2019 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL
- Wed. Dec. 4 – Sun. Dec. 8, 2019
- Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
- Wed. Timed finals 6 PM
- Thu.-Sat. Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM / Diving 12 Noon
- Short course yards (SCY) format Wed.-Sat. (LCM format Sunday)
- Psych Sheets
- Live Stream (days 2-4)
- Live results
- Also on Meet Mobile. Search “Minnesota Invite 2019”
Texas sophomore Drew Kibler has become the 7th swimmer in history to go faster than 1:31 in the 200 yard freestyle, and just the 3rd to do so outside of the NCAA Championships.
Kibler won the event by 2 seconds on Friday evening at the Minnesota Invitational, swimming a 1:30.83 in the final. That ties as the 11th-best swim in history, and ranks him as the 6th-best performance ever.
The only other swimmers to go 1:30.83 at meets other than NCAA Championship events are Dean Farris, who went the same time at the 2019 Ivy League Championships; and Andrew Seliskar, who swam 1:30.86 at the 2018 Georgia Fall Invitational. Both swimmers would improve that time at the following NCAA Championships.
Kibler also becomes just the 2nd teenager to achieve the feat. Former Texas Longhorn swimmer Townley Haas swam 1:30.46 at the 2016 NCAA Championships when he was 19 years and 3+ months old. Kibler is a few months older than Haas was at that time, and will turn 20 before the NCAA Championship meet.
Kibler’s Splits:
- 1st 50 – 20.76
- 2nd 50 – 22.82
- 3rd 50 – 23.50
- 4th 50 – 23.75
If Kibler wants to get sub-1:30 in this event, it will likely come from an improvement in the 3rd 50 yards – almost all of the swims in history faster than his have had a 22-something split on the 3rd 50. That includes a 22.54 from Dean Farris at last year’s NCAA Championships on a relay leadoff en route to a 1:29.15 – the fastest time in history.
Kibler finished 3rd in the event at last year’s NCAA Championship meet, where he was the highest-placing non-senior and the only freshman to score in that event. His time there, 1:31.76, is his previous lifetime best.
All-Time Fastest Performers, Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle
- Dean Farris, Harvard – 1:29.15
- Townley Haas, Texas – 1:29.50
- Blake Pieroni, Indiana – 1:29.63
- Andrew Seliskar, Cal – 1:30.14
- Zach Apple, Indiana – 1:30.34
- Drew Kibler, Texas – 1:30.83
- Dylan Carter, USC – 1:30.95
- Simon Burnett, Arizona – 1:31.20
- Mikel Schreuders, Missouri – 1:31.27
- Ricky Berens, Texas – 1:31.31
Anyone know where the videos of this invite are??
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQLUy3eEuqO6J9FKxU8DbZoblu2W1uLS
He is in very good company for the bests ever ….specially the 6 first on that list .
Wow Eddie Reese can really coach the 200 free!
Wow, Eddie Reese can really coach the 200!
I hope he is getting 2,3 of them ( Haas , Farris and Kibler ) on top of their shape comes OT . Usa needs a faster 800 free relay here ……
Great swim, but I’m sorry, whenever I hear about this guy, all I can think about is elves.
Ryan Phillippe is a versatile actor / swimmer..
If Kibler is Ryan Phillippe. Does that make Kelly Pash Reese Witherspoon?
Does Kibler have a shot at the Olympics in the 200Fr relay? 200 free is deep but perhaps this indicates he is breaking through into the upper tier.
Umm idk what you’ve been watching, but the 200 LCM freestyle for the US has been everything but deep. We had zero individual 200 free finalists at worlds and are in deep trouble of not even medaling in the 800 relay in Tokyo. I hope drew can translate this SCY to a 1:45 because boy do we need it.
No one has a shot at a 200 fr relay, because it’s not an Olympic event. Other than that, it’s the usual, can he translate a SCY 200 to an event that’s 15 seconds longer in the LCM pool. Hope he can, we could use some more fresh talent.
200 free is deep but not very fast overall and kibler is already in the mix with a 1:47 so he definitely has a shot
Still bonkers to think that Pieroni was the first under 1:30. If you would’ve told anyone when he left high school that he would be that guy (or there’d be any guy at all this decade) they’d think you were crazy!
Was he not good in high school or what? What were his pbs?
I’m from Indiana and can tell you he was very fast in high school too. Setting a few state records along the way. I would have believed it.