WATCH: David Fitch Beats NCAA D3 Record With 46.83 100 Fly With Flip Turns

From Braden Keith‘s earlier report on SwimSwam.com:

KENYON CORONA MEET

  • March 13th-14th, 2020
  • James A. Steen Aquatic Center, Gambier, Ohio
  • SCY (25y) format
  • Results on Meet Mobile – “Kenyon NCAA Invite – Corona 2020”

While the time may never enter the official USA Swimming or NCAA results database, Kenyon junior David Fitch gave a taste of what could have been on Friday.

Swimming at Kenyon’s intrasquad time trial being held this weekend to give their NCAA Championship qualifiers some closure on a canceled season, Fitch posted a 46.83 in the 100 yard fly. That’s a lifetime best for him and undercuts his NCAA Division III record of 46.92 done at last year’s NCAA Championship meet.

For Fitch, who last year won national titles in both the 100 fly and 100 back, the swim won’t officially be an NCAA record. Kenyon has, however, said that they will recognize swims from this weekend as both pool and school records, meaning that the Kenyon school record will be faster than the official NCAA D3 record. Earlier in the day, Fitch swam a 19.75 in the 50 free on a relay leadoff that broke a Steen Aquatic Center record.

Fitch, who comes from the Bluefish Swim Club in New England, came out of high school with a lifetime best of 48.77 in the 100 fly. As a freshman he improved that to 48.34 before really breaking through as a sophomore to set the D3 record.

Last year, Fitch was named the Division III Swimmer of the Year by the CSCAA.

COMPARATIVE SPLITS:

50M 100M FINAL TIME
Old Record 21.74 25.18 46.92
New Record 21.73 25.1 46.83

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Swmoffcl
4 years ago

He looks completely submerged at least twice before the touch. Sorry. That is not legal

SwamaJammaDingDong
4 years ago

Nice swims! As a swammer and current official, I would like to point out that the coach starting them is following start protocols from decades ago. I love it, but the swimmers were probably very confused. Why is he telling us what event we are swimming? Why did he say “swimmers take your mark” instead of just “take your mark”? Who else was going to take their mark? Where are all the whistles? … Coaches watch thousands of races, but when they have to run a starting system they default to their memories as athletes rather than their current experience. It’s probably some terrific thesis material for a Psych major.

Bevo
4 years ago

Great to see the conclusion and some positive closure for these kids…well done!
Hope there are more meets like this!!!

Yup
4 years ago

Why is Kenyon still training, let alone racing?

ThirteenthWind
Reply to  Yup
4 years ago

Because until a couple days ago NCAAs was a thing that might happen…?

BubbaGanoosh
4 years ago

Dirty. If a MA did it and put up a real time there would be a rule change, real quick!

KParent Alum
Reply to  BubbaGanoosh
4 years ago

Are you referring to the pool & school record being allowed? Or, that he flips? He has flipped at all his competitions, including NCAA’s. It’s completely legal. As far as records, well, considering the coaches had to organize this in less than 24 hours, I’d waive the “not enough officials”. These are crazy times. There was nothing “dirty” about this meet. And, there is no doubt in my mind that the record alum listed on the board would congratulate David, not question if he really did the swim legitimately. They know he did.

kswammer
Reply to  KParent Alum
4 years ago

Considering the former record was also held by David, I think he’d be okay with it.

Kripkenstein
4 years ago

Probably a 46.3 with open turns

Thirteenthwind
Reply to  Kripkenstein
4 years ago

Or with another week of rest.

Last time he used open turns he was a 48 100 flyer.

Swimmer A
4 years ago

Awesome, so cool to see

IRO
4 years ago

As a person who barely swam and only enjoys this sport from the couch – are those turns faster? There has to be a point to doing it that way, right?

dewey
Reply to  IRO
4 years ago

Less resistance since your legs are moving more through air than through water?

Reid
Reply to  IRO
4 years ago

Jury’s still out I think but very few people try it. There have certainly been a few college swimmers that have done it and improved and attribute some of the improvements to the turn. It’s hard to see how it could be much better than a really good open turn by someone like Cody Miller. I suspect if it does help it’s only for butterfly as it at least sort of fits the motion of the stroke. Possibly if you have a mistimed long glide it could help regain some kinetic energy.
Also, welcome. Swimming needs more fans coming in from outside the sport.

Reply to  IRO
4 years ago

I dunno about faster but I sure would miss that breath of air on the turns lol

Mellow Mike
Reply to  IRO
4 years ago

If anything, he sure makes it LOOK faster. Comparing his turns with the guy who isn’t flipping, it’s very clear who’s faster.

Cliffords mailman
Reply to  Mellow Mike
4 years ago

That guy doing open turns also had crap underwaters, especially compared to the other two

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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