2021 NCAA MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- When: Wednesday, March 24 – Saturday, March 27, 2021
- Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center / Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
- Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (Local Time)
- Short course yards (SCY) format
- Defending champion: Cal (1x) – 2019 results
- Streaming:
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
In a reversal from yesterday, where it took faster times to make the A-final than in recent years in three of the five events, times this morning were generally slower across the board than they were in 2019, with the 200 breast being the only exception.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | |
| 200 Back – 8th | 1:39.83 | 1:39.22 | 1:39.37 | 1:40.20 |
| 200 Back – 16th | 1:40.62 | 1:40.27 | 1:40.86 | 1:41.20 |
| 100 Free – 8th | 41.96 | 41.82 | 41.76 | 41.83 |
| 100 Free – 16th | 42.52 | 42.25 | 42.18 | 42.47 |
| 200 Breast – 8th | 1:53.58 | 1:53.10 | 1:52.75 | 1:52.30 |
| 200 Breast -16th | 1:54.13 | 1:54.36 | 1:53.81 | 1:53.32 |
| 200 Fly – 8th | 1:41.38 | 1:41.00 | 1:40.94 | 1:41.33 |
| 200 Fly – 16th | 1:42.10 | 1:42.40 | 1:41.77 | 1:42.51 |
The 200 back was fast at the top end, as Destin Lasco and Shaine Casas each threw down a 1:37 (there were also two prelims 1:37s in 2019), but overall this was the first time in years that a 1:39 wasn’t required to make the A-final. Although, it’s worth noting that there was a swim-off for 8th, which Florida’s Clark Beach won with a 1:40.02. 16 of 37 swimmers dropped time from seed, though, making this one of the best events we’ve seen this week in terms of that metric.
Once again, it took a sub-42 to make the A-final of the 100 free, although this morning’s 41.83 time for 8th place was just a tick slower than the 41.76 it took in 2019. 20 of 51 swimmers dropped time from seed, including Ryan Hoffer, who put up the fastest time of the morning and a new lifetime best with a 40.90.
The 200 breast was the only event where it took faster times to make finals than in previous years, with the 1:52.30 it took make the top 8 this morning nearly a half second faster than in 2019, while the 16th-place time improved by a similar margin. Top seed Reece Whitley was actually over a second slower than his seed time, but still clocked the fastest time of the morning by over a second, with a 1:49.87. Overall, 14 of 43 men improved from seed, including 8 of the top 11.
The final event of the morning, the 200 fly, a bit slower in previous years, with a 1:41.33 need to make the top 8, versus a 1:40.94 in 2019. The top 3 men this morning all added time from seed, with Louisville’s Nick Albiero swimming just faster than Cal’s Trenton Julian, 1:39.61 to 1:39.66. In 2018 and 2019, NC State’s Andreas Vazaios was the only man under 1:40 in prelims, and he went on to win the title both years. Only 10 of 43 swimmers in this event improved on seed time this morning.
Why that yellow cap breaststroker be flutter kicking in the A final
Backstroke was ridiculous a couple years ago