Austin Katz Becomes 10th-Fastest 200 Yard Backstroker in History

2017 TEXAS INVITATIONAL

Texas freshman Austin Katz moved into 10th place on the all-time performers list (and 25th on the performances list) in the 200 yard back on Saturday to close the 2017 Texas Invitational.

Katz swam 1:38.49, which makes him the 2nd-fastest Longhorn in the history of the event, behind only the school record held by his junior teammate John Shebat at 1:37.24 from last year’s NCAA Championship meet. Katz also becomes the 4th active member of the Texas varsity squad to go sub-1:40 in the event, including Ryan Harty, who came within a tenth of his lifetime best with a 1:39.23 in Saturday’s final for 3rd place.

Coming into the weekend, Katz’s best time was a 1:41.48 from the 2016 YMCA National Championships. He dropped that to a 1:40.19 in prelims and then a 1:38.49 in finals. His swim included a very front-half-heavy 47.85, closing in 50.64. The last time he swam a best time, in 2016, the spread was only 2.04 seconds. That improved speed also showed in the 100 back – where Katz finished 3rd in 45.48. He was even faster, 45.34, leading off the 400 medley relay. His previous best was 47.06.

The only freshman to have ever swum faster in the 200 back: the current American Record holder and defending Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy, who in 2014 swam 1:37.35.

Texas’ divers will next compete from December 13th-19th at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in Greensboro;

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John M
6 years ago

NCAA Pick ‘Em contest… which Texas backstroker FTW?

Randy
Reply to  John M
6 years ago

KITTYKATZ

Cmon
Reply to  John M
6 years ago

How bout which Texas breast stroker tries not to ruin there medley?

Right Dude Here
Reply to  Cmon
6 years ago

Melzer showed glimpses of something promising. He’s a hard worker and tries to get better every day.

Back2Back
6 years ago

Gotta think Eddie is working his magic again following what I hear was a brutal fall workout series. TX Invite great place to make some cutoffs and then go hard again. Hook ‘Em!

IM FAN
6 years ago

The current all time preformers list (I’m sure this will get rewritten and NCAAs):
1. Murphy 1:35.73
2. Lochte 1:36.81
3. Shebat 1:37.24
4. Clary 1:37.58
5. Mulcare 1:37.80
6. Vyatchanin 1:37.87
7. Godsoe 1:38.21
8. Teduits 1:38.27
9. Peirsol 1:38.45
10. Katz 1:38.49
By the way, I think Katz in the third fastest Longhorn ever, not second, though I don’t known when Piersol swam that 1:38.45, it could have been done at winter nats.

Murica
Reply to  IM FAN
6 years ago

When did Vyatchanin go that time? I think he had the WR in SCM in 2009. If you wanna know how go rewatch the 2008 Beijing 200 Back final. He was out 54 I believe going deeeeeeep off the walls

IM FAN
Reply to  Murica
6 years ago

2013 winter nats. I also refute my statment that Katz is the 3rd fastest long horn, as Peirsol went that time at the 2006 american short course champs, representing longhorn aquatics but was a postgrad.

wethorn
Reply to  IM FAN
6 years ago

Once a longhorn, always a longhorn!

ct swim fan
Reply to  IM FAN
6 years ago

I believe that Hennessey Stuart is Better than 1:38.49 and is not on the list. I believe he did better last year maybe at ACCs.

Anonymous
Reply to  ct swim fan
6 years ago

His best is 1:38.56, close but not quite

ct swim fan
Reply to  Anonymous
6 years ago

just went to their website, http://www.gopack.com/documents/2017/5/11//Record_Book_Men.pdf?id=14127

seems to be 1:38.47

Anonymous
Reply to  ct swim fan
6 years ago

USA swimming shows his best as 1:38.56 from NCAAs and him swimming 1:39.47 and 1:39.37 at ACCs. Last year’s ACC results on MeetMobile also show 1:39s there. NCSU probably just made a typo. USA swimming tends to be a more accurate database.

Doug
6 years ago

Seems tapered to me….

PsychoDad
Reply to  Doug
6 years ago

Katz and other freshmen definitely tapered. Upper classes practiced through the meet.

FormerTexasLonghorn
Reply to  PsychoDad
6 years ago

I believe everyone rested but the fall workload was so intense that some needed more rest. Freshmen Katz, Pomajevich and Parker Neri (500 FR) were sensational, Harty’s and Artmann’s 200 Back, Sam Stewert’s 400IM, Ringgold’s 18.4 relay split were excellent as well. Some were still tired and will have to make their cuts at Conference, particularly Shebat, Roberts, Larson, Newkirk, Tenney, Jackson, Nichols, Huerta, Holter and Melzer.

ct swim fan
Reply to  FormerTexasLonghorn
6 years ago

I was gonna say. They were not swimming anywhere near that fast a month ago. They are definitely rested, maybe even shaved with suits.

JP input is too short
Reply to  FormerTexasLonghorn
6 years ago

Shebat and Roberts are the two I’d be worried about – they’re under what it took to qualify last year (Shebat’s 200 back, Roberts 200 back and 400 IM) but not enough that they should rest on their laurels there. And Texas needs those guys – Roberts was a 3-event A finalist last year and Shebat is potentially the best backstroker in college swimming at his best.

FormerTexasLonghorn
Reply to  JP input is too short
6 years ago

Yes. Both will have to rest more than planned for the Big XII Conference Championships to put up faster times since their current times probably won’t make the cut.

ATXswimfan
Reply to  PsychoDad
6 years ago

This was my thinking as well. Larson had an excellent 200 as well, among the frosh. Logic says maybe it’s Eddie working on figuring out how to rest them, whereas he knows pretty much exactly what Ringgold, Schooling, Roberts, Haas, et al need? Anyone with insight on this?

Fatboy Swim
Reply to  ATXswimfan
6 years ago

Tenney making ncaas hahaha. Former texas longhorn needs help

Swimmer1
Reply to  ATXswimfan
6 years ago

You nailed it.

Just Keep Swmmin
Reply to  PsychoDad
6 years ago

All Texas freshmen stopped 2-a-days (weights) almost 4 weeks ago. All others kept up intensive weights and regular 2-a-days until about 10 days before the meet. Practices remained basically the same in the pool and lightened up a bit a couple of days before the meet. It really showed in the difference between freshman and upper classmen’s performance. Also, in general, upper classmen on Texas generally got a bit better as the meet progressed because they didn’t have practice and it was essentially additional needed rest to help performance. Eddie was happy with times for the whole team given only partial rest for upper classmen. It bodes very well for training, recovery, and outlook for March when fully rested and… Read more »

FormerTexasLonghorn
Reply to  Just Keep Swmmin
6 years ago

Thanks for the inside insight into who rested how much.

Kaez
6 years ago

would love to see a race video of this

AvidSwimFan
Reply to  Kaez
6 years ago

I love that requests like this almost always get answered on here. Looking forward to it.

Fatboy Swim
Reply to  AvidSwimFan
6 years ago

I got the video dawg

Swimmer1
6 years ago

Very, very impressive performances from Katz all weekend!

samuel huntington
6 years ago

wow, Texas 200 back is crazy good – Harty, Shebat, Roberts, and Katz could all go sub 1:38 at NCAAs

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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