2019 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 27 – Saturday, March 30
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
- Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
- Defending champion: Texas (4x) (2018 results)
- Psych Sheet
- Live Stream
- Live results
Reported by Jared Anderson.
100 BACKSTROKE – FINALS
- NCAA Record: Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016) – 43.49
- American Record: Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016) – 43.49
- U.S. Open Record: Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016) – 43.49
- Meet Record: Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016) – 43.49
- 2018 Champion: Coleman Stewart, NC State – 44.58
Top 8 Finishers:
- Dean Farris, Harvard – 43.66
- Coleman Stewart, NC State – 43.98
- Mark Nikolaev, Grand Canyon – 44.33
- John Shebat, Texas – 44.71
- Ryan Harty, Texas – 45.05
- Nicolas Albiero, Louisville – 45.08
- Daniel Carr, Cal – 45.21
- Javier Acevedo, Georgia – 45.24
It was a thriller of a 100 backstroke, with Harvard’s Dean Farris and NC State’s Coleman Stewart becoming the second and third men ever under 44 seconds. Farris went out like a rocket, and though Stewart closed hard on the last 50 (and the last kickout in particular), Farris held on for the win in 43.66. That’s shockingly just two tenths off the American record set by Ryan Murphy in 2016. Since that time, no one else has been within six tenths of that record.
Stewart closed in 22.60 to go 43.98. He becomes the third-fastest performer all-time in what’s been a stellar night for him. Stewart earned two NCAA runner-up honors tonight with a tough 100 fly/100 back combo.
Grand Canyons’ Mark Nikolaev went 44.33 and should move to #5 all-time in the event, leapfrogging Texas’s John Shebat, who was 44.35 two years ago but hasn’t bettered that time since. Shebat was fourth in this heat at 44.71 as the top four swimmers are among the six fastest ever to swim the event.
Texas went 5-6, with Ryan Harty taking the latter spot in 45.05. Louisville’s Nicolas Albiero also swam the 100 fly/100 back double that Stewart did, taking 9th in the fly and 6th in the back (45.08).
Cal’s Daniel Carr, who had to earn his spot in this heat through a re-swim after a start wedge was errantly left in his lane in prelims, was seventh in 45.21. Georgia’s Javier Acevedo rounded out the A heat in 45.24.
My wife is about to give birth to our first child and it’s first name will be dean farris
Even if it’s a girl.
Interviewer: Dean, what’s like to finally lose the parachute and start using 1% of your full potential?
Dean: I was just trying to race calmly…um…definitely a surprise…um…I was .5 faster than this morning…um…
Interviewer: How does it feel now looking back at your decision to opt out of the 200 free and swim the 100 back?
Dean: I guess now it looks like a smart move…um… just been the plan since last year…um… I was talking to Sam and Kevin and was definitely excited to do the 100 back…um… done with the 2 free and just wanted a break this year…um…I just love doing the 100 back…um…
Just noticed this. Love his interviews. What a great guy.
He is an awesome guy, crazy hard worker and very gracious.
He is so confident and it seems like his coaches really want whatever is best for him. The Harvard coaching staff has done an amazing job getting the entire team to a level where their relays are respected at NCAAs.
Whenever I see Dean https://youtu.be/7or_OOiXVg4
Definitely front-runner for swimmer of the meet.
I’d say it’s gotta be Seliskar. Hard to give it to a guy who might only get one win
Yeah but the 200y American/NCAA record has to count for something. It’s the single best swim of the meet so far. I’d say if Dean wins the 100y free he should deffo win swimmer of the meet. Otherwise, yeah, probably Seliskar.
It’s not about the wins, it’s about sending a message.
I’m with that. Two swims that were really shots across the bow in an otherwise relatively weak year.
A win in the 100 free would nail it down, but Seliskar is having one of the best performances in history, too.
Great meet, but not one of the best in history. He hasn’t even set an individual record. Close on the IM, but over a second slower on what’s supposed to be his new signature event, the 200 free, and would have been a distant second in that had Farris swum it. Maybe he’ll get a record in the 200 breast. Wins 3 and has some good relay splits, then maybe top 10 all time, but I’d say weakest of the history of triple event winners, because he dodged the speeding train Farris in the 200 free.
I don’t see seli touching licons 147.9 that race was ridiculous
He’s like actually really cute like what even.