Reported by Jared Anderson.
1650 FREESTYLE – FINAL HEAT, TIMED FINALS
- NCAA record: Clark Smith (Texas), 2017, 14:22.41
- American record: Zane Grothe, 2017, 14:18.25
- U.S. Open record: Zane Grothe, 2017, 14:18.25
- 2017 NCAA Champion: Clark Smith (Texas), 14:22.41
Top 8 finishers:
- Anton Ipsen, NC State – 14:24.43
- Felix Auboeck, Michigan – 14:29.42
- Nick Norman, Cal – 14:30.82
- Zach Yeadon, Notre Dame – 14:35.98
- Marcelo Acosta, Louisville – 14:38.22
- PJ Ransford, Michigan – 14:38.23
- Ricardo Vargas, Michigan – 14:40.27
- True Sweetser, Stanford – 14:40.48
NC State’s Anton Ipsen went out fast, burning out the rest of the field until he was alone out front. Michigan’s Felix Auboeck fought him hard for much of the way, but eventually fell off and settled for secon din 14:29.42.
Cal’s Nick Norman came through with a massive swim to keep his Golden Bears in the hunt. Norman added more than 30 seconds last year and was almost dead last, but this year he blasted his way to bronze in 14:30.82 – almost a full minute faster than he was last season. Moving up three spots gained 3 points for Cal, who need every point to try to run down the top two teams.
Notre Dame’s Zach Yeadon closed hard to take fourth in 14:35.98, and Louisville’s Marcelo Acosta was fifth in 14:38.22. His time barely beat the top afternoon heat swimmer by .01 – that was Michigan’s PJ Ransford. Michigan has three inside the top 8, with Ricardo Vargas going 14:40.27 for seventh. Stanford’s True Sweetser took 8th, also out of the early heats.
While last year was a tight race among three to four swimmers. This year’s 1650 race was a dominant show of strength by Ipson! He was never really challenged during the entire race. I think if he had had someone pushing him he probably could have gone even faster.
He and Auboeck were very close through the 1000.
Anton was playing with him. Then he dropped the hammer. As in NCAA D1 All-American in the 1650, I’m pretty familiar with race tactics., if you have a lot reserved you drop your competition at the 1000 mark. If you don’t have a lot in the tank , then you (try to) drop them in the last 50. I’m just here to tell you that that was a very dominant swim by Ipsen. And it was a gutsy way to win. The guy deserves some credit!
Not everyone makes their move at the 1000. You should know this as a D1 All-American in the 1650.
Who cares. All the matters is that he DOMINATED the field. Auboeck was simply too soft to hang with Ipsen.
WOLF-
So proud of this NC STATE team. As a club coach, I appreciate what this team has done for the swimming community in Raleigh.