Jordan Crooks Shows Off Range, Drops New Meet Records In 100 Fly & 100 Back

2022 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 17-19, 2022
• Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims – 10 am / Finals – 6 pm (ET)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (ESPN)
• Live Results
• Dual Meet Scoring (9-4-3-2-1)
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Full Day 2 Prelims Results (PDF)

Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks set the pool on fire on Thursday, swimming a sizzling time of 18.27 in the men’s 50 freestyle to move into a tie for the second-fastest performer of all-time.

The 20-year-old sophomore carried that momentum forward on Friday morning at the Tennessee Invite, setting a pair of meet records and new lifetime bests in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly.

In the 100 fly, Crooks dropped half a second from his lifetime best to put up a time of 44.82, shattering the meet record of 45.36 set by Georgia’s Camden Murphy in 2019.

MEN’S 100 FLY – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 44.82

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Jordan Crooks (TENN) – 44.82
2. Boyd Poelke (UNC) – 45.78
3. Bjoern Kammann (TENN) – 46.05
4. Bence Szabados (MICH) – 46.44
5. Gui Caribe (TENN) – 46.50
6. Gal Groumi (MICH) – 46.54
7. Tim Connery (UVA) – 46.55
8. Luke Brice (TENN) – 46.61

Crooks came in with a best time of 45.33, set at the 2022 SECs, which marked a significant improvement from where he was during midseason invites last year (47.12).

The 100 fly was also his third event at NCAAs (along with the 50 and 100 free), where he placed 26th in a time of 45.54.

A Cayman Islands native, Crooks also hit the NCAA ‘A’ cut right on the money, and currently ranks first in the nation in the event.

His swim included a scorching-fast opening 50 of 20.66, which was more than a half-second quicker than anyone else in the field. However, it was still a tick slower than he was opening up his previous PB at last season’s SECs (20.61).

On last night’s 400 medley relay, Crooks split 44.75 swimming fly, out in 20.17 at the 50 (with a takeover).

In the 100 back, an event Crooks had only raced three times in yards coming into this meet, he put up a time of 45.55 to break the meet record of 45.81 established last year by Alabama’s Matthew Menke.

MEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 44.79

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Jordan Crooks (TENN) – 45.55
2. Bjoern Kammann (TENN) – 46.73
3. Wyatt Davis (MICH) – 46.81
4. Nick Simons (TENN) – 46.83
5. Matt Brownstead (UVA) – 47.01
6. Jack Aikins (UVA) – 47.22
7. Max Edwards (UVA) – 47.24
8. Harrison Lierz (TENN) – 47.33

Crooks’ previous best, set at the 2021 Tennessee Invite, was 47.25. He once again set a blistering pace on the opening 50, flipping in 21.60, over eight-tenths quicker than the next fastest in the field.

According to the heat sheet timeline, Crooks’ two swims were roughly 90 minutes apart.