Free Relay

STARS

Texas – Drew Kibler (senior freestyler), Caspar Corbeau (sophomore breaststroker), Alvin Jiang (5th year multi), Carson Foster (sophomore IMer/backstroker), Daniel Krueger (senior sprinter), Cam Auchinachie (5th year sprinter), Andrew Koustik (senior butterflier/freestyler), David Johnston (sophomore freestyler) – Texas, as is the norm at this point, has a star-studded roster from top-to-bottom, to the point where it would be very surprising if they don’t win every swimming event. Drew Kibler, Daniel Krueger, and Andrew Koustik are now seniors, and although there’s a possibility of taking 5th years next year, it’s still possible this is their last go-round with the Longhorns. Cam Auchinachie, who transferred as a graduate student from Denver, has only deepened this sprint group. The importance of that can’t be overstated, since if there was any room for criticism with last year’s Texas roster, it was that they were a little thin on sprinters.

TCU – Janis Silins (junior breaststroker), Geremia Freri (freshman distance freestyler), Piotr Sadlowski (junior butterflier/sprinter), Charles Millette (junior butterflier/backstoker/IMer)Janis Silins is an NCAA Championships-caliber breaststroker, and he might stand the best chance of any non-Texas swimmer at winning an event this week. Another TCU swimmer ranked highly within the conference is Piotr Sadlowski, who is ranked 5th in the Big 12 this season with a 46.66 100 fly.

West Virginia – Justin Heimes (sophomore backstroker), David Dixon (5th year flyer/IM’er), Max Gustafson (5th year freestyler), Fausto Huerta (senior breaststroker)David Dixon has been a competitive 200 flyer in the NCAA throughout his collegiate career, and he’s back for a 5th year with the Mountaineers. Dixon and fellow 5th year Max Gustafson will be leaders on this West Virginia team, and both are likely triple A finalists. Fausto Huerta is a strong contender to appear in both breaststroke A finals.

SHOWDOWNS

100/200 BREASTSTROKE

Texas’ Caspar Corbeau is the heavy favorite in both breaststroke events this year, having led the NCAA in the 100 breast for a large portion of this season. In the 100 breast, the next two fastest swimmers in the conference this year are from TCU. Janis Silins and Jadon Wuilliez have been 52.11 and 52.72.

In the 200 breast, Jake Foster and Braden Vines are the 2nd and 3rd fastest swimmers in the 200 breast. Silins is the 4th-fastest, but Corbeau is the top swimmer in the field by over 2 seconds.

100 FLY

The 100 fly should be one of the most exciting races of the meet, as there’s a tight field that doesn’t just include Texas swimmers. Longhorns Alvin Jiang and Zac Van Zandt have both been under 46 seconds this season. A pair of Texas freshmen, Anthony Grimm and Tim Connery, are next-fastest (46.09 and 46.53), then it’s TCU’s Piotr Sadlowski, who has been 46.66. Another guy to keep an eye on is West Virginia’s David Dixon, who is primarily a 200 flyer, but could pop off a good 100 fly at any given meet.

SELECTIONS

SWIMULATOR TEAM PROJECTIONS

NOTE – this does not include diving, and Swimulator works as an approximation and projection based on 2021-2022 season bests. Not every team tapers the same way, injuries/illnesses come up, and projections are merely projections. 

Texas 1035
TCU 739
West Virginia 597

The Swimulator shows Texas winning by a margin similar to what we’re used to at this point, and there’s no reason to doubt that. It also has TCU coming out ahead of the Mountaineers, which makes since, given the way TCU is rising and building their roster up.

SWIMSWAM PICKS

  1. Texas
  2. TCU
  3. West Virginia

Since there are only 3 men’s teams in this conference, there’s just not that much to be said about our picks. We’re sticking with the Swimulator projections, and keeping Texas #1 (of course). At this point TCU appears to be a solid choice for #2 because they have a very good freshmen class. That leaves West Virginia in 3rd, although it’s very possible the Mountaineers end up 2nd, and the Horned Frogs 3rd.

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Swimmer
2 years ago

Let the Texas intra squad meet begin. Texas has a 1 in 3 chance of winning conference.

Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

The Texas men’s team (like Cal) knows that it’s useless to taper for a conference meet. So we’ll not see crazy fast times as we just saw in some other conferences.
Peak when it matters.

thezwimmer
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

I’m sure they’ll rest a little just to give their bodies a break, but certainly none of the NCAA locks would shave for this. Big 12s serves as a dress rehearsal for NCAAs with little pressure. It won’t be the same come 2026 when the Longhorns have to compete in their first SECs…

Stewie
Reply to  thezwimmer
2 years ago

Good lord… Texas does not care about conference titles.

Joe
2 years ago

My money is on WVU this year

Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

This meets going to be so boring that all the comments are either about diving or how crappy the Big 12 is.

Coach
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

WV had some momentum for a while and a great new facility but…sigh. Complacency. Not that they were catching UT anytime soon

Last edited 2 years ago by Coach
HereToCheer
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

There are a lot of swimmers (particularly for TCU and WVU and those from Texas who won’t be going to NCAAs) that this is their conference meet and it is a big deal for them.

MIKE IN DALLAS
2 years ago

I may be the odd man out when it comes to what Texas does, but THE DIVING is going to be fascinating. Given the sad news recently, UT’s divers will certainly be previewing what they can do @ NCAA’s!

GOATS
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
2 years ago

what sad news?

Joe
Reply to  GOATS
2 years ago

their star diver was hitting on children

farris
Reply to  Joe
2 years ago

and she was on the national team with him and apparently they had a snap streak and were all pretty close, can’t really ever assume

Atlantic
Reply to  GOATS
2 years ago

Jordan being out and all the stuff he’s dealing with

swimapologist
Reply to  Atlantic
2 years ago

I hate to go all Twitter on you but I’m not sure the stuff *he’s* dealing with is the saddest part of that scenario.

farris
Reply to  swimapologist
2 years ago

damn comin at necks lol

MIKE IN DALLAS
Reply to  GOATS
2 years ago

. . . . that GOATS don’t read newspapers or view news feeds. . . . .

Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Is there a good place to read about why Big 12 swimming ended up with virtually no meaningful competition in conference? I mean in comparison to how deep the competition is within the ACC and SEC (despite the repeat winners).

I get the allure of swimming at Texas because of Eddie Reese, but in terms of really challenging yourself to race people who you don’t easily lap, wouldn’t an SEC or ACC school be more appealing?

Edited to add: I know Texas is joining the SEC, but I’m talking about before this summer’s announcement.

Last edited 2 years ago by Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
MeSoShammy
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Eddie > all reasons you mentioned & can mention.

diver
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Dude, Texas has done fine swimming out of the SWC and Big 12, 15 Natties worth.

Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
Reply to  diver
2 years ago

Not saying they haven’t done well as a team.

Nah
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Because an NCAA Championship ring > any Conference Championship ring

Horninco
Reply to  Nah
2 years ago

Do you even SEC? Conference is all that matters, bro

Michael Andrew Wilson
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

LMAO the Texas guys race Olympians every day in practice, and have done so since the 1980s. Hell, even the competition to make the 200 medley relay is so fierce that many-time All-American Danny Krueger may not be on it.

And everyone on the UT 800 free relay at NCAAs will be faster than the ACC 200 free champ.

Stewie
Reply to  Michael Andrew Wilson
2 years ago

Have my upvote. Gulliver should watch a Texas practice some time. Or an NCAAs…

mcmflyguy
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Big 12 based out of the “Texas” south where football is king and everything else is expendable. there used to be more mens teams.

DCC Parent
Reply to  Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
2 years ago

Its pretty simple…Prior to the Big12, the Big 8 men swim programs included Kansas, Iowa State, Nebraska and Missouri. When the Big12 was formed, Texas and TAMU came in.

Then through a series of program cuts, KU, Iowa State and Nebraska mens programs disappeared. Conference realignment added WVU and TCU, but Missouri and TAMU left for SEC.

As another poster mentioned, the Big12 has been the least forward thinking conference among the Power5 and it is reflected in the current realignment.

Last edited 2 years ago by DCC Parent
Admin
Reply to  DCC Parent
2 years ago

And, if we’re honest, their inability to think forwardly is largely driven by Texas – so Texas has sort of created the world they live in.

The creation of the Longhorn Network was always going to eventually lead to the collapse of the conference. Texas has historically gotten its way in almost everything in the Big 12. Without anyone pushing back, they haven’t been forced to keep up with the other conferences, and so they haven’t.

It’s why A&M and Missouri left.

Without those two schools, the Big 12’s television markets beyond Texas shrink dramatically.

Texas has made sure that it got its own. Nobody does “Big 12 Big 12 Big 12” chants. Texas will face a very different conference… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Braden Keith
DCC Parent
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Totally agree on the root cause. That said, the current situation for the Big12 was predictable and increasingly inevitable. Big12 had chances to expand further in earlier realignments and didn’t act for the reasons you stated. Now they have lost their two biggest TV revenue draws and trying to hold things together / pick up the pieces…

PowerPlay
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Thanks, Interesting analysis. The irony (or maybe the outcome) is that U Texas isn’t very good at either football or basketball, the two big money sports.

Horninco
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Respectfully (because admittedly Texas is it’s own worst enemy at times), this take does conveniently ignore the fact that Texas tried to create a Big 12 network and we rebuffed. Then Texas tried a “State of Texas” network which was rebuffed by Bill Byrne, who said Aggies were content with the 12th Man Streaming platform. Bill also did not think there would be substantial amount of money involved.

This also ignores the reality that no school would turn down the amount of money that Texas was offered by ESPN. I think Texas was even surprised by that number.

Atm left because it was their only real shot to create an identity apart from big brother. They couldn’t win… Read more »

We did not Cali UT
Reply to  Horninco
2 years ago

Hear hear.

thezwimmer
Reply to  DCC Parent
2 years ago

Oklahoma and Kansas State both had swimming programs too. Not sure about Colorado or OK state though.

The internet is only so expansive, and I wasn’t alive during the years of the SWC, but which (if any others) schools had teams besides UT, A&M, SMU, TCU, and Arkansas?

‘’”
2 years ago

Whats going to happen when Texas leaves the Big 12? A dual meet between TCU and WV?😭

Swim3057
Reply to  ‘’”
2 years ago

BYU and Cincinnati are joining the Big 12 and have mens swimming programs.

thezwimmer
Reply to  Swim3057
2 years ago

They should bring SMU over for men’s swimming too. They’re going to be the only one left in the AAC and they are far too good to swim in the CCSA

Coach
Reply to  thezwimmer
2 years ago

Ah zwimmer but you are asking the big 12 to behave proactively (and/or to consider swimming)

thezwimmer
Reply to  Coach
2 years ago

Unfortunately swimming gets the short end of the stick in many conferences. Decisions that seem logical to us swim fanatics are ignored by the powers that be. I of course have no idea what the process of taking in associate members for sports is, but it can’t be that difficult that schools/conferences wouldn’t consider it.

When ECU and UConn were cut two years ago, I commented in one thread suggesting that the Big 12 take in Cincinnati and SMU. The two remaining teams from the AAC are at the same level of swimming as WVU and TCU, so that would make the conference much more competitive for all involved (ignoring the Longhorn in the room). It would also give WVU… Read more »

mcmflyguy
Reply to  ‘’”
2 years ago

Wish some of the other Texas schools would kick in for a mens team, UH, TTU (had a team back in the 80s). its kinda sad the amount of teams that have swimming in Big 12. used to be like 4-5 if I remember back in the early 00’s

thezwimmer
Reply to  mcmflyguy
2 years ago

With Houston joining the Big 12 soon, maybe an influx of revenue will lead to them adding a men’s team at their already-existing, beautiful facility.